The Glen Elgin distillery is located in Fogwatt, Speyside. Built in 1898 by bankers William Simpson and James Carle, it began production in 1900, in the wake of the Pattison Crisis. It closed twice before being sold in 1906 to JJ Blanche & Co, a wine producer. Via the subsidiary Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD), it joined the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) portfolio, who gave the license to White Horse. Unsurprisingly, Glen Elgin played a key role in the eponymous blend. Rare official versions do exist, such as a 12 year old from the 1980s, another released in 2001 for the Flora and Fauna range, and The Manager’‘s Dram 16 Years, but overall Glen Elgin remains the privilege of blends and independent bottlers.

A Glen Elgin 32 year old distilled in 1971 and bottled at cask strength in 2003. This bottling is part of Diageo’’s Special Releases, a range released annually that highlights some of the finest whiskies of the group’’s open and closed distilleries. A limited edition of 1,500 bottles.