Glen Elgin

glen-elgin-distillery

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History Initially Glen Elgin did not have problems to seek. The owners, William Simpson, a former manager of Glenfarclas, and James Carle, an agent for the North of Scotland Bank, saw their investment of £13,000 plummet to £4,000 when they sold the distillery in 1901.The original site was chosen for its water source and close proximity to the railway line. Unfortunately the water source proved unreliable and permission for a railway siding was refused. The distillery soldiered on through several owners before becoming part of DCL in the 1930s. It was then licensed to White Horse Distillers Ltd. Until the 1950s the distillery was entirely operated and lit by paraffin. All machinery was driven by a paraffin engine and a water turbine. It was a full-time job to keep the paraffin lights burning. Today, the distillery still proudly depicts the White Horse emblem and is part of UDV’s “Elgin Group”, along with Linkwood, Glenlossie and Mannochmore. The whisky is still a key component of White Horse blended whisky, which is exported to over 200 countries worldwide. The distillery has a huge storage capacity for malted barley. The 36 malt bins can hold 400 tonnes – more than the 3 other distilleries in the Elgin group combined. However the ISR (intermediate spirit receiver) which collects the spirit from the stills is very small and has to be pumped empty 3 times a day. Recent investment has seen a new full lauter mash tun installed, replacing the old traditional tun with its geared rakes. The mash is now continually sparged as opposed to adding separate waters. The worts however are transferred to traditional wooden wash backs for fermentation. The distillery’s floor maltings were decommissioned in the 1960s with the malt being supplied by large industrial maltings. However, worm tubs were retained for the cooling of the distillate. Although the distillery has seen major refurbishment it retains the look and feel of a small, traditional distillery. There are no space-age computer panels and the highly regarded whisky continues to be made with a hands-on approach. The Glen Elgin spirit and wash stills are similar in size and shape, although the spirit stills have a flatter pot. There is a gentle incline on the lyne arms which lead outside to the worm tubs. The distillery operates a balanced distilling process: each wash back provides 6 individual charges for the wash stills; two wash distillations make up the charge for a spirit distillation. This makes for a busy shift in the still house with 9 separate still charges to be made. Using worm tubs to cool the distilled vapours, as opposed to condensers, adds a depth and richness to the spirit. An added bonus are the fresh water shrimp which thrive in the tubs.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
Independent Bottling
Cadenhead
  • GlenElgin RC Glen Elgin-Glenlivet 22 Years Old 1991 Rum Cask (2015) - Glen Elgin-Glenlivet 22 Years Old 1991 Rum Cask (56.8%, Cadenheads, 498 Bottles, 2013) Speyside single malt scotch whisky 56.8% ABV, £79.90 Score: 88/100 What they say: William Cadenhead’s are Scotland’s oldest independent […]
Carn Mor
Claxton’s
  • glen-elgin-20-year-old-1995-claxtons-whisky Glen Elgin 20 Year Old 1995 The Single Cask (2017) - Glen Elgin 20 Year Old 1995 The Single Cask (51.5%, Claxton’s, Refill HH #1609-1671, 294 Bottles, 2016) Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Elgin Distillery Bottling: Claxton’s ABV: 51.5% […]
Gordon & MacPhail
  • glen-elgin-1998-bottled-2014-connoisseurs-choice-gordon-and-macphail-whisky Glen Elgin 1998 Connoisseur’s Choice (2017) - Glen Elgin 1998 Connoisseur’s Choice (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, 2014) Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Elgin Distillery Bottling: Gordon & MacPhail; Connoisseur’s Choice ABV: 46% Cost: £61.72 […]
Lady of the Glen
Milroy’s of Soho
  • Glen Elgin 17 Years Old 1995 Milroys (2015) - Glen Elgin 17 Years Old 1995 ~ 46% (Milroy’s of Soho) Speyside single malt scotch whisky 46% ABV, £55 for 70cl from Milroy’s of Soho Score: 82/100 What they say: Distilled in […]
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 85.26 Fragrant perfumes and deeper resonances (2015) - Glen Elgin 28 Years Old 1985 85.26 Fragrant perfumes and deeper resonances (44.5%, SMWS, Refill HH, 186 Bottles, 2013) Speyside single malt scotch whisky 44.5% ABV, £91.90 Score: 92/100 What they say: […]
That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
  • Glen Elgin 22 Years Old Batch 2 (2020) - Glen Elgin 22 Years Old Batch #2 whisky review: Quite spirit led, with a massive fruity sweetness and some drying oak wood or sawdust, a good range of fruits though not quite as tropical as I might have hoped from the age of this one. 85/100