St Magdalene – 1982 Berry’s Own Selection Berry Bros & Rudd (70cl, 46%)

St Magdalene – 1982 Berry’s Own Selection Berry Bros & Rudd is a whisky from St Magdalene (Lowland). Bottled at 46% ABV, 70cl. St Magdalene, or Linlithgow as it was also known, was a sizeable distillery occupying a prime position between the Union Canal and railway line. The distillery benefitted not only from its own rail sidings but its own wharf as well, where coal and coke were landed to fire St Magdalene’s stills. The distillery was built in the mid-18th century by Sebastian Henderson, to oppose the construction of Bulzion distillery that appeared a few years earlier. Henderson had rented the lands of St. Magdalene’s Cross convent from the Countess of Dalhousie to build the distillery. In 1798 the distiller and provost Adam Dawson, who already operated the adjacent Bonnytoun distillery, bought St Magdalene and transferred his operation across. Dawson’s business soon grew so that St. Magdalene absorbed the original Bonnytoun site, stretching out across 10 acres of land. St Magdalene was the last of the five distilleries to close in the royal burgh of Linlithgow in 1983, and it has now been turned into flats which can still be recognised by the pagoda vents that are a prominent feature of the buildings. Two official bottlings were released as part of the Rare Malts series as well as several independent bottlings. Berry Bros & Rudd are the oldest wine and spirit merchant in Britain, operating from the same premises in London’s St James Street since their founding in 1698. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the creator of the Cutty Sark brand though. They were the supplier of wine to the Titanic, and also played a part in smuggling alcohol into the States during prohibition. St Magdalene Please note minor wear to capsule mottling/wear to labels