Glenury Royal 50 years 1953 - 2003

Founded in 1825 by Robert Barclay, the distillery took its name from the valley running through the Ury district. Just weeks after opening, a major fire destroyed the stocks of barley along with the kiln and parts of the malt floor. Glenury Royal's malt floors were closed in 1968. The distillery then continued to produce malt whisky for almost two more decades, but finally shut down in May 1985. In 1992, the owners decided to sell the distillery and 1 year later this happened. A real estate company became the owner and created flats on the site where the distillery first stood. This makes Glenury Royal one of the closed distilleries.
 

Origin and bottling

This very rare 50-year-old Glenury Royal is made from Single Malt Whisky distilled in the year 1953. At this time, the in-house malt floors were still used and the stills were heated with coal fires. Finally, 498 bottles were released in 2003. How unique do you want it to be.

Cask type

In the year 1953, sherry casks were actually mostly available. It is therefore realistic to think that fresh and refill sherry butts were used for this.

Tasting note

Colour

Hazelnut

Nose

The aroma starts with dark chocolate and plums. It may not sound so positive, but it is more than meant to be positive, the smell of paint and old roses. Hazelnut tree and figs. Smoke in the form of pipe tobacco and blackcurrant jam. Toasted nuts. Did I forget the balsamic vinegar, which is also in there.

Taste

Of course you taste wood, but wood infused with sherry and whisky. A very rich flavour where dates and figs also come out well. Toffee, cardamon, walnut, boom wax, bitter chocolate, ristretto and freshly ground coffee.

Finish

These warm autumnal flavours stay with you forever. How much character can fit in one glass.

Overall impression

Distilled in the 1950s. This is unique, no this is more than unique. Just under 500 bottles were launched 20 years ago, how many more will there be?

This Glenury Royal 50 years 1953 - 2003 gets an average score on WhiskyBase of 94.26/100 points. (one of the highest scores on WhiskyBase)