Product description
Glenesk Distillery, based in the Eastern Highlands, began operations in 1897. It has had five different names throughout its history – Highland Esk, North Esk, Montrose, Hillside and Glenesk.
In 1954, operating as Montrose Distillery, it became part of the DCL group, which renamed it Hillside 10 years later. The Hillside name survived until 1980, when it was replaced by Glenesk. Despite these efforts, the distillery was closed in 1985 and is now occupied by a malt house. The plant's heyday fell on the 1960s, when it was managed by Wm Sanderson & Son, a subsidiary of DCL, and its whisky was the backbone of the VAT 69 blend formula. The 12 year old edition presented here comes from Wm Sanderson & Son's range from the 1970s.
Nose : malty, breakfast cereals with raisins, green apples, grapes, a touch of vanilla, hay, wax and a trace of furniture polish.
Palate: malty and herbal, vanilla, caramel, pepper, ginger, lemongrass, baked apples, a handful of dry herbs and a bit of oak.
Finish: medium long, with notes of dry herbs, pepper, lemon peel, hay and oak shavings.