Glenlochy 1980-2005 - 24 Year Old - Signatory Vintage - Single Cask 2819

Glenlochy is one of the overlooked lost distilleries of the Highlands. The distillery was founded in 1898 but production was relatively small and Glenlochy’s output was only ever destined for the blending vats. Glenlochy was closed in 1983 by Diageo forerunners DCL during the whisky lake crisis and the distillery buildings were almost completely demolished in 1991 to make way for a hotel.

Glenlochy was never officially bottled as a single malt during its lifetime, but a handful of superb Rare Malts editions of the 1969 vintage appeared in the mid-1990s. Outstanding independent bottlings of Glenlochy have been released by Cadenhead’s, Signatory, Gordon & MacPhail and the SMWS, among others. At the time of writing in 2024 there has been only one new release of Glenlochy since 2015 so it appears that the last stock of this very fine old school Highland single malt whisky may soon be finished.

Signatory Vintage Whisky Company was founded by Andrew Symington in 1988 after a spell as assistant manager at the Prestonfield House Hotel, where he had the opportunity to buy a cask of Glenlivet 1968. A robust and canny businessman, Symington had soon acquired some outstanding parcels of casks from great distilleries, and quickly established a reputation among single malt fans for good value, high quality single casks, the majority of which were released at full strength.

Throughout the 1990s and beyond, Signatory released outstanding whisky from Ardbeg, Glenfarclas, Springbank and many more, with frequently remarkable examples of lost or obscure distilleries. Soon established as one of the leading new wave independent bottlers, Symington was also an early exponent of bottling whiskies without colouring or chill filtration, a policy that has also served Signatory well at their Edradour distillery, which was purchased in 2002.