Whisky: Glen Albyn 26 Year (1978), Hart Brothers

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 46%

Cask: Oak

Age: 26 Year (Distilled Feb. 1978, Bottled Sept. 2004)

Nose: Waxy tropical fruit, tea, and orchard fruits. Green and herbal, the aroma brought to mind Japanese cucumbers, hōjicha, sakura candies, and green mangos. Dry tea leaves led into camphor, menthol, tobacco, and freshly cracked pepper notes. The wife thought the nose was all honey and orchard fruits: green apple and pear skins.

Palate: Light-body with sparkling acidity and notes of orchard fruit, herbs, and wood. Crates of pears waiting to be pressed into cider with hints of cinnamon, pepper, and thyme. Apple tarts with dry almond pastry dough and streusel topping rolled across the palate. A few drops of water brought out more antique wood furniture with subtle creamy vanilla and green tea custard.

Finish: Lingering notes of herbs and fruits.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Cider Mill Tea Service

Notes: I love the romance of sipping on a bottle older than I am— by year of distillation in this case, not time in the cask. Just imagine, in February of 1978, Star Wars had not even been out for a year, and theater-going audiences were still two years away from discovering that Darth Vader was, in fact, Luke Skywalker’s father (sorry, spoiler alert). Glen Albyn was shuttered five years after this was distilled, part of the 1983 round of cuts by Distillers Company Limited (future United Distillers and then Diageo). Unlike some of the other mothballed distilleries that have been resurrected, Glen Albyn was demolished and will not be returning.

Mellow, light, and ghostly, I hesitate to run with the ghastly metaphors, but this was hauntingly beautiful. Slow to develop, the dram took a good half hour before the volume on the nose suddenly seemed to turn up— it was as if the dram needed to reach critical mass. Though pleasant, the palate was simple, with a nice transformation into something woodier with a few drops of water. Although this was not a blow-your-socks-off whisky, it was still enjoyable and intriguing.