Waking the dead

[Scotchio]

Fantasy island time. Imagine that in recognition of your services to the Scotch industry the combined conglomorates invite you to choose a deceased or resting distillery which they will return to it's former glory. Which would you choose and why? nb my choice is Brora as it is such a distinctive whisky and I cant find anything similar in production.

[sasse]

I would go for Brora.
I have a Brora 22 Signatory and its a very special and god taste.

I will try to get some other one of Brora and se it it was a lucky bottle.

R/sasse

[bamber]

I said Glenugie. I just really like the 3 bottlings I've had from there. Real fantasy time as it is completely demolished.

Of the others I've tried (Rosebank, Port Ellen and St Magdelane) I would say Port Ellen.

[jimidrammer]

I went with Brora also, not that it would be feasible. The Cadenhead 1982 C/S bottling I have is extraordinary with its "roots cellar" flavor that I don't get as much from the 22yo Signatory. I have a Rosebank Murray McDavid 1992 that is unopened if anyone wants to shed some light on. I thought I heard somewhere it may reopen soon. I seen a Glenury Royal bottle somewhere, but don't know much about that distillery.

[Mr Ellen]

My choice would also be Brora. The Rare Malts from the 70's that I've tried have all been fantastic, not comparable to anything else.

If I could choose another one I would go for Coleburn. This distillery is beautifully hidden away from the public but anyone who's been on the site must agree that it is situated in a wonderful surrounding. I have tried the Rare Malt from 1979 and the Gordon McPhail bottling from 1972 and they have both been worth every penny. Try them while you can!!

Anders

[hpulley]

All of the above, please!!!

Harry

[Deactivated Member]

Fools! Anyone who has ever seen a few horror movies knows that raising the dead is a bad idea. That shambling, mouldering thing is not the one you love! Let her rest in peace!

Ahem.... Two of the primary candidates, Port Ellen and Brora, are only what they are in our minds because of a peculiar set of circumstances. In the case of PE, it was stock lying in the warehouse for a longer period of time than the distillery was operating. In Brora's case, it was a relatively brief period of producing heavily peated stock while Diageo was refurbishing Caol Ila (or so I understand), followed by the mothballing of what was then known as Clynelish I. I don't have any idea how much difference there is between Clynelish I and II, in terms of the things that actually affect the malt (as opposed to technical improvements that simplify operation), but it seems to me that, contrary to popular belief, Brora is alive! It's alive! Bwa ha ha haaaa!

Erm. I'm not familiar with most of the others, so I can't comment. Just to be difficult, I'll vote Other--Port Charlotte.

[Muskrat Portage]

I voted St. Maggy. I have the 21yo CS. It was light and grassy with not too long a finish, but a wonderful way to celebrate New Years 2004. Port Ellen was my second choice, but the Lowlands need more distilleries.

Mr. T: come north and you'll change your vote.

PS: I had to argue my case before I was allowed to open it, and he was going to sample it with me. My winning argument? The Stillman made it to be drunk and enjoyed, not worshipped.
MP

[Admiral]

Mr T touched on something that I feel strongly about....

To elaborate:

* What is the point of re-opening Port Ellen? There are five other distilleries very close by all producing essentially the same style of whisky. Heavily peated whiskies are not an endangered species, and it's not as though PE was so fanatically revered when it was closed down.

* Similarly for Brora....Clynelish still more-or-less maintains the same house style, and if you taste a Clynelish that's over 20 years old, it is in fact remarkably similar to some of the Broras I've had. Besides, again, there is no shortage of Highland distilleries.

* The answer for me is simple: Rosebank. Good Lowland whiskies are an endangered species, and the Lowland distilleries are closing fast. Even the traditional triple distillation that was once favoured by Lowland distilleries is no longer practiced universally amonst the remaining few.

Given the opportunity to re-open a distillery, I feel we should vote with the good of the industry in mind, rather than thinking of our own tastebuds.

Cheers,
Admiral

[hpulley]

I already answered all of the above but unfortunately it is not possible to bring many (any?) of them back as most of the above are completely demolished, converted to flats, etc. All you could bring back is a similar location and a name. Enjoy what is bottled while you can but importantly, buy new whisky from current distilleries so _they_ don't close any time soon.

Harry

[Aidan]

* The answer for me is simple: Rosebank. Good Lowland whiskies are an endangered species, and the Lowland distilleries are closing fast. Even the traditional triple distillation that was once favoured by Lowland distilleries is no longer practiced universally amonst the remaining few.

Given the opportunity to re-open a distillery, I feel we should vote with the good of the industry in mind, rather than thinking of our own tastebuds.

Cheers,
Admiral

That's why I voted Rosebank too. Not only is it a rare kind of whiskey, but this distillery was a very good exponent of this particular style of distilling.