Gordon & MacPhail Glen Mhor 1978
Cask Strength | 62.2% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something Special.
TL;DR
A lost Highlander comes home.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Bringing to life Glen Mhor (pronounced Glen Vawr, or Glen Vhore), or any other distillery for that matter, brings the added bonus of trying liquid history. The remaining drops from a producer that’s no longer with us and a unique opportunity to any whisky fan or historian seeking new experiences.
There’s a universal appeal to being able to sit down with a whisky from a distillery that is no longer with us. Something that demands dedication and the chase; if not deep pockets, nowadays. My own whisky journey was reinforced and pushed on by an older generation who cared little for values. It was all about the experience. A warm welcome, followed by a healthy pour, accompanied by the warming words of, “here, try this,” and a knowing nod as they took in my first sips and appreciation for sharing such an experience.
These are good memories; fond memories during the pandemic that we mustn’t forget. The social element we’ve either lost completely or only experienced in brief flashes. And sadly, yes, those that have moved on and have been lost to us.
The lost distilleries of Scotland have an enduring legacy. Their end was always final and accepted. That movement into the history books as the demolition teams arrived on site or production machinery was salvaged for other uses elsewhere. What remained was an empty shell or pile of rubble. If no new purpose was forthcoming for the site, things were left to drift into the hands of nature and descend into the dirt.
That was until Diageo decided to revive Brora, Port Ellen and sell Rosebank, for various reasons. Such a move wasn’t done out of the goodness of its heart for the distilling legacy of Scotland, nor should I expect anyone believes such a tale. It’s simple economics and an unforeseen (if welcome) consequence of the popularity of the lost distilleries.
For some distilleries, thanks to the actions of previous owners, there’s no resurrection or pathway to former glories. This is the end, beautiful friend. One such example is the Glen Mhor distillery, which was situated alongside the Caledonian Canal in Muirtown, Inverness. This is one of the city’s three lost distilleries with only Millburn remaining as a hotel/restaurant. This Highland trio, each with their own legacy, stopped distilling in the 1980s and to this day, Inverness awaits a successor.
The whiskies provide a gateway of their own. A flavour and aroma signpost to the qualities and efforts of the distillery team that we can still experience today. I always find it beneficial to set the scene with such a whisky. Take in what’s not just in the glass but also the period when it was distilled. The set-up at the distillery, any quirks of production and what changes came after. It’s not just what was no.1 in the UK charts at the time (for the record, Rivers Of Babylon by Boney M) when the spirit was distilled. Such a fact won’t tell you much other than what might have been playing on the radio, somewhere deep inside the distillery complex.
“until a man has had the luck to chance upon a perfectly matured malt, he does not really know what whisky is”
Ready? Let us begin. Glen Mhor only ever had three stills (not two as reported by some) and these were never replaced during its lifespan of just under a century. Glen Mhor was in production for 99 years, a cruel shame it never made the magical 100. As we’re dealing with a whisky from 1978, this means we do have the Saladin Boxes at the distillery in operation. These were the first to be installed at a malt distillery in Scotland on 17th October 1949 and remained in use until 1980. These were the first mechanical maltings and dangerous in their own ways, as former distillery worker, Rodney Burtt recalled in Gavin D. Smith’s excellent Stillhouse Stories Tunroom Tales:
“Each Saladin Box consisted of parallel, concrete walls, 60-feet long, 8-feet apart and 6-feet high. They were joined at each end by removable iron gates, and the metal plates covering the floor area were perforated. The twenty tons of barley remained in this box for 10 days, during which time the corn adopted its essential change in enzymes from starch to malt.
“What happened visually was this. After six days, small rootlets formed at the end of each grain, where roots would normally have appeared underneath field soil. The sprouting end which would otherwise have produced the stem is called the acrospire. This should never develop as it would absorb valuable food and energy stored within the husk that we want for malt conversion. Therefore, it was imperative that selected strains of barley were of the best nitrogen content. In other words, the distiller wanted more root energy rather than plant enhancement.
“Above the iron gates, at the end of the box, spanned a solid girder-type bar which supported four massive wor, screws, vertically attached. The whole frame was electrically powered to travel on cogs along the toothed rails, which ran along the top of the sides of the boxes.
“Every eight hours, when a box was full of corn (barley), the mechanism set off on its journey at the rate of one foot every 20 seconds. As the worm screws twisted round they lifted the barley from the bottom reversing the top surfaces. This was the modern aerating method of turning. The barley was maintained at the correct temperature of 62f (16 degrees) and moisture content of 27.5% was sustained by the turning process, together with jets of water. These sprayed on to the barley from behind the worm screws as they moved along.”
Moment in time set - let’s pour a dram.
Review
Glen Mhor 1978 bottled 1993, 62.2% ABV
Secondary market nowadays
Nose
Immediately this is robust and forceful and tinted with the rare aroma of stone fruit. Smoked lemons, New York vanilla cheesecake and more fruits appear with time in the glass. Crushed white grapes, a white wine-link aspect, grapefruit and tablet. Plasticine, cotton sheets and a pleasing floral aspect break up any of that classic Glen Mhor harshness. Oily, wood sap, linseed oil, honeysuckle and lemon meringue pie. I’m also perplexed for a few moments by another note that I’ve only really experienced to this degree in a bottling of Glenisla. Yeah, I’m talking about bubble-gum, or more specifically from my childhood, Bazooka Joe. Adding water unlocks softer fruits, toffee crisp and a pan scrubbed with iron wool – it is Glen Mhor after all.
Palate
The texture really grips you with its oily and luscious nature. There’s a lingering raw power that continues into the finish of mint leaf. It’s a beast but wonderfully of its time and distillery. Pine needles, grapefruit and flashes of tropical flavours – a rarity for Glen Mhor! Harsh in places, yes. Tonka bean, silver needle tea and chalk dust. Water here calms the nature and turns proceedings creamy, fruitier, matchsticks and smokiness.
The Dregs
This is a hugely enjoyable and dynamic Glen Mhor featuring a superb nose that you can spend hours in the company with. A fine vatting by the minds at Gordon & MacPhail that ultimately pays dividends. They only did a handful of such vattings of the distillery at cask strength, while watering down other releases (which form the bulk of releases you’ll see of this distillery) to mixed effect. These cask strength Glen Mhor’s remain some of the best in my opinion and the palate here just falls short of a higher score, but I’m taken and happy to have experienced this flashback to an older style of whisky.
If you have the opportunity to try such a whisky, or even from another lost distillery, grasp it with both hands and appreciate the moment. It’ll be far more enjoyable than something sitting in a cupboard gathering dust.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DM
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