GLENBURGIE - GLENLIVET DISTILLERY 15 yo

Wm. Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, founded in 1842 by George Duncan. His brother William Cadenhead joined the company in 1952, taking over after George’s death in 1958. The company got into the whisky bottling business after 1904, when his nephew Robert Duthie took over, and since its sale to J&A Mitchell in 1972, Wm. Cadenhead has become on of the most sought after names in whisky. Its Authentic Collection is the flagship brand, but the portfolio of the company has expanded in recent years with labels like this.

Although its little-known as a single malt, Glenburgie’s history stretches back to 1829 when it was built on the flatlands near Forres by William Paul. After the (fairly common) multiple changes in ownership it became part of the estate of blenders James & George Stodart, owner of the Old Smuggler blend, although they never actually made whisky on the site.

Stodart was bought out by Hiram Walker in 1936, at the same time the Canadian firm bought Miltonduff. Ever since then Glenburgie has been closely associated with the Ballantine’s blend.

Like Miltonduff, it was home to a pair of ‘Lomond’ stills from 1958 to 1981, which produced a malt known as Glencraig.

In 2004, the old distillery was demolished and a new, larger, open plan one was constructed. A third pair of stills was added at this point. It has been part of Chivas Brothers since 2005.