Whisky: St. Magdalene-Linlithgow 25 Year (1982), Single Malts of Scotland

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland

ABV: 46%

Cask: Hogshead

Age: 25 Years (Distilled 8 Dec. 1982, Bottled 22 April 2008)

Nose: Citrus, floral cream, and wood. Top notes of lemon with floral orange and apple blossom came alive with a prickly spirit. Bergamot and bitter orange combined with patchouli and oaky spice as the nose developed an intriguing yogurt cream. Undercurrents of apple cider and grass remained just out of reach.

Palate: Light-bodied with citrus, apple, and sugary confectionaries. Green apple gummy bears and sugary treats danced across the palate with limoncello sour candies, champagne flavored bears; basically a Sugarfina tasting spread. Dry with an almost sparkling acidity and hints of white pepper, old coffee-stained papers, and fresh whey. The wife described it as having hints of envelope glue.

Finish: Lingering notes of dry green apple skins and mellow vanilla.

Score: 5

Mental Image: An Untidy Office

Notes: I will not beat around the bush; this was a bit of a disappointment. After my previous encounter with a St. Magdalene, I was hyped and ready to try some more. Unfortunately, this dram was unable to bear the weight of my expectations. Mellow and light, the palate was pleasant but shallow. It was not inherently flawed, but there was not much of interest beyond candy and paper notes.

St. Magdalene, now long extinct, was a Lowland distillery and one of the casualties of the Whisky Loch in the early 1980s. While I loved the previous Signatory Vintage bottle I tried, this one felt a bit more like someone bottled it just because they could— and, let’s be honest, there is not a lot of St. Magdalene floating around out there, so who could blame them. I would be surprised to find out if there were any casks still held by an independent bottler or DLC’s successor, Diageo.

Overall, a fun whisky to try, especially when I never thought I would have a chance to try a single St.Magdalene, much less two. This one was nice, but not the same stunning experience as the last. Perhaps a cautionary tale of how chasing after Pokemon, I mean ghost distilleries, does not always provide the same thrill as when you cross it off the list for the first time.

Image Credit: Whisky Auctioneer