Linlithgow 1982 Signatory Vintage 25 years (bottled for La Maison du Whisky) hails from the St. Magdalene distillery which was founded in 1798 and closed in 1983. It’s a lowland distillery whose location has quite a bit of history behind it. Besides being one of the first licensed distilleries in Scotland it was also the site of a leper colony in the 12th century.
After serving as leper colony it was turned into a convent, then into a hospital and then into a distillery in the late 1700s. The town St. Magdelene was located in is called Linlithgow, which is why this is Linlithgow 25 years, and during the 17th century the town was a major hub for milling and malting which gave rise to distilleries and breweries – In the 1800s it had 5 distillers and several breweries. All of the distilleries are now closed, which makes this whisky of even more historical significance as it comes from both the first and the last distillery in Linlithgow.
Linlithgow 1982 Signatory Vintage 25 years Info
Region: Lowlands, Scotland
Distiller: St. Magdelene (1798 – 1983)
Mashbill: 100% malted barley
Cask: Wine treated butt
Age: 25 years
ABV: 59.2%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Cask: 2001
Bottle:167
Price: NA – Auction
Linlithgow 1982 Signatory Vintage 25 years Review
EYE
Honey
NOSE
Oooh this is nice. It’s different and darker than most of the other dead distilleries I’ve tried. Woody upfront with some fruity and grassy hay like malty notes accompanied by some cider spices. There is a slightly swampy aspect to it that works well with the main notes as well as the lighter background notes of pine and citrus peel.
PALATE
Weird. It tastes so much fruitier than it smells, but luckily apricot heavy fruit isn’t the only thing in here. A bit of smoky char and that cider spice and piney quality from the nose show up here too. A bit of that swampy earthiness (sulfur) shows up, but it’s not too distracting.
FINISH
Long and fueled by apricots and wood with a bit of sweetness and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
There’s a good balance here with a medium body and smooth uneventful texture which is odd due to it’s high proof, but it’s a nice experience nonetheless.
OVERALL
Linlithgow 1982 Signatory Vintage 25 years is great. I really enjoyed the combination of the darker earthier notes with the fruity sweetness and the warm spices. If it was a bit richer, which the sulfur might have been muting, it would have wiggled its way into the 90’s for sure. Either way, it was still a nice tasty whisky from a demolished distillery.
SCORE: 86-89/100 (range given since it was not tasted at home)
