Glenugie

In 1831, Donald McLeod & Co. founded a distillery under the name Invernettie on the coastal strip at Peterhead - on the site of an old windmill, in the far northeast corner of Scotland. After an unsettled early period involving closure and temporary use as a brewery, the distillery returned to whisky production in the 1870s under the name Glenugie; it enjoyed its golden years between 1884 and 1915 under Simon Forbes. In 1958, Strathclyde & Long John Distilleries took over operations, which later passed through several corporate acquisitions before eventually landing with the brewing conglomerate Whitbread - until Glenugie closed for good in 1983, a casualty of Scotland's early-1980s "whisky loch". Until that point, Glenugie held the title of Scotland's most easterly distillery; the brand rights today belong to Chivas Brothers.

Why was Glenugie Scotland's most easterly distillery?

Its exposed location on the coastal strip at Peterhead, in the far northeast of the country, earned it this geographical record - a distinction lost for good when it closed in 1983.

What was the "whisky loch" that led to Glenugie's downfall?

In the early 1980s, Scotland's whisky industry produced far more than the market could absorb - the result was a wave of closures among smaller, economically weaker distilleries like Glenugie.

Flavour profile

Taste: Oily and full-bodied with maritime notes, malt and a subtle spiciness - a typical representative of the coastal distilleries of northeast Scotland.

Recommended enjoyment: Taste neat and unhurried - as a "lost distillery", every bottle is a rarity.

Facts and figures

Founded 1831 as Invernettie, renamed Glenugie in the 1870s. Golden years 1884-1915 under Simon Forbes. Final closure 1983. Brand rights today held by Chivas Brothers.