Mannochmore distillery information
The Mannochmore distillery was built by Scottish Malt Distillers, or SMD and licensed to John Haig & Co. in 1971 directly next to the Glenlossie distillery. Both distilleries are located in Thomshill, two miles south of Elgin, in the heart of the Speyside. When it was established, Mannochmore was mostly intended to provide filler whisky for the blending of Haig whisky. The distillery is constructed in a style typical of the 1960s and 1970s called the “Waterloo street style”, where efficiency is key. The same style was used when the Coal Ila distillery was rebuilt in 1972. The distillery was closed in 1985, and remained closed until 1989. In 1992, the first official bottlings were released, followed in 1996 by the infamous “Loch Dhu”, nicknamed “The black whisky” due to its extremely dark color, which was obtained by maturing the whisky in double charred barrels, and quite some added caramel color. While it originally did not receive a favorable reception (except for in Denmark), it nowadays is sort of a cult whisky, with bottles of Loch Dhu (“The black lake”) increasingly harder to find. In 1999, Mannochmore was transferred to United Distillers & Vintners Ltd. (UDV), who moved it to Diageo plc in 2004.Mannochmore Whiskies
Most whisky distilled is still headed for Haig blends, but a few official bottlings have been released:- Flora and Fauna, 12 Year Old (circa 1990)
- Loch Dhu (1996 – 1997)
- Rare Malt, 21 Year Old (1997)
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Mannochmore |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Water source | The Bardon Burn |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address | Mannochmore Thomshill Elgin, Moray IV30 3SF Scotland +44 (0)1343 - 86 20 00 |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 11.5 tonnes | 1 (Cast iron, Full lauter) |
| Washback | 55,000 litres | 8 (Larch) |
| Wash still | 3 litres | 14,400 |
| Spirit Still | 3 litres | 17,000 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,200,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Mannochmore was built by Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD) and licensed to John Haig & Co. in 1971, directly next to the Glenlossie distillery. Both sit in Thomshill, two miles south of Elgin, in the heart of Speyside. Mannochmore was set up mainly to provide filler whisky for blending into Haig whisky.
Mannochmore was built in a style typical of the 1960s and 1970s known as “Waterloo street style”, where efficiency was the priority. The same style was used when the Caol Ila distillery was rebuilt in 1972.
Yes. The distillery closed in 1985 and remained shut until 1989. The first official bottlings followed in 1992.
Loch Dhu, meaning “the black lake”, was released in 1996 and earned its nickname from its extremely dark colour, achieved by maturing the whisky in double-charred barrels along with a generous amount of added caramel colouring. It wasn’t well received at first, except in Denmark, but has since become something of a cult whisky, with bottles growing increasingly hard to find.
Mannochmore was transferred to United Distillers & Vintners Ltd (UDV) in 1999, before moving to Diageo plc in 2004.
Most whisky distilled at Mannochmore still goes into Haig blends. A handful of official bottlings have been released, though, including a Flora and Fauna 12 Year Old around 1990, the Loch Dhu release between 1996 and 1997, and a Rare Malt 21 Year Old in 1997.
No, Mannochmore does not have a visitor centre.