Glen Mhor 16 Years Old 1978 Cask #4044 (Dun Eideann)

The bottler Dun Eideann bottled this Glen Mhor, a 16 year old, distilled in 1978, from cask 4044, bottled at 57%, one of 380 bottles. Glen Mhor, founded in 1892, was one of Inverness's three vanished distilleries. It was built in 1892 by John Birnie, a former manager of Glen Albyn, with the Leith blender Charles Mackinlay.

It was made on Loch Ness water and condensed in the cast iron worm tubs, building the distinctive Glen Mhor style. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the rich distillery character to the fore. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, the orchard fruit turning rich over the full, waxy body. The cool Inverness air gave a slow, even maturation in the old warehouses. A slow maturation suits the full, oily make, the fruit turning waxy with time. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. With Glen Mhor gone, every bottle draws on a finite, dwindling stock.

At 57%, undiluted, it is deep and waxy. Baked apple, wax and a gentle spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is rich and oily, the full spirit shining through. It finishes full, oily and waxy. This is a rich, waxy single malt from silent Inverness.