Glen Elgin: a deep dive on a very rare bottle
With Long Pour Amour, I aim to offer something rare every now and then. Samples that I gather from my own network or even have stashed away in my own sample library. One of the features is tasting the legendary old Rare Malts Selection bottlings. We already had quite a few on here. Earlier, I mentioned that there are precious few (Diageo or predecessor) distilleries that are not featured in that series. None of the Classic Malts, perhaps for the obvious reason they were not rare. But also some that were just left out without explanation. I think we can safely say this of the Glen Elgin Distillery. But, no worries, we found a proper rare malt to stand in: the Flora and Fauna expression!
Glen Elgin had a few proprietary bottlings before the only ever Flora & Fauna expression was released, which happened in the year 2000. Studying the labels, I notice quite a hotchpotch of descriptions on theml. There is one tall bottle with a black label and a pronounced white horse on it (a link to the famous blend), that names Glen Elgin as a Pure Highland Malt. In the 21st century we saw the release of a 12 years old in the Hidden Malt range that describes Glen Elgin as a Speyside Single Pot Still Malt Whisky. That is quite an unusual form for a Scotch whisky, as pot still is more closely associated with Irish whiskey. In any case, the latter was bottled as late as 2024, even though now I can’t seem to find it anymore. Perhaps it is discontinued, or relocated to other markets. The latest entry seems to be for Korea, so that might be an indication.
What can we say about Glen Elgin in general? That it was established just before the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, in the big craze of new distilleries popping up then. The year was 1898 and production started for just five months on 1 May 1900.One of the early owners was actually a former manager of Glenfarclas, one William Simpson. In these weird economic times for the Scotch whisky industry, Glen Elgin eventually ended up in the hands of Scotch Malt Distillers (SMD) in 1930. The licence was held by White Horse Distillers, who are also known for including the legendary Malt Mill Islay malt in their blend.
Glen Elgin is one of these famous distilleries that shows the hand of architect Charles Doig. Lore has it that there was a shortage of funds to build Glen Elgin properly, so the distillery turned out quite compact. Mr. Doig probably saw the storm coming, and had a prophecy that Glen Elgin would be the last distillery to be erected in Speyside for decades. His words carried the truth, because only in 1957 was a new distillery established: Glen Keith.
Glen Elgin 12 years old, Flora & Fauna, bottled at 43 % abv
First things first: A one-off bottling done in the year 2000. Possibly one of the rarest Flora & Fauna bottlings.
Upon Sipping: As we are used to from these releases, they are very fragrant, and this Glen Elgin Flora & Fauna is no exception. Lots of fresh notes, strong growing barley in the field, with whiffs of oak, vanilla and peaches. Truly lovely. While swirling the glass around, it seems to get more fruity. I would not be surprised if this batch was made up from bourbon and soft speaking sherry casks, like second fill oloroso. It has some figs and dates that add complexity. On the palate, there is a honeyed richness to be found, all very soft and waxy, but at the same time full-bodied and leaving quite a mark on the tongue. The finish carries some oak, mixed with a delicate nuttiness. Most surprising how rich this is, from start to finish, at just 43 % abv. I am quite impressed here! As soon as the palate gets used to it, it loses some power, but you can enjoy this whisky for the better part of the hour, while reading a book or watching the game. With water, you will draw out some ginger and tangerine. Interesting combination of flavours!
Word to the Wise: A good allrounder whisky, that is certainly not simple but can be perceived as one. The blending of this batch was superbly done. Good foreplay for the product that was launched shortly after this Flora & Fauna, the regular 12 years old.
Score: 87 points.