North Port-Brechin 1981 Connoisseurs Choice 2000 G&M Whisky - 40% 70cl

Distilled in 1981 and bottled in 2000 by Gordon and MacPhail, this is from the closed distillery North Port also known as Brechin. 

The Connoisseurs Choice label is one of the most recognisable independent bottlings on the market. It was initially created for renowned Italian importer, Edoardo Giaccone in the early 1970s, but became a mainstay of the core Gordon & MacPhail portfolio in 1979.

The Brechin distillery was built in 1820 by the Guthrie family, who changed its named to North Port at some point later that century. It was acquired by DCL (now Diageo) in 1922, who closed it down six years later. Production briefly resumed for two years before the war, but it was not until 1945 that regular distilling recommenced.

North Port was one of the nine distilleries closed by DCL in 1983 after a market downturn meant their blends were oversupplied. It never re-opened and the site now houses a supermarket.

Its single malt is very rare, and was never officially bottled in its lifetime. Diageo have produced only a handful of distillery bottlings, the first of which were in the Rare Malts Selection.

Rare and increasingly sought after independent releases like this have also appeared over the years though.

Please note as this is a vintage bottle, conditions of bottle/label and liquid level can vary - please note creasing/tearing to box. Some years can vary as estimations only (example: estimated 1970s/80s).

Nose: Tropical fruit and grassy malt start things off with notes of wood and spice keeping things interesting and a hint of orchard fruit.

Palate: The nose translates almost identically to the palate with some heavier malty notes showing up somewhere in the middle.

Finish: Short with notes of spice, wood, malt and mint.