Glen Elgin distillery is located at Longmorn, Elgin and is within the Speyside Scottish whisky region.

It was founded in 1898 by a partnership between William Simpson (an ex manager of Glenfarclas) & James Carle.

Production didn't start until 1900 and the distillery was sold to Glen Elgin-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd in 1901 who officially opened in 1902 and promptly closed again only a few months later.

John Blanche purchased Glen Elgin in 1907.

SMD purchased the distillery in 1930, later transferring it to UDV who became a part of Diageo and who still own the distillery today.

In 1964 the distillery was rebuilt and its capacity greatly increased by also increasing the number of stills from two to six. At this time it was also licensed to White Horse Distillers and remains a major component of White Horse blended whisky.

More great distillery info here, thanks to Malt Madness

My thanks to Teun van Wel for permission to use the distillery photos

General whisky characteristics: Rich and smooth, some citrus

Glen Elgin, 12y, 43% ABV

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Amber

Nose: Initial mossy notes, then slightly more floral, almost perfumed but with a background hint of swimming pool.

Palate: Creamy, fresh hay with slight ginger.

Finish: Long and almost leafy with hints of ginger and maybe even a touch of blood orange.

Overall Impression: Really quite enjoyable.

Whisky & Chocolate: Ginger praline by Franz proved an excellent companion to this Glen Elgin, greatly enhancing the overall flavours.

Bladnoch Forum, Glen Elgin, 25y, 42.3% ABV

Bottle No. 126 of 211

Typical cost of this bottle; Unsure, but I believe €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Light yellow-gold

Nose: Intense vanilla, very light cheese and a hint of ginger.

Palate: Smooth and a little slow to develop on the palate. Eventually a little citrus and toffee apple come through.

Finish: Slow to build but then quite long with apple and the absolute faintest hint of liquorice.

Overall Impression: Somehow, from a 25y Glen Elgin I expected more presence but this is faint, slow to develop and very mellow, but when it does develop the finish is quite long. A good whisky, it's just not a great.

Old Elgin

Gordon & MacPhail (G&M), Old Elgin, 15y, 43% ABV

Typical cost of this bottle; Unsure, but I believe €€€€€ to €€€€€

Nose: In some ways this is very slightly reminiscent of one of my Christmas drams. I am back in my dream country house, sitting in the study after a good dinner enjoying the ambience of a library of old oak shelves and lots of old books, enjoyed from the position of deep- buttoned luxurious leather furniture. This is that old oak, well looked-after with years of polishing. It is also dark fruits (currants, raisins, prunes ...), but without a strong sherry influence.

Palate: The currants, prunes and oak are evident on the palate. This warms your soul on a dark winter day, but fades quite quickly. It is also a little drier than I expected, but not in an unpleasant way. This is definitely rich and on the second sip a little creamier and not so dry.

Overall Impression: Undoubtedly an after-dinner malt. I could envisage this as being enjoyed after a rather strong and heavy dinner. Maybe after a wild boar steak, or deer in a rich sauce. You would not enjoy this after a gentle chicken breast in a creamy sauce! This may also be enjoyed from a hip flask on the top of a Scottish mountain in Winter. Maybe you have just spent hours conquering one of the Munroes, enjoyed a veal or other game butty from your lunchbox and are now looking for a dram to warm the cockles of your heart before the descent. This would be that dram! Ooops , there I go pairing food and whisky again. OK, if you must, sample this one with a piece of traditional Christmas cake which is covered with a slice of strong, dry and crumbly cheese.

Cadenhead, Glen Elgin, 33y, 1978 - Oct.2011, 43.1% ABV

Bourbon Hogshead, one of 186 bottles

Typical cost of this bottle; Unsure, but I believe €€€€€

Dram-atics Live review

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Rich gold

Nose: The first nosing offers everything I would hope to find in a well maintained English country house with richly polished wood and brass. Perhaps even a hint of antique leather furniture too. As it settles over time I find a suggestion of vanilla and something a little sweeter beginning to come through. It's not quite toffee or butterscotch, but it isn't far away from these. Neither is it smoky but it does eventually suggest a hint of glowing embers in an open log fire.

Palate: delightfully smooth and creamy with a suggestion of vanilla or even peach ice cream. It turns a little dry towards the long finish.

Finish: Long and slightly dry

Overall Impression: This is far from a complex whisky as once it gets going it pretty well does 'more of the same', but it is a very good one and the type of dram I could enjoy all evening in front of a cosy log fire.

The First Editions, Glen Elgin, 26y, 1985 - 2011, 46.6% ABV

Single Cask Ref.008/01

Typical cost of this bottle; Unsure, but I believe €€€€€

Dram-atics Live review

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Pale gold

Nose: The first nosing initially screams creamy vanilla. Ice cream anyone? After some seconds it begins to develop a woodiness with a suggestion of banana stem which fades almost as quickly as it appeared, now leaving more fresh woodiness, quite sawdust-like. After 2-3 minutes there's a hint of fruit which is a little like quince.

Palate: Like that initial nose is filled with vanilla but soon expands with a very light pepperiness and fruitiness.

Finish: Long and very slightly bitter, but not in a bad way as the bitterness is still quite fruity.

Overall Impression: This is a very interesting whisky which in parts is quite hard to identify, especially on the palate, but it's also enjoyable and would make an interesting aperitif.