Glenugie 1978 SMWS 99.1

A well-regarded distillery in its time, Glenugie was primarily tasked with providing single malt for the Long John blends. Oversupply in the 1980s saw it close, along with many others in 1983. The distillery has long since been dismantled, with its stock and brand name under ownership of Chivas Brothers. Despite this, there have been very few official bottlings, and those from independents are highly prized.

Distilled in April 1978 at Glenugie and bottled in October 1992 by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. This was the first cask of Glenugie bottled by the SMWS.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.