Lochside (silent) Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Single Cask #802 Whisky 40 Year Old · 1981 Vintage

Distilled in 1981 and bottled in 2022 at 49.2% ABV, this 40-year-old Lochside was released by Gordon & MacPhail as part of the prestigious Private Collection series. Matured in a refill sherry hogshead (cask #802), the cask yielded 141 bottles, making it an exceptionally rare bottling from one of Scotland’s lost distilleries.

Lochside Distillery, located in Montrose on Scotland’s east coast, has an unusual history. Originally built as a brewery in 1786, it was converted into a distillery in 1957 and was capable of producing both grain and malt whisky on the same site. Production ceased in 1992, and the distillery was later demolished, making surviving casks increasingly scarce.

After four decades in sherry wood, the whisky develops a deep and complex profile with notes of mandarin peel, salted almonds and raspberry compote, followed by roasted coffee, walnuts and stewed raisins. The finish is long and elegant with hazelnuts, cocoa and lingering dried fruit, reflecting the depth gained from extended maturation.

A remarkable long-aged Highland single malt and a rare opportunity to experience whisky from the long-closed Lochside distillery.