Glen Mhor 1937 vs Glenury 1966


December 22, 2016

Xmas

The Pre-Christmas Duos
High flyers, Glen Mhor 1937 vs Glenury 1966

And why not? Glen Mhor was one of those famous distilleries that were lost in the early to mid 1980s. It was located west of Inverness, quite small (two stills), and maybe is it to be noted that Glen Mhor used to be Mackinlay’s core malt (remember Shackleton). They started to use a Saladin box to malt their own barley but I believe that only happened after WWII, so the 1937 to come was probably made out of traditionally malted barley (floor malting).

Glen Mhor 1937/1959 (18UP, Angus, Phil & Simon, ex-stone flagon, 39 bottles)

An amazing stoneware flagon, which was sold at auction and came from the cellar of an estate in Dundee. It is Glen Mhor single malt distilled 1937 and put into the flagon in 1959. It was bottled earlier this year in 50cl bottles, which are about to get labelled, if the Scottish weather permit ;-). Colour: bronze gold. Nose: it’s always difficult not to imagine mineral notes when nosing and tasting a spirit that was kept in earthenware, and indeed this baby starts with some clay and with some chalk, and at times you could think you’re nosing an old teapot, Yixing style. There’s also some old balms, camphor, a touch of turpentine, certainly some herbal teas (perhaps chamomile, maybe a little thyme…) and then rather more mint (dried leaves). Earthy and grassy? Not only that, there’s also a fruitiness, perhaps a blend of quince jelly and honeydew. What’s certain is that all that is singing in unison, it’s well ‘one’. A little plasticine coming through after a good ten minutes, but I don’t seem to find Glen Mhor’s trademark meatiness. Yet? Stunning nose, in any case.

Mouth: is this some secret potion? It’s big, it’s earthy, it’s very phenolic and smoky, and it’s very herbal as well. Think a blend of Jaegermeister, liquid clay, limoncello, pine tar, and indeed honeydew again. So the whole is pretty sappy, and yeah, extremely good. Impressively good. What’s more, I couldn’t think of any contemporary malt that would even marginally resemble this. Even late-period Glen Mhor. The resinous side makes it very fresh. The best toothpaste ever? Finish: very long, with a wonderful sappy bitterness. And I like the way the mineral side is coming back in the aftertaste. Earthy teas. Comments: a kind of marvellously resinous old malt. I‘ve often advocated the use of stoneware to mature spirits, as they do with artisan mezcal or other eaux-de-vie, and I believe this is further proof that it would be a brilliant idea. Sadly, years in anything but oak do not count… Sob… Anyway, a totally extraordinary old Glen Mhor! SGP:373 - 94 points.

No other ‘new’ Glen Mhor in WF’s library just now, so perhaps a Glenury?

Glenury Royal 13 yo 1966/1979 (80 proof, Cadenhead, sherry wood, black dumpy)

Glen Mhor got closed in 1983, whilst Glenury-Royal went on burning malted barley for two more years, until 1985. I remember I’ve tried some wonderfully fruity Glenuries in the past… Including this very one, but since I remember it was very ‘resinous’ as well, let’s try it once more (since that last time was in 2006, ten years ago). It’s also to be remembered that John Gillon’s Glenury was Clynelish’s sister distillery, in a way. Same management, I believe! Colour: straw. Nose: indeed, there are similarities. This Glenury is less mineral and earthy, for sure, but it does indeed show a herbal/medicinal profile, which would involve embrocations, eucalyptus, camphor, plasticine… It’s a beautiful nose again, and it’s even got sap as well, although that would rather be ‘normal’ sap, not pine or fir. Say hazelnut (whatever). Mouth: my this is fantastic! Sharper and brighter than the Mhor, but rather well within the same family of malts, with bitter oranges and cough drops, then some kind of cooked resin (for lack of a better description), as well as a mineral waxiness that, indeed, hints at Old Clynelish. Terrific old school malt, perhaps not always very easy, but it’s probably also a perfect example of bright OBE on an old young malt of excellent provenance. Finish: long, and almost purely on some dry cough syrup. More pepper and grapefruits in the aftertaste, which ‘lifts’ it. Comments: that was close. Just like the Glen Mhor, this is a testimony to the perfect skills of the old distillers that ‘did not have computers’. Amazing whiskies. SGP:363 - 93 points.

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback