Glenburgie 10 Year Old

Set close to the A96, near the village of Alves, lies Glenburgie Distillery which looks over the Moray Firth. The distillery was originally called Kilnflat tracing its history to 1810, although in 1878 after a period of disuse, it was renamed Glenburgie. Nearby is Burgie Castle, which dates back to the 16th century. These days, the Glenburgie Distillery is owned and operated by the Chivas Brothers. Independantly bottled by Gordon and MacPhail, the Glenburgie 10 Year Old is this months ‘Malt of the Month’.

The raw spirit from Glenburgie mostly goes to the Ballantines and Old Smuggler blends except for a small trickle that is bottled in Elgin by independent bottlers Gordon and MacPhail under the Glenburgie 10YO label. An independent bottler buys raw spirit from a distillery (or many distilleries in the case of Gordon and MacPhail) and ages them in their own bonded warehouse. They are then bottled under the independent bottlers label and sold as the Glenburgie 10 Year Old.

The initial aroma smacks of raisins and rich plum pudding, with underlying almond and cloves.

The palate has an immediate creaminess and soft mouthfeel, filled with rich dried fruits and marmalade. There is a secondary wasabi lift, then a long gentle finish with a pleasant lingering after pallet.