Glen Flagler’s Florida Connection

As far as closed distilleries are concerned, Glen Flagler is not quite as recognisable as some of the other now defunct Lowland distilleries, Rosebank, St Magdalene or Ladyburn.

The Glen Flagler’s production life was short, spanning a mere 22 years. Like Ladyburn, and a number of other malt whiskies established during the mid-1960s, the stills for Glen Flagler were constructed within a larger whisky complex, converted from the Moffat paper mill located in Airdrie. Within the complex the grain whisky Garnheath and, malt whiskies Killyloch and Glen Flagler were produced.

Unusually the name Glen Flagler has no relation to a Scottish geographical feature, and in fact is named after the Flagler Avenue, Palm beach in Florida where Simon Neuman, owner of Publicker/Inverhouse Distillers, had a property.

Glen Flagler managed to outlive its sister spirit Killyloch, which saw the last spirit come off the stills in the early 1970s. In 1985, Glen Flagler fell victim to the nationwide overproduction of whisky, and closed its doors, with the coffey stills of Garnheath following suit the following year.

The distillery buildings were demolished in 1988, with only the warehouses, blending and bottling facilities left behind, which are home to Inverhouse Distiller’s offices to this day.

Bottled in 2003, lot 222 is one of only 931 bottles of a 1973 from the Glen Flagler distillery, and is estimated to achieve a hammer price in the region of £600-£800 in the September 10 Rare & Fine Whisky Auction.

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Graeme Maxwell

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