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

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Glenesk maltings
Kinnabre Road
Hillside
Montrose Angus DD10 9EP
Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)
Creation date 1897
Glenesk maltings

The plant was originally a flax mill. It is situated near Montrose, on the East Coast of Scotland. When the distillery was founded, it was called Highland Esk. The distillery changed its name several times before closing definitively in 1985. The successive names of the distillery are: North Esk (1899), Montrose distillery (1938), Hillside distillery (1964) and finally Glenesk in 1980, a few years before closing.
Round the time of World War II, the distillery has been altered to produce grain whisky, but in the early 1960's, it became a malt distillery again.
In 1968, the owners of the distillery started malting in malting drums. Nowadays Glenesk is renowned as an important malting plant, owned by Pauls, one of the major actors in Scottish maltings.
The distilling licence has been cancelled in 1992.
Glenesk whisky was an important part of the VAT69 blend.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

Independant bottlings:Glenesk

Glenesk

Rare Auld Cask Strength 20 years
Collection
 Rare Auld Cask Strength
Age
 20 years
Alcohol percentage
 58,4 %
Bottler
 Duncan Taylor
Cask number
single cask 4928
Dates
 Distil: 1/11/1983 Bottling: 1/07/2004
Bottle
 433 of 616 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 86/100
Glenesk Peerless 20
A rather complex nose, mix of malt and wood but keeping a pleasant freshness, cut grass-like. A slight tingling due to the alcohol degree, before adding some drops of water. After adding water, the woody smell (or is it meat?) becomes even more evident. In the palate, a real firework of flavours, from the citrus fruit acidity to the sweetness of malt, with some chocolate hints and a kind of woody bitterness. A very nice finish, lingering and as complex as the nose and palate were, with still this mix of citrus acidity, malt sweetness and wood bitterness.
88/100
This whisky is probably a perfect example of the difference you can experience between a new opened bottle, and one opened since q while, where aeration has had its effects. The impressions are quite different between the first tasting and the second one...
The nose is exceptionall fresh, cut grass, ripe fruits, spring flowers. In the palate, same sensation of freshness, both smooth and strong, because of the percentage of alcohol, both sweet and bitter, mixing impressions very close to honey with fine woody ones. The finish is from the same nature, lingering, both smooth and bitter, very warm, due to the high percentage of alcohol.
84/100
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Glenesk

Connoisseurs Choice 1984
Collection
 Connoisseurs Choice
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Gordon & MacPhail
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links & average quote
 79/100
Glenesk 1984
The first nose is quite farmy with fragrances of wet hay and undergrowth hints. But there is mores in this nose, some smoke, a touch of plum jam, some peat as well.
The mouth is quite metallic, and relatively austere, but rather fresh and not unpleasant.
The finish is first freshly acid and develops on some fruity notes to end on acid hints and the austerity of the mouth is quickly coming back.
79/100
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Eastern Highlands n

Eastern Highlands map

Dozens of distilleries have been created in this area during the 19th century. The area is situated at the East of the Highlands, covering the Angusshire, parts of Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire and even of Invernesshire. The Spey river has its source in the area.
Currently about half a dozen distilleries are active in the area.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Eastern Highlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow