Whisky: St. Magdalene-Linlithgow 26 Year (1982), Signatory Vintage

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland

ABV: 61.2%

Cask: Wine Treated Butt

Age: 26 Year (Distilled 5 Oct. 1982, Bottled 3 June 2009)

Nose: Floral perfume, chocolate, and berries. A touch of heat dissipated as the floral-grassy aroma of berries, black tea, orange zest, and flower beds clarified. Chocolate-covered blueberries and espresso beans came to mind with a pot of chrysanthemum tea and an egg tart. A few drops of water brought out more grass with hints of menthol, melon, and maritime zest.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily with herbal tea, chocolate, and berry notes. Toasted orange rinds and orange oil popped with Szechuan peppercorns, dried sour cherries, and goji berries. Rich chocolate developed on the mid-palate: chocolate-covered blueberries and black forest cake enjoyed with creamy milk tea. A slight espresso bitterness appeared toward the end with star anise and an herbal medicinal note. Water brought out more bright fruit and pushed the chocolate further to the background.

Finish: Long and lingering notes of chocolate and dried fruits.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Coffee Date at Satura Cakes

Notes: A fantastic unicorn dram from a long-shuttered distillery (and not one that is ever coming back.) Perhaps one of the more characterful Lowland malts, St. Magdalene, was an absolute stalwart in its community. The distillery’s closure still brings back painful memories to residents old enough to remember it. It was not particularly well regarded for its malt— even some of those who fondly remember it told me they never thought the whisky was that good— but it was one of the few sites of skilled employment and a source of pride. It was suggested to me that one of the most significant issues the distillery faced was a lack of cask management. The malt was intended for blends, so the wood management of individual casks was never a priority— even less so during the decline of the early 1980s when the distillery fell silent.

Undeterred, I had high hopes for this bottle. If ever there was to be a great cask, I figure it would be one that a bottler specifically picked out— or in this case, might have had the distillery fill for them. The cask, a wine-treated butt, did not overpower or dominate the malt, and I was impressed with the balance between sweet confections and slightly herbal-bitter tea. A few drops of water brought the fruit to the fore and added a lovely blanket of spice. Water calmed the nose, which was initially a bit spirited (not a surprise for a dram over 60% abv).

Overall, this was an absolute treat of a dram and a stellar introduction to a distillery that I am shocked I had a chance even to try. While I try to avoid the “gotta catch them all” Pokemon style “FOMO” that can easily sweep a whisky aficionado off their feet— especially for ghost or silent distilleries which inherently feel more limited and ephemeral— sometimes I do give in. It is fun to taste a whiskey that predates oneself and possibly even more special when it rarely happens.

Image Credit: Whisky Auctioneer