Glen Garioch Distillery is the most easterly distillery on Scotland. It was founded by Thomas Simpson in 1797. There are some evidence that a distillery was there already in 1785, but 1797 has been the the official starting year. Glen Garioch is located between Banff and Aberdeen in the little town of Old Meldrum. The buildings are in grey granite and looks more like and old school than a modern distillery. The name Garioch comes from the beatiful valley with the same name. They claim the the best barley in Scotland grows in thís valley.
The Distillery was managed by a lot of different owners during the 19th century which made no bigger changes to the process or buildings. In 1908 Glen Garioch was bought by the Glen Garioch Distillery Company which produced VAT 69. In 1968 destilling stopped due to shortage of water but in 1970 it started again with a new watersupply and an increased amount of stills. It was the first distillery who made the switch from butane gas to nature gas which lowered the energycost with 25%.
Glen Garioch was mothballed during 1995 to l 1997 but is now fully renovated and in full production.
Production at Glen Garioch
Glen Garioch watersource: Percock Hill. They stopped malting their own barley in the eighties. Nowadays they source it from large malting facilities in Inverness.
Mashtun for four tons and seven washbacks sized 21.000 litres each and made of stainless steel.
They have three still one washstill and two spritstills. They are all onionshaped and heated with internal steamcoils.
They use primaraly bouboun hogsheads for maturing.The production capacity is around 2 millon litres per annum.
Contact Glen Garioch
Glen Garioch Distillery
Oldmeldrum
Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 0ES
Scotland
Phone:+44 (0) 141 558 9011
Email: info@morrisonbowmore.co.uk
Manager: Fraser Hughes
Visitors:They have recently opened a visitors centre. Call for details.
Owner: Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd / Suntory
