St Magdalene 39yo 1982/2021

St Magdalene 39yo 1982/2021

Private Collection, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
54.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, honey, marigolds, malted grains, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. With water, honey, lemon zest, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, candle wax, nutmeg, malted grains, pears, gooseberries, cream, golden syrup. With water, honey, gooseberries, barley sugar, lemon zest.
Finish: Short. Icing sugar, golden syrup, gooseberries, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 2094. Superb. Complex, layered with that lovely delicate malty, honeyed St Magdalene note. Lots of gooseberry fool on the tongue too. Delicious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 49.4 (St Magdalene 12yo 1980/1992)

SMWS 49.4 (St Magdalene 12yo 1980/1992)

1992, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
White wine
62.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, magic marker, cucumbers, cinnamon, white grapes, fresh cut grass, hints of acetone. With water, magic marker, cucumbers, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour. Acetone, fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, white grapes, lemon zest, vanilla, honeycomb, hints of nutmeg. With water, honeycomb, pears, candle wax, hints of dried apricots. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, white grapes, malted grains, vanilla, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Delicate, but with surprisingly well defined flavour layers. Water brings out delicious floral, waxy notes, and reminds me of sitting in a meadow with bees, flowers and grass. Very lovely whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Linlithgow 26yo 1975/2001

Linlithgow 26yo 1975/2001

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden yellow
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, lemon zest, vanilla ice cream, malted grains, pears, cough syrup, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands slightly, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, hoppy beer, vanilla ice cream, peaches, cough syrup, honey, pears, hints of celery salt. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, malted grains, pears, peaches, honey. 

Comments: 

Beautiful old St Magdalene, lots of malted, stripped back fruit, exactly the style I love. There’s just a hint of old bottle effect, which offsets the maltiness and sweetness. Delicious.  

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

St Magdalene 15yo 1980/1995

St Magdalene 15yo 1980/1995

Centenary Reserve, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Pink gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, strawberries, tobacco leaf, fresh cut grass, jasmine tea, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, turns watery, slightly warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Strawberries, fresh cut grass, kiwi fruit, lemon zest, hints of coffee, hints of cucumber. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, lemon zest, Coca Cola, tobacco leaf, chocolate, hints of peat. 

Comments: 

A rare find, this St Magdalene marries subtle tobacco notes with some gentle peat and fruit. It's quite intense for a young whisky, and there's certainly some notes of old bottle effect. I really enjoyed this, St Magdalene is light, gentle, and old - not a common combination.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

St Magdalene 18 yo 1981/1999

St Magdalene 18 yo 1981/1999

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Green gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, honey, dates, orange peel, hints of apples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, orange juice, lemon zest, hay, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, honey, orange juice, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

The evening's blessings continue! Again, felt very lucky to have the change to try this increasingly rare malt. This one didn't quite live up to its hype though, although it was still very decent. Freshly herbal, and nicely scented with fruit, even after a long period of bottle aging, even longer than it spent in the cask.

Verdict:

I like this.

St Magdalene 32 yo 1975/2008

St Magdalene 32 yo 1975/2008

Distillery Labels, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coca cola, raisins, orange peel, lemons, oat bread, hints of soy sauce.
Mouthfeel: Light body, oily, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Peanuts, hazelnuts, sherry, prunes, apples, pears, oranges, hints of peat, hints of smoke.
Finish: Long. Coca cola, leather, raisins.

Comments:

Best dram of the night! So good I didn't want to ruin it with water. I loved the slightly biting, very slightly minty coca cola notes, unique in my experience. Fruity and robust without being overpowering, even a little bit of smoke. Not your usual Lowlands whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

St Magdalene 19 yo 1979/1998 Rare Malts

St Magdalene 19 yo 1979/1998 Rare Malts

Rare Malts, official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
63.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, sherry, coffee, cocoa, raisins, hint of salt caramel.
Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, warm, volatile, vapourises easily.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Peat, leather, coffee, toast, chocolate, hints of guarana.
Finish: Long. Bitter, walnut skins, peanuts, peat.

Comments:

Sometimes I get lucky. The Capital was selling this at a price I think is only about 75% of what I would pay for it in a bar, so I ordered a dram. It was delicious - classic Lowlands body (no doubt enhanced by the near 64% strength!), peat wreathed through a succession of toasty, chocolatey notes, with a little bit of fruit lurking in the background. For people who like strong, bold flavours. Big, big salute to an increasingly hard to get single malt. St Magdalene - another distillery they shouldn't have shut.

Verdict:

I like this a lot!