Dalmore Scotch Whisky.

Dalmore Whisky Distillery information

Founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson

Location Highland region Northern district, Cromarty Firth

Water source River Alnes

Dalmore Whisky Distilling Equipment

Stainless steel mash tun.

8 Oregon pine washbacks

2 large and 2 small wash stills

2 large and 2 small spirit stills

Matured in first fill American bourbon and selected Oloroso sherry casks. Married together in sherry butts prior to bottling.

Dalmore Whisky Distillery History

The distillery is located on the beautiful shoreline of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle. Founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson. A partner in the Hong Kong trading firm, Jardine Matheson & Co. this company at the time dealt in everything from tea to opium,

Distillation began with a single pair of stills, the distillery having acquired sole rights to draw its water from the River Alness; first the distillery was leased to the Sutherland family who handed over to Robert Pattison sometime during the 1860’s. The lease then quickly passed to the Mackenzie family who eventually took full ownership in 1891. Andrew Mackenzie was the driving force of the Mackenzie brothers and cheekily included the word Speyside in their sales pitch for Dalmore whisky. They added a second pair of stills in a separate stillhouse in 1874

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A single branch railway line was used to connect the distillery with the main line at Alness station. This line allowed locally grown barley, peat and coal from the Fife collieries etc. to be delivered direct into the distillery. Also the pier at Belleport on the Cromarty Firth is part of the distillery, again this facility was used for shipments of barley, coals, coke and other stores to be unloaded directly from the steamers.

During World War 1 Dalmore’s warehouses were requisitioned by the Admiralty as a Sea mine- production factory, £1 million worth of maturing whisky was transferred to three other local distilleries. In 1920 the warehousing was returned to distillery use and the whisky was transferred back, evidently with not a single cask missing.

A Saladin box system of producing malt was installed 1n 1956 and continued to operate until 1981.The Mackenzies retained ownership until 1960 when the company merged with Whyte & Mackay forming the Dalmore-Whtye & Mackay Ltd. In 1966 the number of stills increased from 4 to 8.The Mackenzie connection is remembered on the Dalmore labels with the stag’s head emblem, of the Mackenzie clan

In 1996 ownership briefly transferred to JBB (Greater Europe) then in 2001 returned to Whyte & Mackay. Dalmore’s whisky is used in all Whyte & Mackay blended whiskies.

The essential process of distillation is carried out in the highly burnished copper stills, crafted by local coppersmiths and unique to The Dalmore, having a distinctive chunky shape. There are four pairs of stills, the latter four dating from 1966. The upper parts of the 1874 stills have survived and are still in use today. They create an unusual still outline, by having parallel sides instead of the customary tapering swan-neck. Also running water is fed over the outside of the still necks to cool the stills

The Dalmore property covers 25 acres; majority of the space is taken up with the warehouses where the spirit matures. There are about 100,000 casks on site.

Dalmore Distillery Bottlings 

The Dalmore 12 Year Old

The Dalmore Cigar Malt

The Dalmore 21 Year Old

The Dalmore 50 Year Old

The Dalmore 20 Year Old cask expression (available at the Distillery only)

The Dalmore Black Pearl and Black Isle (Duty Free Retail only)

The Dalmore Stillman’s 30 Year Old (USA only)

Dalmore Vintage Limited edition bottlings

The Dalmore 1973 Gonzalez Byass sherry cask finish

The Dalmore 50 year old

The Dalmore 62 Year old

The Dalmore 1966

Dalmore Whisky Independent Bottlings

Adelphi,

Cadenhead’s,

Chieftain’s (Ian Macleod),

Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing),

Provenance (Douglas Laing)

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