Millburn Highland Whisky Distillery

Millburn

Millburn is one of a trio of now sadly defunct Highland single malt whisky distilleries located in Inverness, the others being Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor. A quiet distillery during its operational lifetime, it is nevertheless frequently a prized malt amongst drinkers and collectors alike. Millburn remains a distillate that offers a distinct, and now sadly extinct, Highland profile.

After the usual patchy history of most Highland distilleries, Millburn was partially modernised in the 1960s, with the floor maltings being replaced by a Saladin box in 1964 and the stills being converted to steam heating in 1966. There are few bottlings from before this period.

Millburn, like its neighbours, is a typically difficult, unsexy and occasionally strange distillate, one that needs time and patience. Its hallmarks are an old-style Highland waxy profile otherwise dominated by honey, coastal notes and gentle fruity characteristics when at its best, though at other times it can be difficult, porridgey and austere. An eccentric old-school character, Millburn is one of the paragons of a lost whisky style.