Inchgower distillery information
Inchgower distillery was foudned in 1871 by Alexander Wilson and Company just outisde the coastal fishing port of Buckie in Bannfshire, Speyside. Wilson earlier owned the Tochineal distillery, but the distillery was too small to meet the demand for their whisky, and their landlord had unilaterally decided to double the rent. The equipment used in the new distillery came directly from the Tochineal distillery. The area outside Buckie was well-known for whisky smuggling in the past. Wilson & Company celebrated their centenary in 1922, and ran the distillery until 1936, when the company went into liquidation, and the distillery was purchased by the Buckie Town Counci for a sum of 1,600 GBPl. In 1938, Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd. bought the distillery from the Town Council for 4,000 GBP, and invested in an extensive rebuilding operation, changing the distillery to be steam-powered, rather than coal, as well as an extensive renovation of the warehouses. Inchgower actually was the second distillery owned by Bell; the first being Dufftown, which they bought in 1933. In 1966 the distillery was renovated, and the amount of stills was doubled from two to four. At the same time, the stills were converted to become steam heated. Bell’s was acquired by Guinness in 1985, with Guinness also absorbing Distillery Company Limited (DCL) to form United Distillers (UD) in 1987. UD eventually became Diageo when Guiness merged with Grand Metropolitan. Between 2006 and 2007, the distillery was refurbished, with the main addition being a new construction to automatically add yeast to the washbacks. 2011 saw the replacement of two washbacks, and further renovation was done in 2012. The warehouses at Inchgower can house some 60,000 casks.Inchgower Whiskies
99% of the whisky produced at Inchgowers will be used for blending, primarily in Bell’s, White Horse, and Johnnie Walker. Only a few official bottlings were ever released:- Flora & Fauna; 14 Years Old (released in 1991)
- Rare Malts; 22 Years Old (released in 1997)
- Rare Malts; 27 Years Old (released in 2003)
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Inchgower |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Water source | Menduff spring |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address | Burnside Croft Buckie Banffshire AB56 2AB Scotland +44 - (0) 1542 - 836700 |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 8.2 tonnes | 1 |
| Washback | 40,000 litres | 6 (Oregon pine) |
| Wash still | 13,500 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 8,185 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,900,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Inchgower was founded in 1871 by Alexander Wilson and Company just outside the coastal fishing port of Buckie in Banffshire, Speyside. Wilson had previously owned the Tochineal distillery, but it was too small to meet demand, and their landlord had unilaterally doubled the rent, so Wilson moved the equipment directly from Tochineal into the new site. The area around Buckie was well known for whisky smuggling in the past.
Alexander Wilson and Company celebrated its centenary in 1922 and ran the distillery until 1936, when the company went into liquidation. The distillery was purchased by Buckie Town Council for 1,600 GBP.
Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd bought Inchgower from the Town Council in 1938 for 4,000 GBP, investing in an extensive rebuild that converted it from coal to steam power along with a major renovation of the warehouses. Inchgower was actually Bell’s second distillery, after Dufftown, which they had bought in 1933.
Bell’s was acquired by Guinness in 1985, and Guinness went on to absorb Distillers Company Limited (DCL) in 1987 to form United Distillers (UD). UD eventually became Diageo when Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan.
Inchgower’s warehouses can hold around 60,000 casks.
About 99% of the whisky produced at Inchgower is used for blending, primarily in Bell’s, White Horse, and Johnnie Walker. Only a few official single malt bottlings have ever been released: a 14 Year Old Flora & Fauna in 1991, a 22 Year Old Rare Malts in 1997, and a 27 Year Old Rare Malts in 2003.
No, Inchgower does not have a visitor centre.