Auchroisk
One of Diageo’s ‘nutty-spicy’ sites.
Knockando
Distillery & brand
Another of the railway distilleries, Knockando was built in 1898.
Knockando distillery
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Knockando is fairly typical of the style of the period when blenders were looking for lighter styles from the region. Its production – rapid mashing, short fermentation and quick distillation – is designed to produce a light nutty/malty character.
Knockando History
The distillery was built during the last of the three phases of distillery construction in the 19th century by John Thompson & Co, but like many built at this time, the distillery struggled and was bought by W & A Gilbey in 1904 for £3,500 as part of the London-based gin distiller’s expansion into whisky blending (it had bought Glen Spey in 1885 and Strathmill in 1895).
It then became part of IDV in 1962 which transferred the licence to its Justerini & Brooks whisky division. It has served as the ‘home’ of the J&B blend ever since. Following IDV’s merger with United Distillers it became part of Diageo.
Although it remains a central player within J&B, Knockando has some pedigree as a single malt, mainly at 12-years-old, and was unusual in its habit of stating both the season and years of distillation and bottling date. It remains a good seller in France and some line extensions have been added in recent years.
Timeline
- 1898 Knockando distillery is founded by John Thompson, who enlists the famed Charles Doig to build it
- 1899 The distillery begins production
- 1900 Just one year after production starts the distillery closes, and its management taken over by J. Thompson & Co
- 1904 Knockando is purchased by W & A Gilbey – their third Scotch distillery acquisition – who restarts distillation
- 1962 The distillery remains in W & A Gilbey's hands until it merges with United Wine Traders to form IDV
- 1968 Knockando's floor maltings are abandoned; the next year its stills are doubled to four
- 1972 IDV becomes a part of Grand Metropolitan
- 1997 Grand Metropolitan merges with Guinness to form Diageo
Knockando Facts
-
- Condenser Type i
- Shell and tube
-
- Fermentation Time i
- 48hrs
-
- Filling Strength i
- 63.5%
-
- Grist Weight (t) i
- 4.44
-
- Heat Source i
- Steam
-
- Malt Specification i
- Lightly peated
-
- Malt Supplier i
- Mainly in house
-
- Mash Tun Type i
- Lauter
-
- New-make Phenol Level i
- Lightly peaty
-
- New-make Strength i
- 71-72%
-
- Spirit Still Charge (l) i
- 6,930
-
- Spirit Still Shape i
- Ball
-
- Stills i
- 4
-
- Wash Still Charge (l) i
- 10,000
-
- Wash Still Shape i
- Lamp glass
-
- Washback Type i
- Wood
-
- Washbacks i
- 8
-
- Water Source i
- Cardnach Spring
-
- Wort Clarity i
- Cloudy
-
- Yeast Type i
- Creamed
Owners
Current owner
- Diageo 1997 - present
Previous owners
- Grand Metropolitan 1972 - 1997
- International Distillers & Vintners 1962 - 1972
- W&A Gilbey 1904 - 1962
- J Thompson & Co 1900 - 1904
- John Thompson 1898 - 1900
Contact
- Address
-
Knockando Distillery
Knockando
Moray
AB38 7RT
United Kingdom - Phone
- +44 1479 847660
- Visitor Opening Hours
- Not open to the public
Map
See also
-
Distillery & brand