Auchroisk
One of Diageo’s ‘nutty-spicy’ sites.
Teaninich
Distillery & brand
An almost unique distillery in its absence of a mash tun, Teaninich is one of Diageo's giant workhorses, producing malt whisky for its range of blends.
Teaninich distillery
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
In 2000 a hammer mill and mash filter – the only one operational in a Scottish malt distillery – was installed at Teaninich. The use of the technology, which removes the need for a mash tun, was to produce ultra-clear wort, giving a clue as to the Teaninich distillery character: a fragrant exotic grassiness that brings to mind Japanese green tea and coumarin-rich bison grass. Fat stills also add a distinct oiliness to the texture while not blunting any of its penetrating acidity.
A 12-year-old is part of Diageo’s Flora & Fauna series and there are occasional releases from independent bottlers.
Teaninich History
Built in 1817, Teaninich was an early legal distillery, but as it was built by Napoleonic war hero and estate owner ‘Blind’ Captain Hugh Munro that’s no more than you would expect. He and his brother General John Munro were notable as being benign and caring landlords in a region which was brutally hit by the Highland Clearances [see Clynelish].
Another local man, John Ross, took the lease in 1869 and ran the site until 1895 when it was transferred to Elgin-based blenders Munro & Cameron. It was the trustees of the late Innes Cameron who sold Teaninich to DCL in 1933.
It has undergone regular expansion – larger stills were installed in 1946, before the pair were doubled in 1962. In 1970 a new distillery, Teaninch ‘A Side’, with six stills was built. The two parts ran simultaneously until 1984, when the original site (‘B Side’) was silenced.
The same thing is about to happen all over again. Teaninich’s capacity is due to double to 9m litres per annum and there are plans to build a separate 10m litres per annum distillery on the same site.
Timeline
- 1817 Captain Hugh Monroe founds Teaninich distillery on his estate
- 1831 The estate, and distillery, is sold to Munro's younger brother, John
- 1850 John Munro leases the distillery to Robert Pattison
- 1869 John Ross takes over the distillery
- 1895 Teaninich is leased to Elgin-based blenders Munro & Cameron, who buy the site three years later
- 1904 Robert Innes Cameron becomes sole owner
- 1933 Following his death the previous year, Cameron's estate sell the distillery to DCL
- 1970 A second distillery, Teaninich 'A Side' is built with six stills
- 1975 Teaninich gets a dark grain plant
- 1984 The original Teaninich distillery – the B Side – is mothballed
- 1992 Teaninich appears in the Flora & Fauna series as a 10-year-old
- 2000 A mash filter is fitted into the A Side
- 2013 Diageo unveils plans to spend £50m on building a second, separate distillery with 16 stills adjacent to Teaninich
- 2014 A further six stills and eight washbacks are installed
Teaninich Facts
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- Condenser Type i
- Shell and tube
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- Fermentation Time i
- Minimum 75hrs
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- Filling Strength i
- 63.5%
-
- Grist Weight (t) i
- 12
-
- Heat Source i
- Steam
-
- Malt Specification i
- Non peated
-
- Malt Supplier i
- Mainly in house
-
- Mash Tun Type i
- Mash filter
-
- New-make Phenol Level i
- Non peaty
-
- New-make Strength i
- 68-69%
-
- Spirit Still Charge (l) i
- 15,600
-
- Spirit Still Shape i
- Ball
-
- Stills i
- 6
-
- Wash Still Charge (l) i
- 18,300
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- Wash Still Shape i
- Ball
-
- Washback Type i
- Wood
-
- Washbacks i
- 8
-
- Water Source i
- Dairy Well Spring
-
- Wort Clarity i
- Clear
-
- Yeast Type i
- Pressed
Owners
Current owner
- Diageo 1997 - present
Previous owners
- United Distillers 1986 - 1997
- Distillers Company Limited 1933 - 1986
- Robert Innes Cameron 1904 - 1933
- John Munro and Robert Innes Cameron 1895 - 1904
- John Ross 1869 - 1895
- Robert Pattison 1850 - 1869
- The Munro family 1817 - 1850
Contact
- Address
-
Teaninich Distillery
Riverside Drive
Alness
Ross-shire
IV17 0XB
United Kingdom - Phone
- +44 1349 885001
- Visitor Opening Hours
- Not open to the public
Map
See also
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Distillery & brand