Glenesk 34 Years Old 1980 Cask #RO/14/04 (G&M)

A Glenesk of a 34 year old chosen by Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 1980, from cask RO/14/04, at 46%, one of 551 bottles. Glenesk was a Highland single malt known over the years under several names, among them Hillside. It took the name Glenesk only in 1980, a few short years before it closed for good. It was rebuilt as a grain distillery from 1938, working a continuous Coffey still for over two decades. Its water was drawn from the river by the Angus coast at Montrose. It was one of four malt distilleries in the Esk valley, of which only neighbouring Glencadam still runs.

It was drawn from a long fermentation, for a light, honeyed make with a cereal edge. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a soft honey over the orchard fruit. In its ethereal years the malt turns waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a whisper of sotolon. Active wood frames the malt without ever crowding the light Highland spirit.

At 46% it is fruity, creamy and soft. A honeyed, malty sweetness, lifted by a soft oak. A light orchard fruit and a soft cereal give it shape. The finish is rounded, honeyed and clean. This is a rare malt from a closed Highland distillery.