Some time ago, a good friend brought this Glendrostan 5 Year Old to the table in a tasting at my place.

None of us knew the brand and nowhere could we find tasting notes or helpful references, but given the age of the bottle it certainly looked interesting. On the label they claim Glendrostan has been on the market since 1820 and is blended by following a recipe dating back to 1780.

The brand seems to have shifted around. The 1960s bottle reviewed today – the ultra-rare pear-shape bottle with tin cap – refers to Judge, Craig & Pirrie of Glasgow. It was imported to Italy by Lando Santini.

If you find 1980s bottles of Glendrostan, they will probably say Woodside & Wylie & Co. or Longman Distillers. Like Judge, Craig & Pirrie, all these companies reside under the Whyte & Mackay umbrella. I’ve also found bottles that said ‘blended by William Grigor & Son’, a wine and spirits retailer in Inverness who owned Bowmore in the 1950s.

Glendrostan 5 Year Old is rarely seen in auctions, it’s easier to find the more common and more recent 12 Year Old.

These old blends can be hit and miss. I’ve had some that were awful, but others that were hidden gems.

Glendrostan 5 yo (43%, Judge, Craig & Pirrie for Santini Italy, late 1960s)

Nose: quite spectacular. It hits the nose with ripe fruit, rhubarb jam and sponge cake. Many dried herbs on top of some wonderful notes of cigars and old leather. A little spearmint and bergamots. After a while it shows traces of mango and passion fruits but also subtle hints of smoke. What a glorious nose.

Mouth: smooth again, but quite oily, with citrus everywhere plus a touch of salt. Orange liqueur, Cointreau, kumquats. All this with very light hints of peat in the background. Then hints of eucalyptus sweets, some plum eau-de-vie and herbal honey. Such elegance at this age!

Finish: long, warm, in the same vein. Some sultanas and rosehip tea in the aftertaste.

What a surprise, and to say this has largely gone unnoticed. Italy surely picked the best ones back then. Thank you, Joeri! Now let’s hope we can grab another bottle at an auction, if the price is reasonable. (update: read more)

Score: 92/100

4Comments

Add yours

1

Ricardo on 2 April 2016 at 04:33

I would have thought it came from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, one of those “stan” countries. ;^) Scotlandistan?
2

David Bell on 14 August 2017 at 20:54

I have a bottle of Glendrostan bottled by Wm Grigor and given to me by my late father David Bell the cooper at Bowmore Distillery. I have no idea when it was bottled; but i have had it since the early 1970s and believe the distillery workers received a bottle for new year. It is a rectangular bottle with the various “gold medal” awards printed on the label.
3

WhiskyNotes on 14 August 2017 at 21:14

I think they could have paid a little more respect for their distillery workers… they deserve a decent dram for new year.
4

David Bell on 14 August 2017 at 22:36

The New Year bottle was a bonus. If you know anything about distilleries, you will understand what I mean when I refer to sauce bottles and hot water bottles. The workers drank better whisky than you might ever see! As a youngster, I remember that there was always a stock of quality drams in my father’s cupboard. He of course trained James McEwan his coopering skills; and the Bowmore 1950s products being sold for up to $100,000 were all distilled in those days before malt whisky became a cult!

Related posts