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

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St Magdalene

Description of the whisky

The distillery

St Magdalene distillery
St Magadlene distillery
St Magdalenes
Linlithgow
Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)
Creation date 1765

The distillery is build on the site of an old leper colony dating back to the 12th century. It has been altered to settle a covent and later an hospital .
The distillery, situated in Linlithgow dates from 1765. It was originally called Linlithgow.
The distillery is build near the Union Canal, which made it easy to carry the whisky.
St Magdalene was the property of Adam Dawson, one of the first to apply for a legal distilling licence.
DCL (which would later become UDV, after merging with Guinness) bought the distillery in 1912, and closed it definitively in 1983/
It has been converted into flats, but its external character has been preserved. The pagoda roofs are still present.
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The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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St Magdalene: Official bottlings

St Magdalene
Rare Malts
19 y.o.
1979-1998

Age
 19 years
Alcohol percentage
 63.8%
Particularity
 Cask strength
Bottler
 Official
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St Magdalene 19 Rare Malts

The nose is quite fresh and gives off some nice fresh hay and cut grass hints, and some citrus (lemon) fragrances. A bit of vanilla on the background and quite a tingling, probably due to the percentage of alcohol. Very rich, the nose announces a great and complex whisky. The mouth is however first very dry and marked by alcohol and acid hints, those already detected by the nose. At the second sip, the dryness of the palate already fades, but a kind of aggressivity remains. The finish is long and warm, wtih still a domination of acid hints. This bottle deserves certainly a second taste, after a few days of aeration.
17/20
The both fresh and peppery nose presents nice fruity aromas (peer) and some medicinal hints on the background. Exceptionally complex nose, with minty notes, green apple and spices (clove). Very promising.
The first mouth is rather acid and develops quickly on bitterness before coming back on the first bitter notes. Alcohol is obviously present and the mouth presents a whole rainbow of aromas, unfortunately a bit crushed by the alcohol. Some drops of water are welcome for a further analysis. Once the alcohol predominance behind us, this whisky develops all kinds of pleasant nuances, marked by an undeniable medicinal character. Where the nose developed ether hints, the mouth is closer to cough pills.
The finish is lingering and worm, clearly marked by this duality between bitterness and acidity, and here also another medicinal aroma kind (eucalyptus).
An amazing but excellent dram.
18/20

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 St Magdalene: Independent bottlings
 

St Magdalene
Hart Brothers
21 years

Age
 21 years
Alcohol percentage
 56,5%
Particularity
 Cask strength
Bottler
 Hart Brothers
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This is initially quite a complex malt that takes the addition of a little water to release the peaty nose. There is also a hint of liquorice coming through. This is really a very pleasant typical Lowland malt with a dry sherry after taste, which comes through from the cask in which it matured. Try as a pre-dinner aperitif.
 
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St Magdalene
Linlithgow
Vintage 1975
28 years

Age
 28 years
Alcohol percentage
 48,1%
Particularity
 Cask strength
Bottler
 Signatory
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Linlithgow St Magdalene 1975
After the first relatively aggressive impression, the nose reveals the typical fragrances of Lowland whiskies: cut grass and ripe fruits. In the palate, after the first woody impression, a kind of spicy sweetness is present, in the rather fresh whisky. An interesting finish, however a little too short, gives the finishing touch to this whisky which leaves a very good impression.
18/20
During the second tasting, the nose had lost all its aggressiveness and the typical Lowlands freshness was immediately perceptible. In the palate, an impression of dryness (wood?) and a slightly fruity taste with a well marked acid character. A relatively short finish, dry and some bitter as well.
18/20
A nice fruity nose with hints of coconut and citrus fruit. Nice freshness with light hints of cut grass. A real fruit basket.
In the palate, the same fresh and pleasant impression. Fruits, mix of citrus and peaches, apricots and dry fruits, cashew nuts. Very expressive anyway.
A nice finish, lingering and nicely marked by the memories of both the mouth and the nose
19/20
What a fine fruity nose, with this mix of mint, citrus and exotic fruits. An amazing touch of coconut too,
In the palate a very pleasant smoothness and really impressive fruity notes. Nice complexity and beautiful balance. Notes of dry fruits and touches of citrus.
The lingering finish balances between freshness and warmth while being perfectly in touch with both the nose and the palate.
19/20
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St Magdalene
Rare Old
1975

Age
 30 years
Alcohol percentage
 43%
Bottler
 Gordon & MacPhail
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St Magdalene 1975
Whisky Magazine Tasting Notes
Nose: Green apples, fresh paint and fruit syrup. Kiwis and brown bread. A little eucalyptus oil and mint choc chip later on.
Palate: Sweet, malty, earthy then dry. Maturity and complexity.
Finish: Chocolate with citric sourness.
Overall: Typically lowland, with a nice progression of sensation: sweet, malty then zingy.
Tasted by Arthur Motley
Originally, the nose is clearly marked by cut grass mixed with sweet spices, and then develops on more fruity hints, with some dry earthy impression on the background, cut with some citrus hints. In the palate, a very nice impression of sweet freshness, with hints of bee wax, some nice malty hints and a touch of chocolate at the end. The finish is very pleasant too. First rather discrete, but developing on very nice wax then fruity hints and some biscuit (sponge finger) with chocolate touches, it just continues developing for the greatest pleasure of the papilla's. The whole is remarkably sweet.
19/20
A rather discrete nose with first some floral hints quickly followed by hints of honey and cut grass. A nice complexity, even if the nose remains discrete.
A great smoothness in the palate and nice contrasts between ripe fruit notes and green apple hints. Nice peppery notes and a touch of wood.
The finish is lingering and fresh while remaining deliciously spiced.
18/20
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St Magdalene
Old Malt Cask
1982

Age
 24 years
Alcohol percentage
 50%
Bottler
 Douglas Laing
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St Magdalene 1982 Old Malt Cask
A fresh and spicy nose, mix of cut grass and slightly peppery notes. Smooth hints of honey come above the nice freshness of the first contact.
The mouth is slightly more aggressive than the nose was, wit an obvious presence of alcohol which is quickly forgotten, as the impression in the palate is very pleasant. Between honey sweetness and notes both slightly bitter (hazelnut) and slightly acid (tangerine).
A pleasant finish, relatively long and reviewing all the impression of the nose and the palate.
18/20
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St Magdalene
Single Malts of Scotland
25 years

Age
 25 years
Alcohol percentage
 57,4%
Particularity
 Cask strength
Bottler
 The Whisky Exchange
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Linlithgow 25 Single Malts of Scotland
The first nose is remarkably fresh, with green apple notes and a touch of ether. But the fruit and cut grass dominate clearly. Superb nose.
In the palate, the first impression is the same fruity freshness, but it develops quickly on warmer notes giving the mouth a great complexity. Ceaseless switching between green apple freshness and nutty chocolate notes which gives it this warmth which contrasts with the acid freshness of the begin.
Finish is lingering and chocolate and nut remain the dominant flavours.
Superb...
19/20
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Linlithgow
Berry's own selection
1982-2009

Age
 27 years
Alcohol percentage
 46%
Bottler
 Berry Bros and Rudd
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StMagdalene 1982 BBR
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StMagdalene samples

St Magdalene
Single Malts of Scotland
25 years
cask 8902
Age
 25 years
Alcohol percentage
 46%
Bottler
 The Whisky Exchange
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A very pleasant freshness impression at the nose, with hints of green apple and exotic fruits, behind a very discrete veil of smoke.
In the palate the same green apple acidity appears first and develops quickly on smoother fruity notes with lots of character. A touch of smoke and a very nice (relative) complexity.
The finish is slightly bitter and keeps the memory of all the complexity of the mouth.
18/20
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Lowlands

There are only three active distilleries left in the Lowlands. This area was during the 18th and 19th century the main producer of whisky. This area has seen the birth of the industrial production of whisky.

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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 Lowlands 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

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