Lochside 1981-40 Year Old Private Collection(Gordon & MacPhail)

CELEBRATING SILENT DISTILLERIES The Private Collection by G&M is an out and out celebration of distilleries that have been silent for a long time. With this collection they have brought some exceptionally rare and exclusive malts to their fans. The collection introduces malt enthusiasts to distilleries that are not producing malt anymore and to some brilliant age statements as well. Private Collection releases represents some of the oldest G&M have ever done. This is areally exciting collection and includes malts form places like Dallas Dhu and Longmorn. It has been specially selected by hand, by members of the Urquhart family, who have been involved in the running of G&M for a four generations. Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail said, “My grandfather, George Urquhart, recognised an opportunity to match new make spirit with carefully selected casks at a time when the vast majority of production went into blends. Over the decades he was able to master this art which has become his legacy. “He could never be persuaded to bottle a whisky before he believed it had reached its ultimate peak in terms of quality – a tradition we’re proud to continue today.” Lochside was a brewery from 1786 until its closure in 1957. It incorporated a white tower – a classic German Brauhaus design – that was reinterpreted by Charles Doig in 1899. The site was then bought by Joseph Hobbs (who owned Ben Nevis distillery) and he set about installing a Coffey still, swiftly followed by four pot stills in 1961. His son, Joe Junior, retained ownership until 1973 when Spanish distiller Destilerias y Crianzas [DyC] bought it as a source for some of the malt it used in its top-selling DYC blend. The Coffey still was decommissioned and the distillery ran until the early 1990s when DYC [by then part of Sherry and wine firm Pedro Domecq] was itself taken over by Allied Distillers. Lochside was considered surplus to requirements by its new parent, it was closed and sold to developers before being demolished in 2005. Cask: Refill Sherry Hogshead Cask No. 802 Region: Highland Outturn: 141 Distilled: 1981 Bottled: 2021 Age: 40 Years ABV: 49.2% Non Chill Filtered, No Colour Added   Tasting Notes Nose: Rich Sherry aromas complement fragrant mandarin peel. Salted almonds come to the fore with raspberry compote and faint malted biscuit. Taste: Roasted coffee beans lead to walnuts and stewed raisins. Blackcurrant jam accompanies Seville orange peel and red apple. Finish: A long finish with lingering hazelnuts and cocoa powder.