Glenallachie distillery information
The Glenallachie distillery was built in 1967 just South of the town of Abelour, on the foot of Ben Rinnes in Bannfshire in the Speyside region by Mackinlay-Macpherson (a subsidiary of Scottush & Newcastle Breweries at the time). The original intention was to use the whisky produced at Glenallachie in tge Mackinlay blend (one of the 5 best-selling blends in the United Kingdom at the time). The distillery was designed by William Delmé-Evans, (who is sometimes referred to as the “modern day Charles Doig“, as he designed several distilleries, including Tullibardine and Jura), and James Barclay. In 1985, Gelnallachie and Jura were purchased by Invergordon Distillers, who mothballed the distillery in 1987. In 1989, Glenallachie was bought by Campbell Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, who reopened the distillery with an additional pair of stills in the same year. The distillery was transferred to Chivas Brothers (the subsidiary of Pernod Ricard holding their distilleries) in 2001. The distillery is equipped with a reactor that allows it to cool down the waste water so it can be released without too much impact on the wildlife in 2009. The name Glenallachie can be translated from the Gaelic “Gleann Aleachaidh” to “The Glen of the rocky place”.Glenallachie Whiskies
Most of the spirits distilled at Glenallachie are used for the Chivas blends (Chivas Regal, Clan Campbell). There have been 2 official bottlings released:- 16 Years Old; matured in ex-Sherry wood (released in 2005)
- 18 Years Old (released in 2008)
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Glenallachie |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Water source | Black Stank / Hans Hand springs |
| Malting floor | N0 |
| Owned by | Pernod Ricard |
| Address | Glenallachie Distillery Aberlour Moray AB38 9LR United Kingdom +44 (0) 1340 871315 |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 9.2 tonnes | 1 (Semi-Lauter) |
| Washback | 60,000 litres | 6 (Stainless steel) |
| Wash still | 23,000 litres | 2 (lantern shaped) |
| Spirit Still | 16,000 litres | 2 (onion shaped) |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,800,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Glenallachie comes from the Gaelic “Gleann Aleachaidh”, meaning “The Glen of the rocky place”. The distillery was built in 1967 just south of Aberlour, at the foot of Ben Rinnes in Banffshire, in the Speyside region.
Glenallachie was built by Mackinlay-Macpherson, then a subsidiary of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, with the original intention of using the whisky in the Mackinlay blend, one of the five best-selling blends in the UK at the time. It was designed by William Delme-Evans, sometimes called the “modern day Charles Doig” for having designed several distilleries including Tullibardine and Jura, along with James Barclay.
Yes. Invergordon Distillers bought Glenallachie and Jura in 1985 and mothballed Glenallachie in 1987. Campbell Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, bought and reopened the distillery in 1989, adding an extra pair of stills the same year. The distillery was transferred to Pernod Ricard’s Chivas Brothers subsidiary in 2001.
In October 2017, industry veteran Billy Walker, together with Graham Stevenson and Trisha Savage, bought Glenallachie from Chivas Brothers, making it one of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed distilleries.
In 2009, Glenallachie was equipped with a reactor that cools down waste water before it’s released, reducing the impact on local wildlife.
Historically, most of the spirit distilled at Glenallachie went into Chivas blends such as Chivas Regal and Clan Campbell. Under Chivas ownership, only two official single malt bottlings were released: a 16 Year Old matured in ex-Sherry wood in 2005, and an 18 Year Old in 2008.
No, Glenallachie does not have a visitor centre.