It's the 1960s and you're in Las Vegas. The lights are low in the club with swinging music, clinking of glasses and excited murmurs – it all fades as the spotlight hits the stage. There they are, larger than life – Frank Sinatra with his handsome grin, Dean Martin with a twinkle in his eye with the rest of their crew all in sharp suits. But wait, are they pouring themselves… Scotch on stage?

Sinatra, Martin and the rest of their crew known as the Rat Pack defined the era with their unique blend of glamour, irreverence and a healthy dose of on-stage imbibing. To the audience, this wasn’t mere performance. It felt like the Rat Pack were throwing a party and everyone was invited! Inadvertently, these performances became the ultimate marketing campaign for brands like J&B Blended Scotch Whisky which the stars would conspicuously drink.

Most wouldn't know it then, but it wasn’t by chance that J&B ended up in the hands of these charismatic crooners. Behind the stage stood a shrewd whisky businessman named Abe Rosenberg who knew exactly what he was doing.

Rosenberg ran a business distributing J&B and masterminded the blend’s success in the US. He strategically expanded distribution beyond New York to target entertainment hubs like New Orleans, Palm Springs, and of course, Las Vegas. Rosenberg also understood that getting his product into the hands of these charismatic performers was a surefire way to boost visibility. According to a friend, Rosenberg would often send half a gallon (about four litres!) of J&B to a star's dressing room with a note saying: “I enjoyed your show very much, have one on me!” You could say that Rosenberg was a pioneer of Influencer Marketing before the term existed. This seemingly casual gesture of appreciation was a masterstroke.

So Rosenberg had built himself a fortune on blended Scotch. However, his true passion lay in the individual single malts that went into blends. This led him to purchase Duncan Taylor & Co. Ltd. in the 1960s, a Glasgow-based cask broker founded in 1938. Duncan Taylor provided the perfect vehicle for Rosenberg to indulge his passion, and he began amassing an extraordinary collection of single malt whiskies.

Decades before the single malt boom, Rosenberg began securing stocks from now-prominent distilleries like Springbank, Bowmore and Macallan. By the time of Rosenberg’s passing in 1994, Duncan Taylor sat on one of the largest private collections of Scotch with over 4,000 casks. It was said that at one point, Duncan Taylor held more old Macallan than The Macallan Distillery itself.

Duncan Taylor's former Chairman Euan Shand.

Not long after, two Scottish friends, Euan Shand and Alan Gordon, purchased the company, bringing it back to Scottish ownership. Recognising the interest in single malts and the incredible value of Rosenberg’s malt legacy, they shifted the company's focus from cask brokerage to independent bottling. The company went on to develop several product lines, reviving the Black Bull Blended Scotch brand that was popular in the US – known for its higher proof and robust profile. Shand had also pioneered the Octave series which utilises smaller casks with greater surface area contact between the spirit and the wood to accelerate the maturation process.

Now, I had the special opportunity at Whisky Journey Singapore 2024 to delve into Duncan Taylor's Tantalus range, a collection reserved for their rarest and oldest whiskies. These whiskies are presented in hand-blown glass decanters housed in a wooden stand (traditionally known as a tantalus in UK) crafted from the very casks used to age the whisky.

Under the guidance of brand representative Mark Thomson, we tasted malts from three ghost distilleries: Inverleven, Glen Mhor, and the legendary Port Ellen. Interestingly, these expressions have been bottled back in 2013, and may have some degree of bottle conditioning.

Inverleven 1978, Aged 34 Years, Duncan Taylor Tantalus Series, 41.2% ABV – Review

Inverleven Distillery was a Lowlands malt distillery that operated from 1938 till its closure in 1991. It was established by the Canadian whisky maker Hiram Walker, primarily to produce malt spirit for their Ballantine's brand of blended whisky.

While Inverleven owned a pair of traditional pot stills, the standout feature of Inverleven was its use of a Lomond Still, a rather unique choice in the whisky industry. Such stills are noted for a special metal contraption at the top, designed to increase reflux during distillation. This resulted in a spirit that was both sweeter and oilier in texture, setting Inverleven apart from many of its contemporaries.

After Inverleven was closed, the Lomond still fortunately found a new home on Islay, where the Bruichladdich team now uses it to distil their Botanist Gin.

According to Mark, Inverleven’s malt was prized by whisky blenders for offering more body and thickness to the final blend.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The initial impression is one of fresh, layered malt, followed by a subtle hint of citrus. It’s got a a thick, rich note of maltose candy, applesauce, enveloped in a layered creamy depth, and a very lightly savoury toasted character reminiscent of isobe yaki mochi (grilled mochi with soy sauce).

Palate: A bright, crisp sweetness balanced by a generous creaminess. Pasteurised honey and light citrus peel notes weave through the sweetness. Quite a substantial texture with an elegant evolution of flavour. As the palate develops, a refreshing minty note emerges.

Finish: Lingers for some time with a gentle warmth. Sweetness of coconut cream, the toasty flavour of dried coconut flakes, vanilla and light talcum powder concludes the finish.

My Thoughts:

This Inverleven is a beautiful example of a very mellow Lowland style, which seems to have been further softened by years of bottle conditioning and relatively low ABV. The palate is particularly delightful, with its creamy texture and subtle citrus hints, culminating in a lovely coconut-infused finish. It's a whisky that showcases elegance and subtlety on the profile and a lovely creaminess on the texture. 

Glen Mhor 1975, Aged 34 Years, Duncan Taylor Tantalus Series, 43.7% ABV – Review

Glen Mhor Distillery (pronounced “Glen-Vawr”), established in the Highlands in 1892 by John Birnie and James Mackinlay, had a production life of nearly a century. During its operational years, it primarily produced malt whisky for blends and yet still found fame amongst a tight following of connoisseurs as a beloved single malt. Unfortunately, like several other distilleries, Glen Mhor ceased operations in 1983 during the ‘Whisky Loch’ industry crisis.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Very approachable and inviting, with a round, honeyed aroma. Opens with an abundance of sweet red fruits like dates and berries. A distinct but subtle beeswax-like waxy sweetness with a bright, fresh pulpy orange juice citric fruitiness to it.

Palate: Full bodied, creamy and evocative. The oily texture coats the palate, opening with honey and an intriguing savoury note of green olives. Generous sweetness complements the creamy texture, with vanilla prominent throughout along with a lively interplay of light sandalwood, mint and a subtle pepperiness.

Finish: Long and constantly unfolding, with persistent mint and a tangy citrus element, vanilla and lingering baking spices. There’s a clean woodsy herbal note reminiscent of rosemary and peppermint evolving into a subtle greenness; almost like fresh cucumber, accompanied by fading aromatic sandalwood.

My Thoughts:

This Glen Mhor is a beautifully aged whisky, also showcasing a wonderfully soft and approachable character. It is perceptibly creamier and sweeter than the Inverleven, but with quite an intriguing offbeat personality – those leafy green pyrazine notes add a fascinating dimension, bringing out a distinctive mint and herbaceousness, and then with that unexpected green olive note on the palate.

Considering that this is a whisky first made in the 1970s, these unusual notes may have been the result of using some unusual barley varieties that we no longer see today. What a lovely find in Duncan Taylor’s cellar.

Port Ellen 1983, Aged 30 Years, Duncan Taylor Tantalus Series, 52.0% ABV – Review

This distillery almost needs no introduction. Closed since 1983, Port Ellen is perhaps one of the most iconic ghost distillery of Scotland, and a fine exemplar of the quality that Islay malts could achieve. It has indisputably been regarded as a “lost classic” of Islay.

Read all about Port Ellen’s story in our deep dive article here.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Immediately captivating with tons of fruit, malt and phenolic complexity. Citrus and creaminess intertwine with a touch of diesel, toasted barley and a light herbaceous angelica root note and then unexpectedly, a wave of tropical fruit emerges. Soft pink guava, white peaches and caramelised banana mingle with the aromatic malt.

Palate: Layered and evolving. Opens with a bright sweetness of citrus and clarified apple juice accompanied by distinct smokiness, dry and subtle at first, then growing in intensity to becomes increasingly empyreumatic with burnt hay and Chinese medicine hall notes (once again angelica root making a reappearance). Dry smokiness leads us to ash and espresso, with hints of dry heather.

Finish: Medium in length with a lingering warmth. Gentle spice from cracked black pepper, smoked sage and dried florals persist. A touch of bittersweet dark chocolate and tobacco right at the end.

My Thoughts:

This expression provides a great opportunity to experience the quintessential character of the iconic Port Ellen. It showcases the distillery's signature smoky-earthy notes with remarkable clarity, probably thanks to maturation in a relatively neutral refill cask. Those classic smoky elements are prominent, but they've also been beautifully mellowed and refined by over a decade of bottle conditioning, giving us a wonderfully integrated and balanced dram.

@CharsiuCharlie