Whisky : North Port (1971), Rare Malts Selection

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 54.7%

Cask : Various

Age : 23 Years (Distilled 1971, Bottled 1995)

Nose :  Herbal, fruity, and floral.  Gentle notes of dried fruit, chrysanthemum tea, cherry blossom, and red ginger.  Musty and subtle with hibiscus tea and semi-sweet almond date pastries.

Palate : Medium-bodied and oily with fruit, citrus, and chocolate. Initially, all tart fruits with plums, sour cherries, grapefruit, green mango, and a subtle melon. Musty, slightly earthy, notes of red ginger led to roasted barley and dark chocolate at the end. Hints of lemon-lime as the bitter chocolate faded.

Finish : Lingering hints of citrus and almond.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Tea Tasting Session

Notes : My first, and likely last, North Port, held all the romance of an old bottle. It was opened and shared at a friend’s epic birthday week blast, along with a handful of more modern bottles. The nose was beautifully subtle with fruit and floral tea notes; though the palate was a bit hot, it was full of tart fruits and roasty chocolate and barley. The profile featured an intriguing flavor transition, and everyone around the table seemed to identify a different tart fruit at the outset.  It was fun to try the distillery for the first time, and I am a bit relieved I did not fall head over heels for it as I doubt I will have a second encounter.

North Port was shuttered in 1983 during the same round of contraction with Port Ellen, Saint Magdalene, Brora, and others. It was then demolished about a decade later so that a grocery store could be built on the site, so unlike some of those other well-known ghost distilleries, it will not ever be coming back— at least not in quite the same way. It also does not have the same amount of legendary bottlings and remains much less well-known.