Auchroisk distillery information
Founded as recently as 1974, Auchroisk (“oth-rusk”, Gaelic for “the ford of the red stream”, which it takes from a nearby farm using the same name) was built by Justerini & Brooks (owned by Independent Distillers and Vintners (IDV)), the owners of the J. & B. blends. Intended to ensure sufficient amounts of whisky would be available for their blending purposes, the site of the distillery, west of Keith, was purchased in 1970 after extensive testing revealed a local spring, “Dorie’s well” to contain high quality water, that would produce the type of whisky J&B was after; a whisky with a light style, not much unlike that produced at Glen Spey, to be used in J. & B. Rare. Water from the site was taken to Glen Spey and distilled there to ensure this was the case. Satisfied, construction of the distillery then commenced in 1972. While the distillery was being built, IDV was taken over bfirst by Watney Mann, a brewery firm, and Watney Mann in turn was acquired by Grand Metropolitan within a year. In 1978, the first official bottling is released. From 1986 to 2001, the whisky produced would be sold under the name Singleton, though that name is now used for the whisky from other distilleries (Dufftown, Glendullan and Glen Ord). Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness to form United Distillers in 1997, eventually becoming Diageo. The site of the distillery is huge, with a lot of space taken up by massive warehouses capable of storing up to 265,000 casks from the other Diageo distilleries. In the entrance hall, there’s an old steam engine, which was preserved from the Strathmill distillery.Auchroisk Whiskies
Most whisky distilled at Auchroisk is used in blends, primarily J. & B. However, some official bottles exist:- Flora & Fauna; 10 Years Old (released around 2001)
- Rare Malts; 28 Years Old (released in 2003)
- Manager’s Choice; Single Cask. 9 Year Old. Limited to 642 bottles. Released in 2009
- 20 Years Old; limited edition. Released in 2010
- 30 Years Old; released in 2012
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Auchroisk |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Water source | Dorie's Well |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address | Mulben Keith Banffshire AB55 6XS Scotland +44 (0)1542 - 88 50 00 |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 11.5 tonnes | 1 (Stainless steel, semi-lauter) |
| Washback | 51,000 litres | 8 (Stainless Steel) |
| Wash still | 12,700 litres | 4 |
| Spirit Still | 7,900 litres | 4 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,800,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Auchroisk is pronounced “oth-rusk”. It’s Gaelic for “the ford of the red stream”, a name taken from a nearby farm.
Auchroisk was founded in 1974 by Justerini & Brooks, then owned by Independent Distillers and Vintners (IDV), the makers of the J. & B. blends. The site west of Keith was bought in 1970 after extensive testing found a local spring, Dorie’s Well, to hold high-quality water capable of producing a light-style whisky, similar to Glen Spey, suited to the J. & B. Rare blend. Water from the site was even taken to Glen Spey and test-distilled there before construction began in 1972.
While construction was underway, IDV was taken over by the brewery firm Watney Mann, which was itself acquired by Grand Metropolitan within a year. The first official Auchroisk bottling was released in 1978. Grand Metropolitan later merged with Guinness in 1997 to form United Distillers, which eventually became Diageo, the distillery’s current owner.
Yes. From 1986 to 2001, Auchroisk’s whisky was sold under the name Singleton. That name is now used for whisky from other distilleries instead, including Dufftown, Glendullan, and Glen Ord.
The site is huge, with warehouses capable of storing up to 265,000 casks, including whisky from other Diageo distilleries. Its entrance hall also displays an old steam engine, preserved from the Strathmill distillery.
Most whisky distilled at Auchroisk goes into blends, primarily J. & B. Official single malt bottlings do exist, though, including a Flora & Fauna 10 Year Old released around 2001, a Rare Malts 28 Year Old released in 2003, a single-cask Manager’s Choice 9 Year Old limited to 642 bottles in 2009, a limited-edition 20 Year Old in 2010, and a 30 Year Old released in 2012.
No, Auchroisk does not have a visitor centre.