Buy rare and selected St. Magdalene Linlithgow Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky online

The St. Magdalene distillery was founded around 1798 in Linlithgow in the Scottish Lowland region and was also known as the Linlithgow distillery. The distillery was founded in 1765 by Sebastian Henderson under the name Linlithgow and taken over in 1797 by Adam Dawson, who had already opened the Bonnytown distillery in Linlithgow in 1795. The two distilleries were merged in 1810. It had a long operating history and was one of the most important distilleries in the Lowlands. Over the years, it has been owned by various companies, most recently the Distillers Company Limited (DCL), a forerunner of today s spirits group Diageo.
In 1914, it was one of the five founding distilleries of Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD) alongside Rosebank, Clydesdale, Glenkinchie and The Grange. No production took place during the Second World War. St. Magdalene was closed in 1983 as part of a major wave of rationalization in the Scottish whisky industry. Many distilleries were shut down during this time due to overcapacity and falling demand. Most of the distillery buildings were preserved and converted into apartments, meaning that whisky production there was finally ruled out.
The water for the distillery, which was part of the Lowlands region, came from Loch Lomond. It had two wash stills and two spirit stills, so it was distilled twice. An exceptional single malt for the Lowlands was produced here for just over two hundred years. Exceptional because St. Magdalene single malt whisky was heavily peated during malting, which is not exactly typical for the region in the south of Scotland known for its mild, smooth whiskies. Although it has long been closed, St. Magdalene enjoys an excellent reputation among whisky connoisseurs and collectors for the quality of its whisky. The closure has further enhanced its legendary status.
The style of St. Magdalene single malt varies according to age and cask type. Typical St. Magdalene whiskies are considered by connoisseurs to be elegant, subtle, often very clean (pure) and light on the nose, floral (flower meadow), grassy (fresh hay), often with clear citrus notes (lemon, lime). There may also be a slight malty or cereal sweetness and hints of vanilla or gentle spices from the barrel maturation.
The taste is typically light to medium-bodied with aromas of citrus fruits, the floral and grassy notes often dominate, a subtle sweetness and sometimes a slightly waxy or herbal note may also be present. The finish is usually medium-long, dry and clean, often with lingering citrus and light spicy notes.
The few bottlings still available and in particular the old St. Madgalene whiskies from the legendary Rare Malts Selection are very complex single malts and enjoy almost cult status among connoisseurs and enthusiasts. Independent bottlers such as Gordon and MacPhail or Signatory Vintage have occasionally bottled old casks and there are also very old St. Magdalene whiskies in Diageo s later special releases.
St. Magdalene is considered an icon among the lost Scottish distilleries. The whisky represents the classic, elegant Lowland style and, due to its rarity and quality, is now a sought-after treasure for connoisseurs and collectors who want to experience a taste of a bygone whisky era.