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Distilleries:
Glen Albyn | Glen Mhor | Millburn
The city of Inverness is considered to be the capital of the Highlands. Unfortunately, it has not fared well as a whisky producing area. There were three distilleries, all dating back to the 1800's but all were closed in the 1980's.
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| Glen Albyn |
| Dismantled |
Glen Albyn is another with a spotty past. It was founded in 1844 and put up for sale in 1855. Eleven years later it was converted into a flour mill, then eventually reopened as a distillery in 1884. It was closed again during World War I while the facilities were used as a mine making factory. In 1920, after the war, it was purchased by the parent company of neighboring Glen Mhor distillery. In 1983 it closed for the last time and three years later it was demolished (along with Glen Mhor) to make way for a shopping complex.
There are no distillery releases available.
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
A Whyte & Whyte 14-year-old (1980, 43 vol.) was a very pale white wine color with a very pleasant nose that seemed more youthful than its 14 years would suggest. Hints of shortbread and a very slight (and pleasant) sourness. The palate is sweet, clean, and dry with the same underlying current of sourness. The finish is somewhat complex in a very light, transitory manner, almost cleansing. 73
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A Hart Brothers 22-year-old (1978-2000, 43 vol.) has a deep gold color and a dry, oaky, faintly minty nose, with soft elements of fruit and peat. The palate is dry and has a soft, peaty nuttiness with faintly fruity notes. The finish is creamy, lightly earthy, and slightly chewy. 75 |
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| Glen Mhor |
| Dismantled |
Pronounced "Glen Vawr", the distillery was demolished in 1986 to make way for shops See Glen Albyn above). |
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
It has been fairly common to find independent bottlings of Glen Mhor available. It's been 14 years since the distillery last produced any product so it's safe to say that there will inevitably be bottlings to come in the next decade or longer (at ever increasing prices).
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A Gordon & MacPhail 16-year-old"Cask" bottling (1979-95, 66.7 vol.), is a pale gold color with greenish highlights. The nose is nutty, with minty and lemony notes. The palate is creamy, nutty, slightly buttery, with grassy sweet notes. The finish has crisp, somewhat acidic notes, mixed with a creamy richness. |
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A Cadenhead 19-year-old bottling (1976-95, 58.2 vol.) is a white wine color with grassy, leafy, and anise notes to the nose. It has a rich, creamy texture, and a crispness to the palate -- slightly acidic. The finish is dry, warm, and a little minty. Very good.
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| Millburn |
| Dismantled |
Millburn was closed in 1985 and the buildings later converted into a pub and steakhouse. The whisky was never released as a single malt but was part of a vatted malt named Mill Burn. |
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
A 12-year-old Cadenhead sherry cask (1983, 58.8 vol.) was quite interesting though not exceptional. As in most sherry cask bottlings, the sherry tended to mask most subtleties and added to a slightly rubbery aroma. Other notes of tobacco and chocolate were quite pleasant and carried through into a sweet, then somewhat dry and peaty palate. Not a great malt but it will nonetheless be missed. |
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A 12-year-old James MacArthur (1983, 43 vol.), pale gold, had a lightly peaty, nutty nose with notes of flowers and sweet ginger. The palate was nutty, malty, and dry. The finish was very dry, smoky, peaty, and a bit musty. Much more pleasant than the sherry cask (above).
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