Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Glen Elgin

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Glen Elgin
Glen Elgin distillery
Longmorn by Elgin IV30 3SL
Morayshire
+44 1343 960212
Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)
Creation date 1898

The Glen Elgin distillery has been founded at the end of the whisky-boom in 1898. No more than 2 months later, the market collapsed.
Despite the crisis, the owners William Simpson (former manager of Glenfarclas) and James Carle decided to continue their activities on a smaller scale. But this was not such a good decision, as they were forced to end the production and to sell their distillery as soon as November 1900, just 6 months after their first distillation.
The distillery has had several owners before 1936, when it was taken over by the UDV through the Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd.
As most of the distilleries had to, Glen Elgin closed during World War II, and unfortunately, the railway which was close to the distillery is disused since the early 1950's.
Despite all this difficulties, the distillery has been refurbished in 1964 and the number of stills has been tripled. But the distillery closed again in 1992 and 1995.
The major part of the production is used in the White Horse blends.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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 Glen Elgin: embouteillages indépendants
 

Glen Elgin
12 years
Fauna & Flora
Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 43%
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 

The nose detects very slight smoke hints on a malted background. The slightly acid malt dominates the impression in the palate. Here also, some smoke hints are present. The smoke impression is not to compare with the Whisky Galore version. A classical Speyside with some citrus fruit touches. A rather long finish and quite a nice but dry taste completes the whole. This bottle confirms the high level of quality of the Fauna & Flora series.  
17/20
The second tasting did not bring any difference in the conclusion: a very good bottle.
17/20
The nose detects some vanilla hints through a thin screen of smoke; The palate is clearly marked by the malt with a kind of bitterness on the background, probably due to the wood, despite its relative young age. A certain lack at complexity characterizes this spirit, however the whole is quite nice. Adding a drop of water enhances the woody or even chocolate hints. The finish is relatively long and pleasant, and recalls tastes somewhere between malt and wood.
16/20
A clear fruity nose with some hints of yeast. Very fine notes of ripe fruit (exotic fruit) mixed with green apple hints. Quite an interesting nose even if it is quite disconcerting because of all this contrasts. However, this contrasts do not make it a very complex whisky.
The palate is slightly less interesting than the nose was and the acid notes remain. The mouth is rather linear.
The finish is made from the same wood, between acid freshness and discrete woody notes.
17/20

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Glen Elgin
12 years
Whisky Galore
Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 46%
Bottler
 Whisky Galore
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 
This whisky is very surprising from the very first nosing. A clear  smoky dominance. This is rather unique for a Speyside malt. The taste is wonderful. The mix of smoke with some sweet honey and malt hints are a festival to the papilla's. A great complexity just adds something more to the pleasure. The finish is rather long, but unfortunately the dryness of the smoke is too dominant. After long hesitations (I first gave this bottle a 19), I decided to give it a 18, principally due to the finish. This is the first bottle I taste from Whisky Galore. If all the bottlings are that good.... An essential bottle.
18/20
The nose reveals strange hints, wood, chocolate and malt. A rather surprising smell. This first impressions are confirmed in the palate, and some very sweet but not without character touches are present. The finish is rather long, sweet and marked by malt and wood. A very special bottle, but an excellent one.
18/20
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Glen Elgin
Old Malt Cask
1991
Cask #4066
Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 50%
Bottler
 Douglas Laing
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glen Elgin Old Malt Cask
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Glen Elgin: samples

Glen Elgin
1980
Scott's Selection
Age
 24 years
Alcohol percentage
 45,2%
Bottler
 Scott's Selection
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

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