Glenugie 1970 39 Years Old Rare Old Single Malt Whisky

Glenugie 1970 39 Years Old Rare Old Single Malt Whisky

$1,720 AUD

43.5% ABV

Distilled in 1970, when it was owned by Long John Distillers Ltd., and bottled in 2009, long after the distillery – and Long John as an independent company – had disappeared. A wonderful bottling from the Gordon & Macphail Rare Old series.

This product is located in Australia.

Distillery

Glenugie Distillery

This is the one ghost distillery of any note, which I did not get the chance to visit as it was closed in 1983 and completely decommissioned, just as I was setting out on my Barnard sojourn. Consequently, there is no drawing from my own book and so we have gone back to the Barnard original for illustration purposes. 

Glenugie has a long if somewhat chequered history going back to 1831 when it was established as Invernettie distillery at the fishing port of Peterhead, as the most easterly distillery in Scotland. From 1837 to 1875 it operated as a brewery but was converted back to distilling by new owners and the latter date is sometimes taken as the true birth of Glenugie as a distillery, not least because that is when a name change took place. The next 50 odd years see various owners come and go, accompanied by periods of inactivity. Its acquisition in 1937 by Seager Evans and Co sees the distillery reopened and a longish period of stability follows firstly under the new owners and then as part of Long John Distilleries under their successive owners, culminating in Allied Domecq.  

Used exclusively in blending a few casks found their way into the hands of independent bottlers. The remaining stock and the brand now belong to Pernod Ricard as part of their acquisition of Allied.