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Old Farm Whisky Tasting

From Moriston Matters, Issue 13, June 1979 .

(The first section of this article is missing)

....any one time be found in the Bar.

But there was one reservation. Which is perhaps really a compliment. It was found, from the very fullest experience, that Old Farm - like the good Malt whisky - must be treated with the utmost respect. An unwise quantity was not to be taken lightly. But "it would be a beautiful dinner-table drink", said one person. Indeed, Harold MacMillan, the ex-Prime Minister is said, for one, to cultivate Scotch Malts as both an aperitif and an after-dinner liqueur.

The very name MacMillan leads us, of course, to one of Glenmoriston's most authoritative palates - Mr Alec MacMillan. But Alec, surely, must have had tongue in cheek when he said of Old Farm: "It's too strong!' and he elaborated on this: "A few of these and a bottle of beer, and I would be flat on my back". Must be some stuff!

We have, we see, referred to Sir Harold MacMillan and to Mr Alec MacMillan - perhaps journalistic freedom will allow us to relate a little story not immediately connected with Old Farm; but at the same time, not entirely unconnected, given Old Farm's tradition and lineage.

The little story goes thus. From time to time Mr Alec MacMillan claims some relationship with Mr Harold MacMillan. The precise degree of relationship depends on the stage the evening has reached - it can vary from a 42nd cousin-ship to full identification. Well, some years ago, a visitor to the Glen remarked in the bar one evening that that afternoon while on a sightseeing visit to the summer-house he had met with the Prime Minister himself, with whom he had a very interesting conversation. The locals, of course, immediately tumbled to the real identity of the "Prime Minister" and - such is the courtesy, to be found in Glenmoriston and these airts, a courtesy extended to visitor and resident alike - tried gently to put this meeting with the "Prime Minister" into some kind of perspective. But the visitor wasn't to be disillusioned so easily. The gentleman said he was the Prime Minister.....and there was a facial resemblance..... and he had a moustache.. and he was wearing plus fours. But still, given time, the locals might have persuaded the visitor otherwise...... were it not for one piece of overwhelming evidence. The gentleman I met, insisted the visitor, was the Prime Minister because there was a patch on his plus fours.

And this happened, note, in the days before Old Farm. Now, with this "stuff" that's "too strong" being available we all wait with bated breath!

Moriston Matters now took Glenmoriston Old Farm further afield. We concentrated on a selection of personages who, while they would not lay claim to being connoisseurs of whisky, have come to a recognition of good whisky.

Mr. M. Paterson was the first subject. He lives in Hamilton at present, but halls from Aberdeen-shire, hinterland of the heart of Scotch Whisky, Speyside. Which was evident from his first response: "Ah! You can smell the heather in this" And a few appreciative sips later: "There's definitely a taste of the good burn trout in this one". Mr Paterson relished the high malt content in Old Farm.

Mr. D. Murray, Bothwell, Lanarkshire, blanched when he tried Old Farm first, as is his custom with whisky, neat. When he added a judicious measure of water - a feature of the good whisky is that it can "take" water - he found it “quite acceptable". When in the next dram he had got this crucially important relationship between water and whisky right, Mr Murray became quite enthusiastic about the properties of Old Farm.

We approached Mr. K. Robertson, Larkhall, Lanarkshire, next. He is orientated more towards the malt which is easy on the palate, being basically a consumer of de luxe blends and not inexpensive wines, and "Old Farm", he felt initially, was a "bit burny" and "somewhat abrasive". But he did volunteer to sample another dram on this first occasion; and what is more, he took another measure on a following occasion which happened to arise, at the end of which his verdict had veered a little. "It grows on you", he concluded. This kind of delayed appreciation was a marked feature of Old Farm we found.

It had been intended to invite a few more subjects to sample Old Farm, but unhappily by this time the current supply had become exhausted... Well, after all, it would hardly be appropriate if oneself did not join in a dram with invited guests!