Glenburgie 1978 CA

Whether you're a devoted fan of single malt whisky or prefer blended Scotch, it doesn't matter — clearly, neither can exist without the other. Scotch whisky enjoys its esteemed position in the spirits world largely thanks to the driving force of blended whisky behind it. And single malt whisky, with its diverse character, helps blended whisky showcase different flavors. So when Chivas Brothers, the world's second-largest spirits producer, began promoting their previously anonymous malt whisky brands, it seemed perfectly reasonable. Simultaneously, Chivas Brothers tied these single malts to specific blended whiskies rather than broadly stating they were base spirits for blends. This blended whisky is Ballantine's, the world's second best-selling Scotch whisky, selling 80 million bottles in 2018! Glenburgie is one of Ballantine's three key malt whisky brands (and distillery names) — the other two being Miltonduff and Glentauchers. Since 2017, Chivas Brothers has released a 15-year official bottling for each of these three distilleries. Glenburgie also released an 18-year expression, launched in Sweden in spring 2019 before rolling out to other markets. For over 20 years, from 1958 to 1981, Glenburgie installed two Lomond stills. Unlike traditional swan necks, these stills featured cylindrical neck structures with internal plates. These plates could be adjusted, allowing the same still to produce multiple types of new make spirit. Glenburgie is equipped with a 7.5-ton full lauter mash tun, 12 stainless steel fermentation tanks, and three pairs of stills. In earlier years, fermentation lasted about 70 hours, but has now been reduced to 52 hours. Most new make is matured in bourbon barrels, with some aged in 4 dunnage warehouses, 2 racked warehouses, and 2 palletized warehouses. The new official bottlings include 15-year and 18-year expressions, both matured in bourbon barrels and bottled at 40% ABV. There's also a 17-year cask strength in The Distillery Reserve Collection, sold at each distillery's visitor center under the Chivas Brothers banner.