Linlithgow 1982 (Signatory)

63.1% abv

Score:  92.5/100

Sadly long absolete, Diageo’s St. Magdalene – or ‘Linlithgow’, as it is also known – was yet another casualty of the great distillery kill-off in 1983.

The names Linlithgow and St. Magdalene have been used interchangeably through the years, though the true name of the distillery is the latter.  Linlithgow is, in fact, the name of the town in the Lowlands in which the distillery lives (lived).

There’s a bit of an interesting story here with St. Magdalene.  A tale involving longevity, lepers and illicit distillation.  Go digging a bit if that sort of history fascinates you.  And history it will most likely remain.  After the ’83 mothballing, the site was converted for tenancy.  The odds of any sort of revival here are next to none.

This particular Signatory release is a 28 year old single malt pulled from a wine-treated butt.

Nose:  Chocolate.  Old magazines.  Dark chocolate and cherry.  Tootsie Rolls.  Some nice fruitiness emblazoned with mint.

Palate:  An Amrut-like zest and spice on delivery.  Hot and beastly (63.1% at 28 years!?!).  Chocolate.  Profile is that of an older whisky…the bite however, is that of a young dram.  Nice borderline tropical notes.

I really like this one.  Not sure what level extant stocks are at now, nearly 30 years after demolition, but methinks it may be time to hunt for further expressions from this long lost distillery.

(* Thanks to Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Market for this sample)

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt