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North Port Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Former Site of the North Port Distillery
Brechin, Angus, DD9 6BE Scotland
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The North Port Distillery had three different names during its lifetime - Townhead, Brechin and lastly North Port. It was built in 1820 as Townhead by brothers and farmers, David, John and Alexander Guthrie - or Townhead Distillery Company. Just a few years later, the distillery was renamed Brechin and it soon became under management of the Guthrie, Martin & Co. partnership. In 1839 the distillery took on its final name, North Port.

The North Port Distillery is located on the east coast of Scotland in Brechin - the country's smallest town. At one time, Brechin was walled and the location of the distillery was situated near the North gate, or North Port to the city. This is how the distillery came about its name.

In 1922 North Port was sold to DCL (Distillers Company Limited) and WH Holt & Co. The distillery was then passed several years later to to SMD (Scottish Malt Distillers) who operated it under a license by Mitchell Brothers of Glasgow. The distillery was silent from 1928 until 1937 and once again from 1939 until 1948 when it was being utilized by the Polish infantry.

North Port was one of the distilleries that didn't survive the years between 1983 and 1985 when the

Loch Lee
market was suffering from overcapacity. North Port was mothballed in 1983, sold in 1990 and eventually demolished to make way for a Safeway supermarket.

The majority of the production at North Port went to the vatted malt Glen Dew and to the Heather Dew blends. It can also still be found as a single malt from independant bottlers. Whisky writer Michael Jackson described North Port's House Style as "A fruity but very dry whisky, gin-like. Apertif."

NORTH PORT 19 YEAR OLD RARE MALTS
North Port 19 Year Old Rare Malt  
NORTH PORT 19 YEAR OLD RARE MALTS

Nose: Dry, lightly smoky, grassy. Dry fruitiness.

Palate: Light. Leafy. Dried apricot. Dried banana. Toasted marshmallow.

Finish: Dry, spirity, sharp. Cedary.

Comment: Some malts are deservedly rare, but full marks to United for at least giving us the chance to taste them.

Tasting Notes by Michael Jackson

North Port Whisky Distillery
North Port Distillery

The North Port Distillery was founded in 1820 under the name Townhead. According to whisky writer Alfred Bernard, North Port obtained its barley from the farmers around Brechin. In addition he noted the peat and water were from the Grampian mountains. Whisky historian Derek Cooper indicates the North Port's condensers were cooled in a stream which ran through the distillery.

The water source for North Port was the Loch Lee. In the 1970s North Port was modernized, but eventually closed in 1983 due to overcapacity in the market. It was demolished in the early 1990s and today a Safeway supermarket now stands in its place.