Dalwhinnie distillery information
The Dalwhinnie distillery started under the name Strathspey when it was founded in 1897 by a consortium of John Grant, Alex Mackenzie (who designed the distillery) and George Sellar, using the name Strathspey Distillery Co. Ltd. The location, close to the geographical centre of the Highlands was picked for its water supply; Lochan an Doire Uaine (which roughly translates into “Loch of the green thicket”), and an abundance of peat in the nearby moors.
It’s a remote site, high up in the Drumochter Hills, yet it was accessible due to the nearby Great North Road (connecting the Speyside to the Lowlands in the South), meeting a west-bound road, as well as the availability of a railway.
Production commenced in 1898, but the young company soon found itself in financial trouble and went into voluntary liquidation. AP Blyth purchased the distillery, renaming it Dalwhinnie (which translates into “The meeting place”). Famous distillery architect Charles Doig was hired to improve the distillery, and in 1905, it was sold on an auction with American distillers Cook & Bernbeimer making the highest bid (paying only 1,250 British Pounds). When the prohibition started in the United States, in 1919 Cook & Bernbeimer sold the distillery to Macdonald Greenlees; blenders from Leith.
Macdonald Greenless was absorbed by The Distillers Company (DCL) in 1926, and Dalwhinnie was transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD) in 1930. A fire destroyed large parts of the distillery in February 1934. The same year, electricity finally was brought to the remote village of Dalwhinnie, which until then had to rely on parafin lamps for lighting. Reconstruction lasted until 1938, when the stills once again were fired up. World War 2 led to restricted availability of barley, with Dalwhinnie closing until the war was over.
In 1961, the stills are converted to steam heating (using a coal boiler), and in 1968 the malting floors are closed. In 1972, the coal boiler is replaced with an oil boiler. 1979 sees the malt barns converted into warehouses, and the closure of the private railway. In 1986, the distillery is completely refurbished, with the worm tubs replaced with shell- and tube condensers (previously used at the Bannf distillery). Around 1988, United Distillers (successors to SMD) pick Dalwhinnie as the Highland style representation in their Classic Malts series (Along with Cragganmore, Glenkinchie, Lagavulin, Oban and Talisker), putting the brand on the map as a single malt. Until then, most of the whisky produced found its way into blends, particularly Buchanan. The increased attention leads to a visitor centre opening in 1992.
Another reconstruction followed between 1992 and 1995, with the distillery closing during that period. At the end of the reconstruction, the worm tubs were back, as the switch to the condensers had too great of an affect on the end product.
In recent years, Dalwhinnie has moved to a seven-day production schedule, running around 15 mashes a week against a potential annual output of roughly 2,200,000 litres of pure alcohol, well above the distillery’s earlier single-shift capacity.
Dalwhinnie sits at about 352m above sea-level, a comparable elevation to Braeval, which opened in the 1970s at roughly 355 metres. The distillery experiences a notably cold climate, and is home to a meteorological weather station where daily readings are collected.
Dalwhinnie whiskies
Since it’s introduction to the Classic Malts, several expressions of Dalwhinnie have been released:
- 15 Year Old
- Winter’s Gold
- Distillers Edition, finished in Oloroso Sherry casks
Special Releases:
- 36 Years Old (released in 2002)
- 29 Years Old (released in 2003)
- 20 Years Old (released in 2006)
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Dalwhinnie |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Water source | Lochan an Doire Uaine |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address |
Dalwhinnie Distillery |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/dalwhinnie/ |
| Community | Friends of Classic Malts |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 7.3 tonnes | 1 (Full lauter |
| Washback | 32,000 litres | 6 (1 Oregon pine, 5 Siberian Larch) |
| Wash still | 17,500 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 16,200 litres | 1 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,200,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Dalwhinnie was founded in 1897 as the Strathspey Distillery Co. Ltd, by a consortium of John Grant, Alex Mackenzie, who designed the distillery, and George Sellar. The site, close to the geographical centre of the Highlands, was chosen for its water supply, Lochan an Doire Uaine, roughly “Loch of the green thicket”, and for the abundant peat in the nearby moors. Though remote, high in the Drumochter Hills, it was accessible via the Great North Road, connecting Speyside to the Lowlands, along with a railway link.
Production began in 1898, but the young company soon ran into financial trouble and went into voluntary liquidation. AP Blyth bought the distillery and renamed it Dalwhinnie, meaning “The meeting place”, bringing in architect Charles Doig to improve the site. It was sold at auction in 1905 to American distillers Cook & Bernheimer, for just 1,250 British pounds.
When Prohibition began in the United States, Cook & Bernheimer sold Dalwhinnie in 1919 to Macdonald Greenlees, blenders from Leith. Macdonald Greenlees was absorbed by the Distillers Company (DCL) in 1926, and Dalwhinnie transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD) in 1930, eventually passing to United Distillers and then Diageo.
Yes. A fire destroyed large parts of the distillery in February 1934, the same year electricity finally reached the remote village of Dalwhinnie, which until then relied on paraffin lamps. Reconstruction lasted until 1938, when the stills fired up again, only for the Second World War to force another closure due to restricted barley supplies.
A full refurbishment in 1986 replaced Dalwhinnie’s worm tubs with shell-and-tube condensers previously used at the Banff distillery. Around 1988, United Distillers picked Dalwhinnie to represent the Highland style in their Classic Malts series, alongside Cragganmore, Glenkinchie, Lagavulin, Oban and Talisker, putting it on the map as a single malt after years of mostly feeding blends, particularly Buchanan’s. A visitor centre followed in 1992. Another reconstruction between 1992 and 1995 closed the distillery again, and by the end of it the worm tubs were back, since the switch to condensers had too great an effect on the finished spirit.
In recent years, Dalwhinnie has moved to a seven-day production schedule, running around 15 mashes a week against a potential annual output of roughly 2,200,000 litres of pure alcohol, well above the distillery’s earlier single-shift capacity.
Dalwhinnie sits at about 352 metres above sea level, a comparable elevation to Braeval, which opened in the 1970s at roughly 355 metres. The distillery experiences a notably cold climate and is home to a meteorological weather station where daily readings are collected.
Since joining the Classic Malts, Dalwhinnie has released a 15 Year Old, Winter’s Gold, and a Distillers Edition finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, alongside Special Releases including a 36 Year Old in 2002, a 29 Year Old in 2003, and a 20 Year Old in 2006.
Yes, Dalwhinnie has a visitor centre, which opened in 1992.