St Magdalene 1975-2008 - Gordon & MacPhail - Rare Old

INFORMATION

St Magdalene 1975 - 2008. Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail for their Rare Old series. Matured in Refill Sherry Hogsheads. 70cl. 43%.

DISTILLERY:St. Magdalene / Linlithgow

DISTILLERY STATUS:Closed

Bottle ABV:43%

Bottle SIZE:70cl / 700ml

BOTTLER:Gordon & MacPhail

SPIRIT TYPE:Scotland

CASK TYPE:Single Malt

REGION:Lowland

DISTILLED YEAR:1975

BOTTLING DATE::2008

St. Magdalene distillery (sometimes known as Linlithgow) is one of the greatest and most sorely missed of the lost Lowland distilleries. The distillery’s 1983 closure attracted little outcry but a handful of extraordinary Rare Malts bottlings in the late 1990s brought home the scale of the loss. Thankfully, a great many casks of St. Magdalene/Linlithgow have appeared from independent bottlers, with high strength versions by Cadenhead’s, SMWS, Douglas Laing and Gordon & MacPhail all performing well at auction.

St. Magdalene’s spirit, although sometimes showing a typical Lowland grassiness, was also frequently considerably more robust and austere than one would expect, with the pre-1975 vintages in particular displaying a minerally, oily waxiness more akin to the old Highland style malts than the soft Lowland archetype, while post-1975 vintages sometimes tend more towards elegance and fruitiness. A marvellous distillery that malt fans must try while bottlings still exist.