Glen Garioch Distillery Information
Glen Garioch (pronounced “Geery”, to rhyme with cheery) in is the most easterly distillery in Scotland, found on the edge of the Highland region, 17 kilometers east from Aberdeen. It’s actually located in the valley of the Garioch, surrounded by lush fields hosting ample amounts of grain and barley (earning it the nickname “The granary of Aberdeenshire”) as well as an abundance of springs, so it seemed natural to establish a distillery here. In fact, the area once was home to six distilleries, but in the present day, only Glen Garioch survives. The Glengarioch (note how that was one word, rather than the modern spelling using a space between “Glen” and “Garioch”) distillery was establish in the town of Oldmeldrum by John and Alexander Manson in 1797, making it one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Originally the premises included a brewery and tannery, but they have long gone. In 1837, John Manson’s son (also named John Manson) joined the team. A year later John (the father) passed away. His son took over the business as well as control of the distillery. Close to 50 years after the founding of the distillery, Glen Garioch was sold to JG Thomson & Co., a firm dealing in win and spirits from Leith in 1884. 2 years later, they were joined by another gentleman from Leith; William Sanderson, who shortly before was appointed as managing director of the North British distillery in Edinburgh; at the time the largest distillery in the world. Sanderson had launched his own blend, V AT 69, in 1882, who was basing the blend around Glen Gariochs’ whisky. Sanderson died in 1908 and was succeeded by his son, William Mark, who had been acting as a partner in the form since 1982. Shortly after taking over the reigns, he started exporting overseas to Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Sweden, and from 1908 on also to the United States. Newly imposed taxes in the UK caused a drop of demand in Scottish whisky, but sales in the US allowed the distillery to remain open. The prohibition starting in 1920 caused a further dip in sales, and while many distillery owners were closing shop, William Mark Sanderson gambled that it would end sooner or later, and he purchased all shares in the Glen Garioch distillery. While his assumption was correct, Mark died in 1929 at the height of the great depression before seeing his bet pay off. His son Kenneth sold the distillery in 1933 to Booth’s Distilleries Ltd. The prohibition ended only 8 months later. Booth’s was taken over by the Distillers Company Limited (which would ultimately become Diageo), and later transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers(SMD) in 1943. War broke out in 1939, and while this initially meant a drop in production, in 1943/1944 the distillery was forced to shut down altogether. After the war production resumed, but due to grain being rationed, it took until the 1960s for production to climb back to pre-war levels. Water shortage caused it to be shut again in 1968, and SMD sold the distillery to Stanley P Morrisson (a whisky broker, as well as the owner of the Bowmore distillery) in 1970. Under his guidance, production resumed, and an alternative water source was discovered on a nearby farm, ensuring production could be increased ten-fold. The source could not be seen or heard, earning it the nickname “The Silent Spring”. In 1972, a third still was added, followed by a fourth one in 1973, when the majority of the distillery was rebuilt. In the same year, Glen Garioch was released as a single malt for the first time. When fuel costs increased sharply during the 1970s, an innovative waste-heat recovery system was installed, which, besides heating part of the distillery, also provided heat for large greenhouses added in 1977. The distillery soon after not only was known for its whisky, but also for its vegetables grown in these greenhouses. In 1984, Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd was taken over by the Japanese company Suntory. Suntory closed Glen Garioch in October 2005 and subsequently attempted to sell it. This failed, leading Suntory to reopen the distillery two years later. Currently, only 1 wash still remains, leading the Glen Garioch only actively using their biggest spirit still.Glen Garioch Whiskies
Glen Garioch’s core range is matured in American Oak ex-Bourbon and European Oak ex-Sherry casks, bottled at 48%, and consists of:- 1797 Founders Reserve
- 12 Years Old
- Vintage 1978; matured in Bourbon casks, and bottled in 2009 at 57.8% ABV
- Vintage 1986; matured in North American oak casks, bottled in 2011 at 54.6% ABV
- Vintage 1990; matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks. Bottled in 2009. 54.6% ABV
- Vintage 1991; matured in North American oak casks, bottled in 2010. 54.7% ABV
- Vintage 1994; matured in North American oak casks, bottled in 2011. 53.9% ABV
- Vintage 1995; matured in First Fill Bourbon casks. Bottled in 2012 at 55.3% ABV
- Vintage 1997. matured in Second Fill Bourbon casks. Bottled in 2012, at 56.7% ABV
- Vintage 1999; matured in Oloroso Sherry casks. Bottled in 2013, at 56.3% ABV
- Virgin Oak; matured in virgin American Oak, and bottled in 2013 at 48% (non-cask strength)
- 15 Years Old Renaissance, bottled in 2013 at 51.9% ABV
- 1998 Wine Cask matured. Bottled in 2014, at 48% ABV. Limited to 6,000 bottles
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Glen Garioch |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1797 |
| Water source | The Silent Spring of Coutens Farm |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Morrison Bowmore Distillers |
| Address | Glen Garioch Distillery, Distillery Road, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, AB51 0ES +44 (0) 1651 873450 |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | http://www.glengarioch.com/ |
| https://twitter.com/GlenGarioch1797 | |
| https://www.facebook.com/glengarioch | |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 4.4 tonnes | 1 Stainless Steel, full lauter |
| Washback | 22,5000 litres | 8 (Stainless steel) |
| Wash still | 25,000 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 11,000 + 12,000 litres | 2 (only the biggest one actively used) |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 1,000,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Glen Garioch is pronounced “Geery”, rhyming with “cheery”. It’s the most easterly distillery in Scotland, sitting on the edge of the Highland region about 17 kilometres east of Aberdeen, in the valley of the Garioch near Oldmeldrum. The area’s lush grain and barley fields earned it the nickname “The granary of Aberdeenshire”, and once supported six distilleries, though only Glen Garioch survives today.
Glen Garioch was founded in the town of Oldmeldrum in 1797 by John and Alexander Manson, making it one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. It was originally spelled Glengarioch, as one word, and its premises once also included a brewery and tannery, long since gone.
Glen Garioch was sold to JG Thomson & Co. of Leith in 1884. Two years later, William Sanderson joined the firm, shortly after being appointed managing director of the North British distillery in Edinburgh, then the largest distillery in the world. Sanderson had launched his own blend, VAT 69, in 1882, basing it around Glen Garioch’s whisky.
William Sanderson’s son, William Mark Sanderson, took over in 1908 and began exporting to Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and, from 1908, the United States. When Prohibition hit US sales in 1920 and many distillery owners closed shop, Mark gambled that Prohibition would eventually end and bought all remaining shares in Glen Garioch. He was right, but died in 1929 before seeing the bet pay off. His son Kenneth sold the distillery to Booth’s Distilleries Ltd in 1933, just eight months before Prohibition ended.
A water shortage forced Glen Garioch to close in 1968. Scottish Malt Distillers sold the distillery in 1970 to Stanley P. Morrison, a whisky broker who also owned Bowmore. Under his guidance, production resumed after an alternative water source was discovered on a nearby farm, one that could not be seen or heard flowing, earning it the nickname “The Silent Spring”.
When fuel costs rose sharply in the 1970s, Glen Garioch installed an innovative waste-heat recovery system that helped heat part of the distillery and, from 1977, large greenhouses built on site. The distillery became known not only for its whisky but also for the vegetables grown in those greenhouses.
Yes. Suntory, which had taken over Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd in 1984, closed Glen Garioch in October 2005 and attempted to sell it. When that failed, Suntory reopened the distillery two years later. Only one wash still remains active today, alongside the distillery’s larger spirit still.
The core range is matured in American Oak ex-Bourbon and European Oak ex-Sherry casks, bottled at 48%, and consists of the 1797 Founders Reserve and a 12 Year Old. A wide range of cask-strength vintage releases has also been bottled over the years, drawn from casks distilled between 1978 and 1999, alongside a non-cask-strength Virgin Oak release and a limited 1998 Wine Cask matured expression.
Yes, Glen Garioch has a visitor centre.