Glen Flagler ‘Rare All-Malt’ 100% Pot Still 5-year-old

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 10^th January 2017

Ratings:
83.31/100 – Whiskybase (average from 34 member votes)

Glen Flagler (or Glenflagler) was one of several single malts produced at the Moffat distillery in Airdrie from the mid 1965 to 1985. Inver House Distillers Ltd created the distillery on the site of the derelict Moffat Mill paper mills. Even though distilling stopped in the mid 1980s Inver House still use the site for warehousing and as their head office to this day.

Before buying an example of Glen Flagler I had to sort out which old bottles were single malt as opposed to blended malt. Apparently Inver House continued to produce the Glen Flagler as a blend name after production of the single malt stopped. There’s a lot of confusion out on the Internet, or if not confusion then avoiding the problem by not saying if a bottle is ‘single malt’ or ‘blend’. Eventually enough places I looked said that if the Glen Flagler bottle has ‘pure malt’ on it then it’s a blend. Often auction houses wont mention this and as a result the blend version can achieve prices similar to the single malt. The Glen Flagler distillation from 1965 to 1985 used pot stills so if the label doesn’t mention ‘pure malt’ and says ‘100% pot still’ it should be single malt (I hope!).

Scoring over 83/100 on Whiskybase is very respectable where comments include “nothing to write home about but nice to try all the same”, “really unusual but I like that”, “don’t expect the earth to move, but not a bad whisky at all. Aperitif style whisky for late summer afternoons.”

Tasting notes included on Whiskybase:
Nose: Very light and not particularly expressive. A little grapefruit, lemon and dried grass and something nutty.
Taste: Bitter and woody (surprising at this age). Quite mouth filling and fat. A little honey and biscuit
Finish: Longer than expected, approaching medium.

Killyloch 1972 22-year-old

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 9^th August 2016

Ratings:
86.75/100 – Whiskybase (average from 4 member votes)

When did production of the Killyloch single malt stop? It’s the question on every whisky enthusiast’s lips. Well, not really but it is a bit of a mystery. Some say 1985, others 1970, which is quite a wide gap. Both Glen Flagler and Killyloch were stills set within the Moffat grain distillery so not distillery locations in their own right. Moffat closed in 1985, which is where some of the confusion comes from but the production of Killyloch ended over a decade before. There are only 3 bottlings of Killyloch listed on Whiskybase, two from 1967 and one from March 1972 so this stuff is extremely rare. It also suggests that Killyloch single malt ceased production in the early 1970s, possibly later in 1972.

MaltMartin, a member of Whiskybase, scores my miniature example of Killyloch 86/100, which is a fantastic score. He leaves these tasting notes:

Nose: Astringent and sharp at first nosing. Lemon and lime. Orange peel. Floral notes and cut grass. Nettle and heather as well. Some garden mint. Later on pronounced aroma of new leather.

Taste: Hot, spicy and zesty. Esters of kiwi and green apples. Grapefruit bitterness. Hints of bergamot. Toasted oak as well. A little vanilla. Honey. The palate reminds me of the high strength Cadenhead Authentic Collection bottles of the 90’s.

Finish: Medium long with spices of black pepper and clove. Almost medicinal. Pine. Liquorice. Becomes salty at the end.

Garnheath 1974 41-year-old Xtra Old Particular

Bought: Master of Malt, 3^rd March 2016

Ratings:
94/100 – Whisky Bible 2017
8.7/100 – Scotchwhisky.com
87.5/100 – Whiskybase (average from 4 member votes)

Garnheath was a single grain whisky produced at the lowlands Moffat distillery between 1965 and its closure in 1986. The distillery also produced the single malts Glen Flagler, Killyloch and Islebrae. Killyloch stopped production in the 1970s and Islebrae was only used for blending and never bottled as single malt. Imagine if it was! It would cost a fortune because of its rarity. I can only assume that no casks still exist of Islebrae or someone would have bottled it by now.

94/100 in the Whisky Bible by Jim Murray classifies this single grain as a “superstar whisky that gives us all a reason to live”. The author says of the taste “wow! More than a hint of ginger here! Really a very warmed-up dram with spices holding the tiller and contrasting sublimely against the muscovado sugar and big butterscotch”. He summaries with “the rarest of the rare single grain – as though aware of its unique place in the lexicon of vanishing scotch – doesn’t disappoint for a moment.”

There are only 15 bottlings of Garnheath mentioned on Whiskybase, 6 from the 1960s, 8 from the 1970s and one from the distillery’s final year in 1986. 12 of the 15 are rated and none score less than 84.2/100, which is an excellent mark. The highest scoring bottle is a ‘Celebration of the Cask’ by Carn Mor, a 41yo from 1974, which is exactly the same year and age as my bottle by Douglas Laing.

Scoring a fantastic 87.5/100 on Whiskybase from 4 member votes, one taster leaves this summary “smooth, creamy and very appealing. Although 41 years of age, the influence of the wood is obvious but the oak isn’t overpowering at all. The spirit has extracted delicate toffee, vanilla and coconut flavours over time and is in perfect balance with subtle flavours of sandalwood and cedarwood coming from the oak. Don’t add water! A brilliant whisky experience – I very much enjoyed this beauty!”