Linlithgow 1982 SS (Silver Seal)

This is a Linlithgow single malt, chosen and bottled by Silver Seal, aged 25 year old from 1982, drawn from cask 789 and bottled at 63.4%. 601 bottles in all. Linlithgow, also bottled as St. Magdalene, was established in the mid 18th century on the site of a former convent and shut by DCL in 1983. Originally the Linlithgow distillery, it took the name St Magdalene from a convent that once stood on the site.

It was drawn off coal fired stills fed by an on site artesian well, for a waxy, grassy spirit with sharp white fruit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, the classic wood for these casks. At this age it is deep and elegant, tropical fruit and mineral wax folded into the spirit. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the waxy, mineral core over decades. Closed in the great cull of 1983, it never reopened, the buildings becoming flats. The pagoda topped malt barn survives as a listed building above the new apartments.

Undiluted at 63.4%, it is layered. A gentle vanilla from the wood, with sharp white fruit and a grassy wax. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a waxy body. The finish is deep, waxy and tropical. This is a piece of Lowland whisky history in the glass.