The Lost 70s: Vol.1 – 30ml samples

This fantastic sample box contains three consecutive vintage – 1975, 1976, 1977 from three long since closed distilleries: Mosstowie (closed in 1981), Pittyvaich (closed in 1993) and Glenlochy (closed in 1983).

Below are the following whiskies featured in this sample box:

Mosstowie 1975 Vintage, Connoisseurs Choice (bottled 1994)

This 1975 Vintage Mosstowie was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 1994 as part of their legendary Connoisseurs Choice range.

The whisky was bottled at 40% abv.

Founded in 1964, Mosstowie Distillery existed inside Speyside’s Miltonduff distillery. Mosstowie’s chief aim was using Lomond Stills to produce a variety of styles of malt depending on blending requirements. However, after just 17 years the experiment was terminated and Mosstowie distillery was closed in 1981.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Opening a box of dates. Bitter orange marmalade. Stewed pears. Classic G&M sherry notes.

Palate: Orange peels. Marzipan. Banana bread. Fruit and nut mix. Crystallised ginger.

Finish: Slightly bitter citrus. Old oak. Distant tobacco. Gentle rhubarb note to close.

Pittyvaich 1976 Vintage 26 Year Old Single Cask (bottled 2003)

This is a single cask Pittyvaich 1976 Vintage, 26 Year Old that was bottled by Signatory Vintage in 2003.

The whisky was distilled on the 27th August 1976 and spent 26 years maturing in a single cask (cask no. 10232), before being bottled on the 24th July 2003.

This release was limited to just 311 bottles (this is bottle number 119) and was bottled at 43% abv.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Elderflower cordial. Hot sand. Stoneware. Wet clay. A spring walk through a meadow. Hay bales. Slightly herbaceous but think of dry herbs as opposed to green ones.

Palate: Honeydew melon. Granola. Red apples. Pineapple. Green pepper note.Tough leather.

Finish: Grapefruit. Vanilla ice cream. Oak spice. Manuka honey to finish.

Glenlochy 1977 Vintage, Connoisseurs Choice (bottled 1999)

This 1975 vintage Glenlochy was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 1999 as part of their legendary Connoisseurs Choice range.

The whisky is 40% abv

Our tasting notes:

Nose: Sun-dried tomatoes. Old sherry. Dry peach skins. Shrubs. Dirty root vegetables.

Palate: Quite oily (really dances around the tongue). Samphire. Brazil nuts. Apricots. Hay. Liquorice root.

Finish: Salted caramel ice cream. Dry old oak. Additional liquorice note.

Please Note: This sample set contains 3, 30ml bottles.

Mosstowie Distillery – Closed

Mosstowie was a relatively unknown entity during its lifetime and little has changed since its stills fell silent in 1981. The distillery was established in 1964 and was located inside Speyside’s Miltonduff distillery.

Mosstowie is perhaps best remembered due to its use of Lomond stills throughout its short existence. The Lomond stills allowed Mosstowie to produce a number of different styles of whisky depending on what was required – the vast majority being produced for the Ballantine’s blend.

However, after 17 years the Mosstowie experiment was terminated by Miltonduff due to a lack of demand for its spirit from blenders, coupled with the fact that Lomond stills are infamously hard to clean after every use.

In the years since its closing, Mosstowie has become a highly collectable whisky. And it is very likely that there are no remaining casks of Mosstowie left to be bottled.

Pittyvaich Distillery – Closed

Beginning production in 1975, Pittyvaich is perhaps the shortest lived Speyside distillery of all time – lasting just 18 years before closing in 1993. Operating inside a large shed, the distillery was situated in very near proximity to Dufftown distillery.

Pittyvaich was built in order to help with the blending requirements of Bell’s, which was at that time the top selling blend in the UK.

Despite surviving the 1980s whisky loch, Pittyvaich was eventually deemed surplus to requirements by new owners United Distillers (now Diageo) and was closed in 1993 before being entirely demolished in 2002.

Pittyvaich was only ever once officially bottled during its lifetime – a 12 year old released under the Flora & Fauna range. This ‘core range’ official bottling lasted from 1991 until the distillery closed in 1993.

Glenlochy Distillery – Closed

For fans of sports cars, 1898 is an important year –after all it was the birth year of Enzo Ferrari. That same year, far away from the bustling streets of Modena, a malt distillery was founded in the western highlands of Scotland in the town of Inverlochy. That distillery was Glenlochy – known in 1898 as the Glenlochy-Fort William Distillery.

Closed in 1983, Glenlochy is quite a rare whisky to find these days. During its lifetime it was never officially bottled, with the vast majority of its stock going into blends. Even the blends it was produced for have long since exited the market.

In a sad but familiar twist of fate, Glenlochy was yet another distillery that was born in the late 19th Century whisky boom and died in the late 20th Century whisky loch – joining other notable and unfortunate alumni such as Convalmore, Glenesk/Hillside and Glen Mhor.