Glendronach Distillery Company
Operator of Glendronach Distillery near Huntly, which is itself owned by BenRiach Distillery Co.
Glendronach
Distillery & brand
Big, bold and most commonly Sherried, Glendronach is an old-style whisky which echoes the substantial Victorian buildings in which it is made.
Glendronach distillery
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Inside are a traditional rake and plough mash tun, wooden washbacks and four stills which were coal fired until 2005, the last in Scotland to be heated in this way. Today there is just a quiet susurration of steam in the stillhouse, but the oddly shaped wash still and the plain sides of the spirit still cut back on reflux, helping to build weight in the spirit.
These days, ex-Sherry casks are the distillery’s signature style. Some is 100% Sherry matured, some is started in ex-Bourbon casks to pick up vanilla sweetness before being racked into ex-Sherry.
Glendronach History
One of a trio of distilleries in the Garioch, Glendronach was founded in 1826 by a partnership of local farmers headed by James Allardice. Under his charismatic lead, it built a strong reputation (it was on sale in London soon after its foundation) but tragedy struck in 1837 when a fire virtually destroyed the distillery. The bad news continued when Allardice went bankrupt in 1842.
His promotional activities had however stood the whisky in good stead. Seeing its potential, Walter Scott (not the author) came forward in 1852, and rebuilt the distillery into its current condition. Its next most significant owner arrived in 1920, when Capt. Charles Grant, the youngest son of William Grant of Glenfiddich, bought it. It remained with the family for 40 years when it was sold to Wm Teacher & Sons. who added a second pair of stills in 1967.
It passed into the orbit of Allied Distillers in 1976, when that firm purchased the Teacher’s estate. In 1991, it was released as two 12-year-old expressions – one aged in ex-Bourbon, one in ex-Sherry – a real innovation for the time, but the brand never received any serious backing. Placed in mothballs between 1996 and 2002, it ended up with Pernod Ricard which sold it in 2008 to The BenRiach Distilling Co.
Since then, a new visitor’s centre has been opened and a new range of single malts has been released. It is fast becoming a favourite with Sherried malt lovers globally and has built a considerable following in Taiwan.
Glendronach was purchased by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey producer Brown-Forman in 2016 along with its acquisition of The BenRiach Distillery Company.
Timeline
- 1826 The distillery is founded by the Glendronach Distillery Co, a partnership of local farmers headed by James Allardice
- 1837 Fire strikes the building, virtually destroying it
- 1842 The company goes into administration
- 1852 Ex-Teaninich manager Walter Scott purchases Glendronach and rebuilds the distillery
- 1887 The distillery is purchased by a partnership from Leith
- 1916 Glendronach is bought by the Crown
- 1920 Having remained silent under government ownership, Glendronach is purchased by Captain Charles Grant and is reopened
- 1960 Glendronach, having remained in Grant family ownership for 40 years, is sold to William Teachers & Sons
- 1966 Two additional stills are installed, bringing Glendronach up to four
- 1976 Teachers becomes part of Allied Distillers
- 1991 A pair of Glendronach 12-year-olds are released
- 1996 The distillery is mothballed
- 2002 Production resumes
- 2005 Glendronach switches from coal fire heating to steam, becoming the last in Scotland to switch over
- 2008 Now owner Pernod Ricard sells the distillery to the BenRiach Company
- 2016 Glendronach is sold to US company Brown-Forman along with the rest of the BenRiach Distillery Company
Glendronach Facts
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- Capacity (mlpa) i
- 1.4
-
- Condenser Type i
- Standard condensers
-
- Fermentation Time i
- 60-96hrs
-
- Grist Weight (t) i
- 3.76
-
- Heat Source i
- Diesel, external heat exchangers
-
- Malt Specification i
- Optic and Concerto - less than 2ppm
-
- Malt Supplier i
- Port Gordon maltings
-
- Mash Tun Material i
- Cast iron body, copper dome
-
- Mash Tun Type i
- Conventional drainage
-
- New-make Phenol Level i
- Natural occurring phenol value
-
- New-make Strength i
- 69-70%
-
- Single Malt Percentage i
- 20%
-
- Spirit Still Charge (l) i
- 6,000
-
- Spirit Still Shape i
- Onion
-
- Spirit Still Size (l) i
- 9,000
-
- Stills i
- 4 (2 wash, 2 spirit)
-
- Warehousing i
- 6 warehouses (3 traditional dunnage and 3 rack warehouses)
-
- Wash Still Charge (l) i
- 9,000
-
- Wash Still Shape i
- Onion
-
- Wash Still Size (l) i
- 12,000
-
- Washback Size (l) i
- 18,000
-
- Washback Type i
- Wood
-
- Washbacks i
- 9
-
- Water Source i
- Balnoon Spring
-
- Wort Clarity i
- Bright
-
- Yeast Type i
- Mauri liquide yeast
Owners
Parent company
- The BenRiach Distillery Company 2008 - present
Current owner
Previous owners
- Pernod Ricard 2005 - 2008
- Allied Domecq 1994 - 2005
- Allied Lyons 1978 - 1994
- Allied Breweries 1976 - 1978
- William Teacher & Sons 1960 - 1976
- Captain Charles Grant 1920 - 1960
- Government ownership 1916 - 1920
- John Somerville & Co 1887 - 1916
- Walter Scott 1852 - 1887
- James Allardice 1826 - 1842
Contact
- Address
-
Glendronach Distillery
Forgue by Huntley
Aberdeenshire
AB54 6DB
United Kingdom - Phone
- +44 1466 730202
- Visitor Opening Hours
-
- Monday
- 10am to 4.30pm
- Tuesday
- 10am to 4.30pm
- Wednesday
- 10am to 4.30pm
- Thursday
- 10am to 4.30pm
- Friday
- 10am to 4.30pm
- Saturday
- 10am to 4.30pm (May-Sept)
- Sunday
- 10am to 4.30pm (May-Sept)
Map
See also
-
Distiller
-
Distillery
Drumin
All that’s left of the precursor to The Glenlivet is a small marker bearing its founder’s name.