MiLTON aka MILTOWN AND MILTONDUFF DISTILLERIES

 MILTON DISTILLERY RENAMED STRATHISLA IN 1951

OLD BARRELS BOUGHT BY GORDON & MaCPHAIL BY 1949

MILTON DISTILLERY

STRATHISLA DISTILLERY KNOWN EARLIER AS MILTON DISTILLERY

In the enthralling story about Chivas Regal, in which the Chivas Brothers James and John Chivas had NO role to play, later sole owner William Mitchell was unable to handle the Company Chivas Brothers by himself in difficult times pre-WWII and sold off the entire holdings to whisky brokers Morrison & Lundie in 1936 on an 'as is' basis. Morrison & Lundie sold the Chivas Brand for just £85,000 to Canadian Samuel Bronfman’s (1889-1971) Seagram Limited Company, Samuel Bronfman was to create history thereafter.

Bronfman was on the lookout for a distillery as a home base. His agent found one in 1950 called the Milton(aka Miltown) Distillery at Strathisla, Keith. The owner, one George (Jay) Pomeroy, a known scoundrel, wanted an astronomical sum, so Bronfman backed off. But the owner was jailed that year for fraud and Milton (aka Miltown) Distillery was put up for auction. Seagram purchased Milton for £71,000 at a public auction in Aberdeen in April 1950. 

This purchase was the second time Milton Distillery had changed hands in a public auction. 

Bronfman changed its name to Strathisla, as its water came from the river Isla, pronounced exactly as the peat haven of Islay. He had unknowingly struck gold as Strathisla distillery housed a vast amount of ageing whiskies underground, both malt and grain, mainly the Strathisla Old Highland Malt Whiskies, and another warehouse beneath the Glasgow railway yard, all between 6 & 10 YO. He was not as thorough as stated, as Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) was able to lay hands on many ancient casks from Milton distillery. These were matured and released as Gordon & MacPhail specials, aged 35 years and above, up to 59 years. Some even carried the name Gordon & MacPhail Strathisla Single Malts. Most of them were bottled at 40% ABV, a downer, if there was any. There are stronger versions no doubt, but that makes the buyer's job more exacting. 

The family owned whisky company announced the release of its last cask laid down in the 1940s from Milton Distillery, which today is known as Strathisla. This is the oldest and last ever single malt to be released by the company to carry the Milton Distillery name.

To celebrate the launch, the Elgin-based bottler and distiller has created a series of videos explaining the significance of the release. 

               

Matured in a cask filled especially for G&M, the 72-Year-Old Gordon & MacPhail 1949 from Milton Distillery is exceptionally rare, with only 180 bottles available worldwide. The title pays homage to the distillery’s original name given by founder George Taylor, and it represents one of very few releases ever to carry the Milton name.

In the mid-1940s, the site was undergoing several changes in ownership which resulted in the eventual name change to Strathisla in 1951. The picturesque distillery, with its distinctive twin pagodas, has been in continuous production since the 1700s.

Despite the varied challenges of the whisky industry including economic depression and war, Milton continued to operate even when the majority of whisky production was halted in the 1940s due to a post-war scarcity of barley. It was thanks to close ties with Milton that the precious spirit was entrusted to Gordon & MacPhail to mature in a first-fill Sherry puncheon, where it would gently slumber for 72 years, finally bottled at a remarkable ABV of 48.6%. It retails at £50,000!

Once again, Gordon & MacPhail has delved into the darkest recesses of their Elgin warehouse and come up with a unique chapter in Scotland’s liquid history. This is the first time people will sample a whisky distilled at Milton Distillery - prior to it becoming known as Strathisla - which illustrates just how truly precious and important this release is.

Milton, or Strathisla as it is known today, has small copper stills with a distinctive shape that helps to give the spirit its rich, fruity and full-bodied character. Decades of experience led G&M to fill the spirit into a first fill Sherry puncheon for long-term maturation. Having carefully assessed its progress down the decades, G&M feel now is finally the right moment to reveal this landmark single malt to enthusiasts and collectors. In terms of rarity, this deserves true ‘icon status. A Gordon & MacPhail whisky of this age bearing the Milton name has never - and will never – be seen again. Its long maturation has seen the cask gift the spirit notes of toffee, spice and a hint of smoke not traditionally found in more modern Speyside releases.

Whether it was produced under the name Milton or Strathisla, greatly aged single malts from the site have always been met with anticipation. Given that so few releases have ever carried the Milton name – and that this bottling represents the oldest and the last - it is expected that the demand for the 180 decanters will be extremely high.

Tasting Notes

Matured in cask 383, a first-fill sherry puncheon, and bottled at 48.6% ABV. Out turn of 180 bottles.

Nose: Sherry influences intertwine with sweet vanilla pod and seville orange. stewed forest fruit aromas give way to vibrant festive spice and soft lemon zest.

Palate: Flavours of butterscotch give way to bright citrus and nutmeg. baked apple notes come to the fore alongside poached pear and honeycomb.

Finish: A long finish with lingering apple, dark toffee and subtle smoke. 

MILTONDUFF DISTILLERY

That name Milton features once again, with Mitonduff distillery. In 1824 Andrew Peary and Robert Bain founded the Miltonduff Distillery located south of Elgin. At that time over 50 illegal distilleries existed in the surrounding area. Miltonduff was among the first distilleries to receive a distilling licence in Scotland. The first distillery on the same spot was operated by Benedictine monks who most likely had an aqua vitae distillery. However, the truth in that statement is somewhat sketchy since there are no documents or proof thereof.

More accurately, Miltonduff distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located six miles south-west of Elgin in the whisky region of Speyside. The distillery site 'Milton' was said to have been chosen because of the good quality of the local water source under the ownership of Pluscarden Abbey; indeed, the distillery is the site of the Abbey's former mill.

In 1866, the distillery was acquired by William Stuart (owner of the Highland Park Distillery who eventually entered business with Thomas Yool and Company in 1890), when the distillery was expanded and reached production of over one million litres of alcohol. Yool and Co. went on to become sole owners of the distillery. In 1960, the distillery was notable as the pioneer of a new method of heating the wash stills (through a series of heat exchanges and a diffuser).

Between 1964 and 1981 Miltonduff produced a whisky called Mosstowie along with Miltonduff. The owners at the time, Hiram Walker & Sons, produced large amounts of several types of blends and thus had a huge demand for different kinds of malt. A pair of Lomond stills was installed, which had an additional condenser in the head. The condenser made it possible to alter the reflux action in a controlled manner and thus widen the character and style of its malts. Mosstowie was produced using the Lomond stills starting 1964.

In 1981 production of the Mosstowie ceased when it became apparent that the new stills didn’t work well in the long run; the plates in the column quickly became covered in residue and proved to be very difficult to clean and maintain. Also, the competition with the distillery’s other brand made the demand for Mosstowie dwindle when the demand for Miltonduff increased, so space and resources were used to expand Miltonduff instead. The stills were cannibalised when a new set of traditional stills were built and the annual production ended up at 5.4 million litres. Gordon & MacPhail have bottled a few Mosstowie’s as single malts, very rare to come by, though The Lost Distilleries Company did try their hand at replicating numerous lost distilleries, including Mosstowie as a blended malt.

One wonders what the monks would have made of it. As said, moonshining was commonplace in the surroundings of Pluscarden Abbey in the smuggling era of the late 18th and early 19th century. The original monastery fell into ruin in the early 17th century, but was restored in 1948 and is now the only medieval monastery still inhabited by monks. Distillation certainly took place at Milton Farm where the abbey’s old meal mill once stood.

Miltonduff (the suffix comes from Duff family which owned the estate) went legal in 1824 and by the end of the century was one of the largest producers in Scotland, making in excess of one million litres a year and using triple distillation (an unusual technique for Highland/Speyside distilleries).

Its next landmark came in 1936 when Yool sold to Canadian distiller Hiram Walker which was beginning its Scottish expansion (Ballantine’s, Dumbarton), with three pairs of stills now operating. In 2005 it became part of Chivas Brothers.

A very fresh, floral new make character shows Miltonduff to be a charming, light single malt, perfect for adding top notes to the restrained and elegant Ballantine’s blend. Its palate has a succulent texture.  

Miltonduff was, briefly, part of Allied Distiller’s Caledonian Malts range (alongside Laphroaig, Tormore, Scapa and Glendronach) but other than a limited edition 18-year-old cask strength bottling, no official releases have taken place under Chivas Brothers'  ownership. Licensed bottlings are made under the auspices of Gordon & MacPhail..G&M also specialises in releasing whiskies from distilleries that have vanished, like Mosstowie and St Magdalene, among others. The distillery site was expanded with the construction of Allied Distillers' Malt Technical Centre, laboratory, engineering department and management offices.

In July 2017 Miltonduff was released as a 15-year-old single malt (alongside expressions from Glentauchers and Glenburgie) under the Ballantine’s brand. 

THE EXQUISITE PRIVATE COLLECTION

Itis not yet known if G&M has barrels of Auchnagie, Stratheden, Gerston, Jericho / Benachie, Lossit, Towiemore, Dundashill and Archivist distilleries. which blended malts were made vailable by the Lost Distillery Company in 2021.

MINUTIAE

Whisky Production:

Miltonduff distillery equipment consists of a mash vat with a capacity of 15 tons, eighteen fermenters with a capacity of 5 tons and three pairs of alembics. The distillery now has a production capacity of 5.80 million litres of whisky per year. The water used to make whisky comes from the Black Burn stream. The distillery also has an extensive warehouse complex. For ageing distillates, sherry casks made of American white oak are most often used here.

Lomond Stills

As stated, the Miltonduff distillery houses the research and experimental centre for the whole Scotch whisky industry. One of the best known results of the work of the Miltonduff researchers was the development of the Lomond still, also called Mosstowie still, from the whisky produced in it.

TIMELINE

1824    Established (Andrew Peary & Robert Bain)
1866    Purchased by William Stuart
1890s  Thomas Yool & Co join Stuart and extend the distillery
1936   Taken over by Hiram Walker-Gooderham &Worts Ltd
1937    Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Ltd take control
1964    2 Lomond stills added for production of “Mosstowie”
1974    Rebuilding work adds more wash backs
1981    Mosstowie stills changed to increase production of Miltonduff.
            Mosstowie no longer produced.
1992    Allied Distillers acquire control
2005    Fortune Brands Inc. acquire control. 
2005    Pernod Ricard hands over distillery to Chivas Brothers Holdings