Balblair
One of the prettiest distilleries.
Glen Flagler
Distillery & brand
Lowland malt distillery situated beside the Garnheath grain plant within Airdrie’s Moffat complex.
Glen Flagler distillery
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Lightly peated, soft and fruity with a ‘surprisingly Speyside character’, Glen Flagler’s spirit was designed to complement Garnheath’s grain whisky in Inver House Distiller’s blends, though it has also frequently appeared as a single malt. Its first appearances were as official 5-year-old, 8-year-old and NAS bottlings during the 1970s and ‘80s, before a 30-year-old was released in 2003. A handful of expressions were also bottled by Signatory during the 1990s.
Glen Flagler was also once released as a ‘Pure Malt’ (blended malt).
Glen Flagler History
Glen Flagler was one of several malt distilleries erected within grain distilling complexes during the 1950s/60s. It was founded in 1965 by Inver House Distillers – itself formed the preceding year by Philadelphia’s Publicker Industries – within the Moffat complex in Airdrie, also home to the vast Garnheath grain distillery.
The name Glen Flagler was not inspired by any Scottish glen, rather the distillery was named after Flagler Avenue in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Publicker’s owner, Simon Neuman, owned a home.
In its short 22-year life, the Moffat distilling complex was home to four or six copper pot stills (sources vary) that were technically divided into two Lowland malt distilleries, Glen Flagler and Killyloch, the latter of which also produced the heavily peated Islebrae single malt.
Glen Flagler’s malt was used for fillings for Inver House’s blends – Inver House, Mac Arthur’s and Pinwinnie, as well as bottling as an official single malt throughout the 1970s and early 80s.
Turmoil within Publicker Industries saw hard times hit Inver House Distillers, and production of Killyloch and Islebrae ceased during the 1970s. The company closed Glen Flagler in 1985, finally shutting down Garnheath the following year.
The site was demolished in 1988, although Moffat’s warehouses and blending and bottling facilities remain as Inver House Distillers’ headquarters.
Timeline
- 1964 Inver House Distillers is established by Publicker Industries. Work begins building the Garnheath, Glen Flagler and Killyloch distilleries at Airdrie
- 1965 Glen Flagler begins operation at the same time as Garnheath and Killyloch
- 1968 The Moffat Wanderhaufen box maltings is opened on a site adjacent to Garnheath and Glen Flagler
- Early 1970s Killyloch's stills are decommissioned
- 1970s Glen Flagler is released as a 5-year-old and 8-year-old single malt, as well as an NAS.
- 1978 The maltings is sold to Associated British Maltsters
- 1985 Glen Flagler's stills are shut down. The following year Garnheath ceases production also
- 1988 Glen Flagler and Garnheath's buildings are demolished
Owners
Parent company
- International Beverage Holdings 2006 - present
Current owner
- Inver House Distillers 1964 - present
Contact
- Address
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Glen Flagler Distillery
Moffat Complex
Roughrigg Road
Airdrie
North Lanarkshire
ML6 8NU
United Kingdom
Map