Aultmore distillery information
The Aultmore distillery was established in 1895 by Alexander Edward of Sanquhar, Forres. It is located just north of Keith on the road to Buckie in the heart of the Speyside whisky region. The site, also known as “Foggie Moss”, has an abundance of water springs, and contained lots of peat. The name Aultmore itself translates into “Big burn”, a name derived from a nearby stream; the Burn of Auchinderran. Edward had earlier inherited the Benrinnes distillery, and was a major stakeholder in the consortium that built the nearby Craigellachie distillery.
Production started in 1897, and the spirit produced proved so popular that a year later, capacity was doubled, and electricity was installed. Edward bought the Oban distillery in 1898, and Aultmore was transferred to Oban and Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. A year later, the Pattison crash hit, leading to the closure of a large amount of distilleries. Aultmore barely survived, initially closing down, then reopening in 1904, but with production drastically cut. The distillery struggled on, closing down again while World War 1 raged, and finally was put up for sale in 1923.
New owners
John Dewar & Sons Ltd. bought it for a price of 20,000 pounds. Dewar & Sons joined Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) in 1925, who licensed Aultmore to John & Robert Harvey & Co. In 1930, DCL transferred their distilleries to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD). SMD started experimenting at both Autlmore and Imperial Distillery in the 1950s using the remainders of the barley used in the distillation process as well as pot ale (spirits left over after the distillation run) as cattle feed. This turned out to be a great success, and is at this time standard practice for whisky distilleries.
In 1967, the stills were converted to steam heating, and a year later, in 1968 the malting floor was closed. The original steam engine powering the distillery was replaced in 1969. Between 1970 and 1971 the distillery was rebuilt and expanded, with the amount of stills doubling from two to four. Shortly after, Aultmore was sold to United Distillers (who would later become Diageo). In 1998, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Diageo to sell Dewar’s, citing competition concerns. Bacardi ended up buying Dewar’s, and Aultmore is once again run by John Dewar’s & Sons Ltd. since then.
Aultmore Whiskies
Almost all whisky produced at Aultmore is used in blends, primarily Dewar’s White Label. Few official bottles exist, though Baracdi is planning on releasing some new expressions:
- Flora and Fauna (Released in 1991)
- 21 Year Old Rare Malts (released in 1996)
- 12 Year Old
- 21 Year Old (Travel retail only, planned)
- 25 Year Old (planned)
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Aultmore |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Water source | Burn of Auchinderran |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Bacardi |
| Address |
John Dewar & Sons Ltd |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 10 tonnes | 1 (Stainless Steel) |
| Washback | 46,500 litres | 6 (Larch) |
| Wash still | 15,500 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 15,500 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,900,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Aultmore translates to “Big burn”, a name derived from a nearby stream, the Burn of Auchinderran. The distillery sits on a site also known as “Foggie Moss”, just north of Keith on the road to Buckie, in the heart of the Speyside whisky region, chosen for its abundant water springs and peat.
Aultmore was established in 1895 by Alexander Edward of Sanquhar, Forres. Edward had earlier inherited the Benrinnes distillery and was a major stakeholder in the consortium that built the nearby Craigellachie distillery. He also bought the Oban distillery in 1898, transferring Aultmore to Oban and Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd.
Barely. Production started in 1897 and proved popular enough that capacity was doubled and electricity installed within a year. But the Pattison crash hit in 1899, closing large numbers of distilleries. Aultmore initially closed too, reopening in 1904 with drastically reduced production, then closed again during the First World War before being put up for sale in 1923.
John Dewar & Sons Ltd bought Aultmore for 20,000 pounds in 1923. Dewar & Sons joined Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) in 1925, and the distillery was later sold to United Distillers, which became Diageo. In 1998, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Diageo to sell Dewar’s over competition concerns; Bacardi bought the brand, and Aultmore has been run by John Dewar & Sons Ltd again ever since.
Scottish Malt Distillers experimented at both Aultmore and the Imperial Distillery in the 1950s, using leftover barley from the distillation process and pot ale, the spirit residue from the distillation run, as cattle feed. The experiment succeeded and is now standard practice across the whisky industry.
Almost all whisky produced at Aultmore goes into blends, primarily Dewar’s White Label. Few official single malt bottlings exist, though a Flora and Fauna release came out in 1991 and a 21 Year Old Rare Malts in 1996, alongside a current 12 Year Old, with a travel-retail 21 Year Old and a 25 Year Old planned.
No, Aultmore does not have a visitor centre.