A Festive Glenlochy duo, official vs indie


December 26, 2025

A Festive Glenlochy duo, official vs indie.

Glenlochy was, at one time, part of Joe Hobbs’s group of distilleries, as you know he was the renowned owner of Ben Nevis and Glenury, Benromach, Bruichladdich, Fettercairn and Hillside (BTW, soon some Hilliside on WF!) Allow me to share, once more, a link to the incredible book by our friend Tim Smith, Not Your Average Joe:
I warmly recommend it! Now then, let’s head off to the West Coast…

Glenlochy-25-yo-1969-1996-62.08-OB-Rare-Malts-USA

Glenlochy 25 yo 1969/1996 (62.08%, OB, Rare Malts, USA)

In truth, this incredible and rather austere series by United Distillers became virtually cult from its very first releases in 1995, but lasted barely a decade until the arrival of newer, more ‘packaged’ and commercially polished series, such as the Annual Releases, Special Releases or indeed Prima & Ultima. Today, the most sought-after of the Rare Malts are either the finest (and many are superb) or those representing the only official opportunities to taste long-lost distilleries. Just like this one, Glenlochy, the other star of Fort William, sadly closed in 1983 like so many others. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it starts straight off on lemon balm water, green melon and freshly-mown grass, with a rather formidable austerity, almost frightening in nature. Very little development without water; perhaps just a whiff of cider apple, gooseberries-for-mackerel and clay. Austere like a charmingly old-fashioned librarian who chose to remain single, quite deliberately of course. With water: not a chance, it actually retreats further into clay and slate, although you do find a few touches of citrus peel and maybe a bit of underripe kiwi or white peach. I must add, we’re rather fond of this sort of stern elegance. Mouth (neat): maximum tension here, all on home-made limoncello aged in an earthenware jar, along with some herbs. It does rather slice you in half, to be honest… With water: and there we are, it finally opens up, on a monumental garden fruit salad drenched in honey and… malt whisky. The terracotta still lingers, by the way, it reminds me of those rare terracotta wine glasses some eccentric enthusiasts insist on using, never cleaned with anything other than pure water. Finish: long, more rustic, herbaceous, more on fruit peelings, though a bit of mango does make a slightly late appearance. Some pear as well. Comments: typical of those refill cask versions, very much on the distillate, and now starting to show a lovely touch of OBE, provided the corks haven’t disintegrated over time. Do keep an eye on fill levels!
SGP:461 - 90 points.

Glenlochy 44 yo 1979/2024 (53.2%, Gordon & MacPhail, The Recollection Series #3, refill American oak hogshead, cask #3312, 124 bottles)

Indeed Glenlochy was often a sublime malt and it’s quite remarkable that Gordon & MacPhail have issued such a recent bottling. Colour: gold with bronze hues. Nose: the kinship with the Rare Malt is quite clear despite the age gap, and even at forty-four years old, it has retained that austere, mineral edge that evokes once again clay, limestone and slate, atop a bed of white and green fruits, little pears, apples, natural white wine, whitecurrants… It’s sheer beauty, if you’re paying close attention! With water: vineyard peach returns in force, softening everything quite wonderfully. Mouth (neat): it arrives at full gallop, beyond the yellow fruits, very camphory on one side, with as much eucalyptus and pine bud as you’d find in a Corsican forest, the effect rounded off by lemons and citrons, also presumably from Corsica. Spot on. With water: once again, fresh fruits take over, citrus leads the charge, and that mineral tension remains. Once again we’re practically in grand dry white wine territory now, perhaps even Andalusian if you fancy. Finish: long and magnificent, still on that mineral fruitiness – or fruity minerality – endlessly fascinating. Comments: not the slightest fatigue in this grand white wi… I mean this grand malt from the west coast. Incidentally, it’s known that Hobbs installed concrete washbacks at Ben Nevis, after having found the idea at some Californian winemakers, so one does wonder if he didn’t do the same at Glenlochy. Spot on.
SGP:561 - 91 points.

Check the index of all Glenlochy we've tasted