Hillside/Glenesk Distillery

Founded: 1897
Stills: 2 Wash 2 Spirit
Water Source: North Esk River
Owners: Diageo

1964-1985: Grassy, Mineraled and Lost.

There are not many bottlings of Glenesk/Hillside. There have been a clutch of single casks from the early 80s by Duncan Taylor that were perhaps the most consistent releases. All were grassy, mineraled and porridgy affairs, typically unsexy and unusual. This character is pretty typical and does not alter too much between the various botltings. The best ones were the two official Rare Malts releases, a 25yo 1969 and a 25yo 1971, both were austere, oily and often quite resinous drams with some odd herbaceous, sooty, minty and oatmeal qualities. Hillside/Glenesk is certainly not a boring or particularly bad whisky it is just quite an unusual distillate, one that is certainly not made anymore. If you are in the mood to try some of Scotland’s more obscure and 'eccentric’ style of malt whisky then you could do a lot worse than Glenesk.