The Still on Gallow Hill
In 1830, the Elgin West Brewery began producing local ales at Gallow Hill, which had something of a dark history as the official site of public executions for the area. The remains of executed criminals were often left on the hill, a grisly display to warn of any would-be wrong-doer who was making their way to Elgin.
As a response to the whisky boom of the late 19th century, Robert Thorne & Sons, owners of Aberlour Distillery, decided to expand their businesses by converting the West Brewery into a new distillery. The first spirit run took place on the 13th of September 1897 but unfortunately, the timing was a wee bit off. The wider whisky industry took a catastrophic nosedive in the early twentieth century and Glen Moray was deemed surplus to requirements and closed in 1910, just 13 years after opening.
The site was thankfully saved in 1923 when Macdonald and Muir (later to become the Glenmorangie Company) took it on. The ’50s and ’60s saw expansion. When ground was broken on new warehousing, workmen uncovered seven human skulls, an unpleasant reminder of the hill’s sinister past.
In the ’90s, Glen Moray began to experiment with white wine casks, one of the earlist distilleries to do so. Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay finishes came to market in 1999. Today, the distillery is owned by La Martiniquaise, creators of the blended whisky ‘Label 5’, one of the top selling whisky brands in France.
The Whisky
Since 2014, Glen Moray has been widely available in the form of their ‘Elgin Classic‘ range, consisting of the original Elgin Classic, a Peated version and a Sherry Cask Finish. The entire range is available at bargain basement pricing across multiple supermarket chains with the Sherry Cask regularly available for around £25.
Smell: It’s quite floral, perfumed even. Lots of fresh fruit – apples & pears, lemon & lime… then comes the sherry with dried fruits and some nuttiness. Also a touch of caramel.
Taste: Sherry, dried fruits, cinnamon, wee bit of ginger. Walnut. Also vanilla, apples and pears. Some honey.
Thoughts: The ‘Elgin Classic’ range is very much in the bargain category, regularly discounted in UK supermarket chains, the quality, however, is surprisingly good for a dram of such low price.
It’s certainly not a sherry bomb but the fortified wine makes its presence felt and adds another wee layer of flavour to the dram. Glen Moray have really mastered the art of offering a decent drop for a good price. Go into this with reasonable expectations and you should be well satisfied. Especially if you paid £20 for it.
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