Glen Elgin 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky
Glen Elgin 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky is a 54.8% ABV (109.6 proof) single malt in a 750mL bottle — an official Diageo Special Releases 2017 bottling, distilled in 1998, bottled at natural cask strength in a run of just 5,352 individually numbered bottles, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 54.8% (109.6 proof) — natural cask strength
- Size: 750mL (US edition)
- Age: 18 Year Old — distilled 1998, bottled 2017
- Release: Diageo Special Releases 2017; only 5,352 individually numbered bottles
- Casks: vatting of two experimental batches — sherry-style butts and refill European oak
- Distillery: Glen Elgin, Speyside — official distillery bottling; part of the spirit used a millet-beer-style yeast strain (Pombe)
Speyside's Quiet Workhorse
Glen Elgin was built in 1898, at the very height of the whisky boom, to designs by Charles Doig — it was predicted to be "the last distillery built for 50 years," and in fact no new Speyside distillery opened for 60. It has spent most of its life as a blender's malt, most famously in White Horse, which is why official bottlings are rare and sought after. This Special Release is an experiment made public: two vatted batches, different yeasts and woods, one of them run with a yeast strain more commonly found in millet-beer production. Explore Glen Elgin, browse Scotch whisky, or see more whisky.
Tasting Notes
The nose offers vanilla toffee, fennel, fresh-cut grass, candied nuts, polished oak, and orchard fruit — baked apple, poached pear, fruit salad. The palate bursts very sweet: spun honey, honeycomb, sour apples, oaky spice, brown sugar, icing sugar, and butter. The finish is medium and quite dry — oak and wood spice fading to brown sugar, anise, dried apple, and sweet oak.
How to Enjoy
At 54.8% this rewards patience: pour neat first, then add still water a teaspoon at a time and watch the honeyed sweetness bloom. A collector's pour for the Speyside shelf — or the centerpiece of a cask-strength tasting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Glen Elgin 18 an official bottling?
Yes — an official distillery bottling as part of Diageo's Special Releases 2017, distilled at the Glen Elgin distillery in 1998.
What is the ABV?
54.8% ABV (109.6 proof), bottled at natural cask strength with no dilution.
Why is it called "experimental"?
Two vatted batches used different yeasts and woods — including one spirit run with a millet-beer-style yeast strain (Pombe).
A numbered piece of Speyside history — find Glen Elgin 18 Year Old online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.