North Port Brechin 1971 23 Year Old Rare Malts Selection | Rare Malts

A Rare Highland Whisky from a Lost Distillery

Distilled in 1971 at the long-closed North Port distillery in Brechin and bottled in 1995 for the prestigious Rare Malts Selection, this 23 year old Highland single malt represents an increasingly scarce surviving expression from one of Scotland's lost whisky producers. Bottled at 54.7% natural cask strength, this official release captures spirit distilled more than a decade before North Port ceased production in 1983. Bearing the distinctive early Rare Malts presentation and individually identified as bottle number 1475, it offers collectors a tangible connection to a vanished chapter of Highland whisky history.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Delicate herbal notes, fresh orchard fruit, subtle mint, and gentle malt sweetness, accompanied by earthy undertones and restrained mature oak.
• Palate: Light yet expressive, revealing soft fruit, malted barley, herbal complexity, and hints of cooling mint. A gentle earthiness and warming oak spice provide depth and structure.
• Finish: Dry and refined, with lingering herbal notes, soft fruit, delicate oak, and an unusual cooling character reminiscent of the distillery's historic underground still-room.

Specifications

• Classification: Scotch Whisky
• Style: Single Malt
• Region: Highlands, Scotland
• Distillery: North Port (Brechin)
• Bottler: United Distillers
• Series: Rare Malts Selection
• Distilled: 1971
• Bottled: 1995
• Age: 23 Years
• ABV: 54.7%
• Volume: 750ml
• Style of Bottling: Official Bottling, Natural Cask Strength, Limited Edition
• Bottle Number: 1475
• Presentation: Bottle Only

About the Bottling

The Rare Malts Selection was established to showcase exceptional mature whiskies from Scotland's lesser-known, historic, and sometimes already closed distilleries. Released at natural cask strength, these bottlings became important records of distillery character from an earlier era of Scotch whisky production.

This 1971 North Port release is particularly significant because the distillery had already fallen silent by the time it was bottled in 1995. Its 23 years of maturation, early Rare Malts provenance, and distinctive 750ml US-market presentation make it an intriguing acquisition for collectors specialising in closed distilleries and historic official bottlings.

About the Distillery

Founded in 1820 in the Angus town of Brechin, North Port was also known as Brechin Distillery and became one of the Highland whisky industry's notable casualties of the early 1980s downturn. Production ended in 1983, and the distillery was subsequently demolished, leaving surviving bottles as some of the few remaining expressions of its character. North Port has since acquired considerable historical interest among collectors, particularly through mature releases in the Rare Malts Selection, which preserve a glimpse of whisky-making traditions that can no longer be recreated.

Archive Notes

Please review all product images carefully. Minor cosmetic wear to labels, capsules, cartons, or presentation cases may be present due to age, long-term storage, or secondary-market sourcing.

Natural variation in fill level, packaging condition, and label ageing can occur in older releases and forms part of the character of mature collectible whisky.

Archive Release

Privately sourced and released in strictly limited quantities. Availability is finite and unlikely to be repeated once sold.

Not every bottle is meant to be found.