1981 Duncan Taylor North Port 26 Years Review

Like the 81 Brora, this 1981 Duncan Taylor North Port 26 Years was opened earlier this year for my 40th birthday. And like Brora, it was closed in 1983 along with a slew of others. Several years after closing the distillery was demolished; a supermarket now resides as its tombstone. Though, unlike Brora, the whisky from North Port, also known as Brechin, never really hit a cult following.

It’s not because they made piss poor whisky, I’ve had several great North Port/Brechins over the years. It’s definitely not because bottles didn’t get great scores by well-known writers, because I’ve read many praisings…. but maybe they were just the wrong writers. It seems like the distilleries that get deified happen because certain groups rally around it and everyone else follows. Though, I guess that’s how a lot of industries work, not just whiskey.

As a phenomenon, it’s not something I care to dwell too long on. It is what it is and it’s not always a bad thing, just a thing worth noting and musing on. It can also be a signal to you that when everyone turns right, maybe you should turn left and see what gems are down a less trodden path. Anyways, now that this has been noted, let’s get to drinkin’ and see what this 1981 distilled, 26-years-old, ex-sherry cask, North Port Brechin, bottled by Duncan Taylor, is all about!

1981 Duncan Taylor North Port 26 Years – Details and Tasting Notes

 

Whiskey Details

Region: Highlands

Distiller: North Port
Bottler: Duncan Taylor (Rarest of the Rare)
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Sherry
Age: 26 Years (April 1981 – September 2007)
ABV: 52.9%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Vintage: 1981
Bottles: 523

Price: NA – Auction, Specialty Store or Private Seller

“North Port distillery derived its name from the positioning as the north gate of the once walled city of Brechin.” – Duncan Taylor

Tasting Notes

EYE
Copperish amber

NOSE
Strawberry shortcake, vanilla frosting, coppery malt, milk chocolate, pralines, dried fruit, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a touch of earthy hay and leather with a light bit of OBE.

Lovely, I could smell this thing for hours. The layers and levels shift as it sits with the earthy coming up a bit, the sweet down a bit, and then it shifts back. Each sniff is a bit different than the last.

PALATE
OBE, Honey Nut Cheerios, strawberry shortcake, vanilla fondant, coppery malt, pralines, citrus peels, complex earthiness (mushrooms, leather, hay) that comes off a tad farmy with a slight pop of smoke and caramel.

There is a light “roasty” character to the 1981 Duncan Taylor North Port 26 Years’ palate that wasn’t on the aroma and the old bottle effect really pops here, but it doesn’t come close to overwhelming. More like an additional musty facet that just works.

FINISH
Long -> Starts sweet with dried fruit and strawberry shortcake, but fades out to a hay-like, leathery, slightly oaky, earthy profile.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well balanced, full-body, with a slick, warm, satiny feel.

1981 Duncan Taylor North Port 26 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score

The previous North Ports I’ve had (2) were quite different from another, so I didn’t really have a preconceived idea about what I was in for. And I’m glad I didn’t because this blew both of them away and has become what I will now think of when it comes to this distillery.

This was a birth year bottle I opened for my 40th. A bottle I bought 4 or 5 years before the big day so there was a lot riding on this bottle’s sloped shoulders. It wasn’t the bottle of the night (the 1981 Brora and 1941 Four Roses tied for that honor), but the 1981 Duncan Taylor North Port 26 Years did get an honorable mention. It’s a great whisky and if you have a bottle, make it last.

SCORE: 4.5/5

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