Founded by the Guthrie brothers in 1820, the North Port distillery was located in the town of Brechin in the heart of the east Highlands. It was originally called Townhead Distillery. In 1922 it was bought by the Distiller’s Company Limited, before closing in 1983 and being completely dismantled in 1994. This endangered single malt is very rarely bottled, by either independent bottlers or the distillery itself. Distilled on 3rd November 1981, this magnificent version wonderfully combines both the powerful character of spices and malt, and the energy of aromatic plants.

Colour: intense golden yellow.

Profile: the full initial nose is medicinal (balm), herbaceous and fruity (plum). Allowed to breathe, it becomes spicy and very malty. The invigorating attack is luscious (sage) and heady (honeysuckle). The mid-palate is spicy (saffron) and earthy. The assertive finish is candied (apricot) and exotic (pineapple). The retronasal olfaction is characterized by notes of smoked salmon and pipe tobacco.

The whisky was disgorged and bottled under my supervision in the Town of Pitlochry on 31st July 2018.

Andrew W. Symington, Managing Director, Signatory Vintage