The Panel discovered a polished antique French dresser, replete with face creams and hand lotions. Then sweet noble rot, botrytis, boozy custard, white chocolate and hay lofts. A wonderfully pervasive mustiness and hints of walnut and orange peel. Water brought the richness of clotted cream, crushed hobnob biscuits, vanilla butter and pocket-softened chewy toffee. In the mouth there was an immediate spicy warmth of French oak. Then winter mulling spices, glazed pastries, orange-flecked shortbread, varnished hardwoods and mango coulis. Reductions revealed a vivid fruit salad freshness. Along with notes of frangipani, glace cherries, empire biscuits and peaches with cream. Sweet, thick and luscious. Matured in a bourbon hogshead for 10 years before being transferred to a first fill Sauternes barrique.
About Glenlossie
Glenlossie was founded near Elgin in 1876 by John Duff, a former manager at Glendronach, in partnership with a consortium including Alexander Grigor Allan (who would later have a share in Talisker) and HMS Mackay. The restless, entrepreneurial Duff departed in 1888 to seek his fortune in South Africa and, later, the USA.
In 1962, Glenlossie's license was transferred to the DCL subsidiary Haig (the blend which accounted for almost the entirety of Glenlossie's malt). At the same time the number of stills was increased from four to six. Less than a decade later, in 1971,a sister distillery, Mannochmore, was constructed on Glenlossie's site and a dark grains plant was also added to convert pot ale and draff from the group's distilleries into animal feed. There is also a bonded warehouse on Glenlossie's land containing over 200,000 maturing casks from various Diageo distilleries.
Given that Glenlossie was named as one of only twelve 'top class' malts by blenders in 1974, it is perhaps surprising that the distillery is so little-known. The reason, however, is easy to determine - the blender's high regard means that demand for Glenlossie remains extremely high, and as a result less than 1% of the distillery's output is kept back for single malt. The only official bottling of Glenlossie currently available is the 10 yo Flora & Fauna release available since the 1990s. This range is being gradually phased out, however, and it remains to be seen what plans Diageo have for this distinguished, yet obscure, workhorse.
Independent bottlings of Glenlossie are pretty rare, although Gordon & Macphail have bottled a handful of expressions recently.
56.1% ABV
70cl
