Glenesk 26 Years Old 1981 Cask #934 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor bottled this Glenesk, a 26 year old, distilled in 1981, from cask 934, at 59%, one of 439 bottles. Glenesk was a Highland single malt, most of it long destined for the blending vats. It was rebuilt as a grain distillery from 1938, working a continuous Coffey still for over two decades. It was mothballed in 1985 and its licence cancelled in 1992, the buildings demolished by 1996.

Worked unhurried through the stillhouse, giving a gentle, honeyed Highland spirit. It was matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood working into the fruity malt. At this evaporative stage ellagitannins lend structure while oxidation builds a richer tropical fruit over beeswax. With the distillery long closed, these are casks that can never be filled again. First fill wood drove the maturation, the cask clear in the light spirit. The light, malty spirit deepened with time, the cask drawing out a soft honey.

At a natural 59% it is full and creamy. A clean, malty sweetness with a grassy lift, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The mouthfeel is light and waxy, carrying the malt. A gentle finish closes on honey and a soft oak. This is a collector's Highland single malt.