Glen Moray distillery information
The Glen Moray distillery was founded by The Glen Moray Glenlivet Co. Ltd. in 1897, in a former brewery (The West brewery, which itself was established in 1828).The distillery is situated in a hollow on the bank of the River Lossie, to the west of Elgin, in the Speyside whisky region. The location was ideal, due to the high quality of the water there. It produced whisky until 1910, when it was closed. It briefly reopened in 1912, but was forced to close shortly after. It remained closed until 1920, when Glen Moray found itself in financial trouble, and the distillery was acquired by Macdonald & Muir (who already owned part of Glenmorangie). Production resumed in 1923, and for years, the distillery just quietly produced whisky (the one exception being the year 1932, when distilling was not done for unknown reasons). In 1958, the distillery was rebuilt, with the amount of stills doubling from two to four, and the malting floor was replaced with a Saladin box. In 1971, the stills were converted to use steam heating. 1976 marked the year where the first Glen Moray became available as single malt, though it was not heavily marketed as such. The Saladin box was decommissioned in 1978, marking the end of malting on the premises. Two old stills were replaced in 1992. In 1996 Macdonald & Muir Ltd changed names to Glenmorangie plc, and in 1999, following the example of Glenmorangie, Glen Moray starts experimenting with different wood finishes (Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc). In 2004, Louis Vutton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) acquired Glenmorangie plc, and thus Glen Moray. A visitor centre is built in the same year. With LVHM’s focus on exclusive brands, Glen Moray started being neglected more, until it was purchased by La Martiniquaise (who produce the blend Whisky Label 5) in October 2008. In 2012, an extra pair of stills was added. The grounds the distillery lies on, used to also contain the site of Elgin’s gallows, Gallowcrook Hill.Glen Moray Whiskies
Until 1976, most of the spirit produced was reserved for blends, particularly Highland Queen. According to their website, at this moment, ex-Bourbon casks are exclusively used, though for finishing, different casks are used. The current core range consists of:- Classic
- Classic Port Cask
- 10 Year Old Chardonnay Cask
- 12 Year Old
- 16 Year Old
- 25 Year Old Port Wood Finish
- 30 Year Old
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Glen Moray |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Water source | River Lossie |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | La Martiniquaise |
| Address | Glen Moray Distillery Bruceland Rd Elgin, Morayshire IV30 1YE United Kingdom +44 (0) 1343 550900 |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | http://www.glenmoray.com/ |
| https://twitter.com/GlenMorayDist | |
| https://www.facebook.com/GlenMorayDistillery | |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 7.5 tonnes | 1 (Stainless Steel, Semi-Lauter) |
| Washback | 39,600 litres | 5 (Stainless steel) |
| Wash still | 10,000 litres | 3 |
| Spirit Still | 6,000 litres | 3 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,300,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Glen Moray was founded in 1897 by The Glen Moray Glenlivet Co. Ltd, in a former brewery, the West Brewery, itself established in 1828. It sits in a hollow on the bank of the River Lossie, to the west of Elgin in the Speyside whisky region, chosen for the high quality of the local water.
Yes. The distillery closed in 1910, briefly reopened in 1912, then closed again shortly after and remained shut until 1920, when Glen Moray ran into financial trouble and was acquired by Macdonald & Muir, which already owned part of Glenmorangie. Production resumed in 1923, with only 1932 standing out as a year with no distilling, for reasons that remain unknown.
Until 1976, most of the spirit produced was reserved for blends, particularly Highland Queen. The first Glen Moray single malt became available that year, though it wasn’t heavily marketed as such at the time.
Macdonald & Muir Ltd, Glen Moray’s owner since 1920, changed its name to Glenmorangie plc in 1996. In 1999, following Glenmorangie’s example, Glen Moray began experimenting with different wood finishes, including Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc casks.
LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) acquired Glenmorangie plc, and with it Glen Moray, in 2004, the same year a visitor centre was built at the distillery. With LVMH’s focus on more exclusive brands, Glen Moray became increasingly neglected until it was sold to La Martiniquaise, producer of the Label 5 blend, in October 2008.
Yes. The grounds Glen Moray sits on once also contained the site of Elgin’s gallows, on what’s known as Gallowcrook Hill.
The current core range includes Classic, Classic Port Cask, a 10 Year Old Chardonnay Cask, a 12 Year Old, a 16 Year Old, a 25 Year Old Port Wood Finish, and a 30 Year Old. Ex-Bourbon casks are used exclusively for maturation, with a variety of cask types used for finishing.
Yes, Glen Moray has a visitor centre, built in 2004.