Glenlochy 1980/2015 Signatory Rare Reserve Cask-No 3231

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Glenlochy matured for 35 years in a single Hogshead and dates from before the Highland distillery closed. It was distilled on 6 November 1980 and bottled from Hogshead 3231 on 2 December 2015. Signatory Vintage released the whisky as part of its Cask Strength Collection Rare Reserve. The cask yielded just 71 bottles at a cask strength of 48%; Glenlochy had ceased production in 1983.

Fruit, honey and refreshing herbal notes provide a counterpoint to the oak. Chocolate, strong coffee, lightly toasted bread, marmalade and eucalyptus also emerge. Fresh citrus fruit, salted peanuts and honey-sweet malt complement these roasted notes; heather honey, a hint of sea air and old furniture wood broaden the aromatic spectrum. The whisky contains no added colouring and is non-chill-filtered.

The bottles are numbered by hand. The Rare Reserve presentation includes a velvet-lined wooden box and a certificate of authenticity signed by Andrew W. Symington.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, mandarins and Williams pears meet orange blossom honey. Fresh mint lends a lively freshness to the fruity, floral aromas.
• Palate: On the palate, honey combines with lemon and lemongrass. Yellow peaches and bananas add to the fruit, while oak, menthol and pine resin provide further accents.
• Finish: The medium-length finish feels fresh and mentholated. Orange and mandarin linger with a bitter herbal impression.

Distillery/Bottler:

Glenlochy Distillery in Fort William produced the Highland Single Malt; Signatory Vintage selected the cask and bottled the whisky that had matured in it. Glenlochy was built in 1898 by the Glenlochy - Fort William Distillery Co. Ltd, founded by David McAndie of Nairn. Following an initial period of production lasting until 1919, the distillery remained silent apart from a brief resumption in 1925. It later resumed operations and produced whisky until its closure in 1983. In 1992, the site was sold and largely demolished. This bottling thus preserves whisky from a now-lost distillery.

Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington and his brother. Andrew developed his interest in single-cask whiskies while working at the Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh. As the business grew, he invested in a semi-automatic bottling line. Following the acquisition of Edradour Distillery in 2002, its site in Pitlochry became the bottler's home; by 2007, operations had been fully relocated there. For this Glenlochy, Signatory was responsible for selecting the cask and releasing the whisky in the Rare Reserve range.

Facts: