The Dalmore distillery information
The Dalmore distillery was established in 1839 by Alexander Matheson, a partner in a Hong Kong-based trading company, who leased it to the Sunderland family. The distillery is located in former Ardross farm on the northern shores of the Firth of Cromartry, slightly North of Inverness. The name Dalmore is Gaelic for “Big meadow”. In 1850, the distillery was ran by Mrs Margaret Sutherland. Female distillers were (and still are) quite rare. By 1867, the distillery was rub by Robert Pattison, and brothers Alexander, Andrew and Charles Mackenzie.
In 1870, Dalmore was the first malt whisky that was ever exported outside Scotland, travelling as far as Australia. In 1874, the number of stills was doubled from two to four. Another exceptional feat for the time, as most distilleries were only equipped with 2 stills. In 1886, Alexander Matheson passed away, and the Mackenzie brothers were able to buy the distillery from Kenneth Matheson 5 years later in 1891.
The stag
One of their ancestors had saved the King Alexander III of Scotland from certain death when a stag was about to gore him during a hunting trip in 1263. The grateful King allowed Clan Mackenzie to use a stag with twelve points to its antlers as their coat of arms, and it is that stag that is displayed on every bottle of Dalmore whisky. More recently, the Clan Mackenzie slogan (“Luceo non Uro”, or “I shine, not burn”) has also been used in the branding.
World War 1
During World War 1, the distillery was closed, and its buildings were used by the Royal Navy to assemble American sea mines. When they left in 1920, the distillery was almost in ruins due to an explosion, and a fire. The legal battle over compensation for this damage took years, and even made it into the House of Lords. During the period the Navy used the site, a pier (“Yankee pier”) was erected, and is still present until this day. The distillery resumed production in 1922.
Ownership changes
In 1965, the malting floor was replaced with a Saladin box. Mackenzie Brothers (Dalmore) Ltd merges with Whyte & Mackay Ltd and forms Dalmore-Whyte & Mackay Ltd. in 1960. Whyte & Mackay had been customers of the distillery for years, with the majority of the whisky produced at Dalmore finding its way into the Whyte & Mackay blend. In 1966, four additional stills were added, for a total of 8 stills. The existing stills are converted to steam heating at the same time. The Saladin box is taken out of production in 1982. In 1990, American Brands buys Dalmore-Whyte & Mackay, leading to a change in name in 1996. From them on, the distillery is operating under the name of Jim Beam Brands (JBB). In 2001, Fortune Brands (owner of Jim Beam) sells JBB, and the name of the company owning Dalmore is changed to Kyndal Spirits, and in 2002, it changes back to Whyte & Mackay Ltd.
In 2004, a visitor centre is opened. Whyte & Mackay Ltd is taken over in 2007 by United Spirits, a company from India led by Vijay Mallya. Through the acquisition, they also became owners of Old Fettercairn, Isle of Jura, and Tamnavulin.
In 2014, Philippines-based Emperador Inc. (part of the Alliance Global Group) completed a GBP 430 million acquisition of Whyte & Mackay from United Spirits/Diageo, and remains the parent company today.
The stills
The stills at Dalmore are quite special. Its wash stills are flat-topped, with a lyne arm projecting from the body of the still rather than the usual swan neck. The spirit stills are all different shaped and sized, with one being twice the size as the others, and are fitted with external water jackets around their necks, a distinctive cooling method used to increase reflux and produce a lighter style of spirit. Two of the stills used today are actually stills that were installed in 1874.
The Dalmore whiskies
Richard “The Nose” Paterson joined Whyte & Mackay in 1970 and became the company’s master blender in 1975, shaping Dalmore’s whisky for close to five decades. He stepped back from the role in 2021, handing the Master Distiller title to Gregg Glass, who joined Whyte & Mackay in 2016. Paterson remains involved with Dalmore in an advisory capacity.
The spirit produced at Dalmore is matured in both American and European oak casks. Additionally, Dalmore sources several other casks (port, wine) for finishing.
Their core range consists of:
- The Dalmore 12; matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks for 9 years, with half then maturing further in bourbon oak, and the other half transferred to Sherry butts
- The Dalmore 12 Sherry Cask Select; Finished in Sherry casks, both Oloroso and Pedo Ximénez
- The Dalmore 15; matured in American oak for 12 years, then 3 years in 3 different Oloroso Sherry casks; Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem
- The Dalmore 17; Finished in Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem casks
- The Dalmore 18; Matured for 14 years in American ex-Bourbon casks, and then spending 4 years in Matusalem Oloroso Sherry casks
- The Dalmore 21; An annual limited edition, finished in 30 year old Matusalem Oloroso Sherry casks
- Cigar Malt Reserve; matured in a combination of American white Oak ex-Bourbon casks, Matusalem Sherry butts, and premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques
- King Alexander III; Matured in 6 different casks; Bourbon, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Port and Cabernet Sauvignon
- Porft Woord Reserve; Matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon, and finished in Tawny Port pipes
Salmon rivers whisky series
Another range released in 2011 celebrates Scotland’s famous Salmon rivers. Parts of the sales of these whiskies will be donated to a conservation fund to protect the ecosystems of these rivers.
- Tweed Dram
- Spey Dram
- Dee Dram
- Tay Dram
Limited editions
- Trinitas; 64 Years Old, containing whiskies dating back to 1868, 1878, 1926 and 1939. 3 bottles were released, one of which was bought for over 100,000 USD, setting a record at the time
- Eos; 59 Years Old, filled from casks 1781 and 1782, distilled in June 1951, bottled in 2010
- Selene; 58 Years Old; also filled from casks 1781 and 1782. Bottled in 2009
- Candela; 50 Years Old. Containing whisky distilled in 1868, 1878, 1909, 1922, 1939 and 1951
- Aurora; 45 Years Old
- The 1978 ; First matured for 29 years in American white oak, followed by 2 years in Matusalem Sherry casks; limited to 477 bottles
- The 1979 ; First matured for 29 years in American white oak, followed by 2 years in Matusalem Sherry casks; limited to 487 bottles
- The 1981 Matusalem; matured in American oak for 22 years, followed by 6 years in Matusalem Sherry butts. Limited to 497 bottles
- The 1981 Amoroso; matured in American oak for 26 years, followed by a short period in Amoroso Sherry butts. Limited to 484 bottles
- Castle Leod; matured in American oak, followed by Spanish Sherry, and finished in Bordeaux barriques
- The Mackenzie; Matured in American oak for 11 years, then 6 years in Oporto Port pipes.
- Astrum; 40 Years Old. Distilled on December 31st 1966, matured in American oak, followed by 18 months in Matusalem Sherry butts
- Gran Reserva; matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon (one third) and ex-Sherry (two thirds), which is married and then finished for 6 months in Sherry. A combination of 10 to 15 year old whiskies
- Cromatrie; Matured in American oak, followed by Oloroso Sherry. Distilled in 1996.
- Ceti; 30 Years Old. Matured for 23 years in American oak, followed by 7 years in Oloroso Sherry butts.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Dalmore |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1839 |
| Water source | River Averon, Alness |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Whyte & Mackay Ltd. |
| Address |
Dalmore Distillery |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.thedalmore.com/ |
| https://www.twitter.com/dalmorewhisky | |
| https://www.facebook.com/thedalmore | |
| https://www.instagram.com/thedalmore/ | |
| YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/user/DalmoreWhisky |
| Community | The Dalmore Guild |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 9.2 tonnes | 1 (Semi-Lauter) |
| Washback | 49,500 litres | 8 (Oregon Pine) |
| Wash still | 3 * 13,411 / 1 * 30,000 litres | 4 |
| Spirit Still | 3 * 8,865 / 1 * 19,548 litres | 4 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 4,200,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Dalmore is Gaelic for “Big meadow”. The distillery was established in 1839 by Alexander Matheson, a partner in a Hong Kong-based trading company, who leased it to the Sunderland family, on the site of the former Ardross farm on the northern shores of the Firth of Cromarty, just north of Inverness.
Yes. In 1850, the distillery was run by Mrs Margaret Sutherland, at a time when female distillers were, and still are, quite rare. By 1867, running the distillery had passed to Robert Pattison and brothers Alexander, Andrew and Charles Mackenzie.
Yes. In 1870, Dalmore became the first malt whisky ever exported outside Scotland, travelling as far as Australia. In 1874, the number of stills doubled from two to four, an exceptional feat at a time when most distilleries had only two.
One of the Mackenzie brothers’ ancestors saved King Alexander III of Scotland from a stag about to gore him during a hunting trip in 1263. In gratitude, the King allowed Clan Mackenzie to use a twelve-point stag as their coat of arms, the same stag displayed on every bottle of Dalmore whisky. The Clan Mackenzie slogan, “Luceo non Uro” (“I shine, not burn”), has also been used in the branding.
During the First World War, Dalmore closed and its buildings were used by the Royal Navy to assemble American sea mines. When the Navy left in 1920, the distillery was nearly in ruins after an explosion and fire, and the legal battle over compensation dragged on for years, eventually reaching the House of Lords. A pier built for the Navy during this period, known as “Yankee Pier”, still stands today. Production resumed in 1922.
Mackenzie Brothers (Dalmore) Ltd merged with longtime customer Whyte & Mackay Ltd in 1960 to form Dalmore-Whyte & Mackay Ltd, with most of Dalmore’s output going into the Whyte & Mackay blend. American Brands bought the company in 1990, renaming it Jim Beam Brands (JBB) in 1996. Fortune Brands, Jim Beam’s owner, sold JBB in 2001, and the company became Kyndal Spirits before reverting to Whyte & Mackay Ltd in 2002. United Spirits, an Indian company led by Vijay Mallya, took over Whyte & Mackay in 2007, also gaining ownership of Old Fettercairn, Isle of Jura, and Tamnavulin in the process. In 2014, Philippines-based Emperador Inc completed a 430 million GBP acquisition of Whyte & Mackay, and remains the parent company today.
Dalmore’s wash stills are flat-topped, with a lyne arm projecting from the body of the still rather than the usual swan neck. Its spirit stills are all different shapes and sizes, one twice the size of the others, and are fitted with external water jackets around their necks, a distinctive cooling method that increases reflux and produces a lighter style of spirit. Two of the stills in use today were actually installed back in 1874.
Richard Paterson joined Whyte & Mackay in 1970 and became the company’s master blender in 1975, shaping Dalmore’s whisky for close to five decades. He stepped back from the role in 2021, handing the Master Distiller title to Gregg Glass, who had joined Whyte & Mackay in 2016, though Paterson remains involved with Dalmore in an advisory capacity.
The core range includes The Dalmore 12, matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks for 9 years before splitting between further bourbon oak and Sherry butts; the 12 Sherry Cask Select, finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks; the 15, matured for 12 years in American oak then 3 years split across Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem Oloroso Sherry casks; the 17, finished in those same three Sherry cask types; the 18, matured 14 years in ex-Bourbon casks then 4 years in Matusalem Oloroso Sherry; the 21, an annual limited edition finished in 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso Sherry casks; Cigar Malt Reserve, matured across ex-Bourbon casks, Matusalem Sherry butts and premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon barriques; King Alexander III, matured across six cask types including Bourbon, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Port and Cabernet Sauvignon; and Port Wood Reserve, matured in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Tawny Port pipes.
Released in 2011, the Salmon Rivers series celebrates Scotland’s famous salmon rivers with four expressions, the Tweed Dram, Spey Dram, Dee Dram and Tay Dram, with part of the proceeds donated to a conservation fund protecting the ecosystems of those rivers.
Trinitas is a 64 Year Old limited release containing whiskies dating back to 1868, 1878, 1926 and 1939. Only three bottles were ever released, one of which sold for over 100,000 USD, setting a record at the time.
Yes. Dalmore’s visitor centre opened in 2004.