Glenlochy
Glenlochy was one of the distilleries that were founded during the 'Whisky boom' at the end of the nineteenth century. David McAndie, who named it the 'Glenlochy-Fort William Distillery', founded it in 1898.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Scotland, Highlands | |
| -5.094230 56.822472 | |
| Demolished | |
| 1898 | |
| 1983 | |
| David McAndie |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
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|---|---|---|
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Nosing
Fruit:
Sweet:
Apple:
Grass:
Chocolate:
Herbs:
Herbs:
Sweet:
Apple:
Grass:
Chocolate:
Fruit:
Peach:
Peach:
Tasting
Peat Smoke:
Peat Smoke:
Salt:
Salt:
Maritime Notes:
Maritime Notes:
Spices:
Oak:
Oak:
Spices:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Grapefruit:
Fig:
Sweet:
Malt:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Malt:
Grapefruit:
Fig:
Sweet:
Zitrus:
Fruit:
Sherry:
Zitrus:
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The Whisky
Glenlochy distillery, located in the Western Highlands, has no official bottlings to speak of. The closest that they come is the Glenlochy release under the Diageo Rare Malts collection. Glenlochy is actually one of the rarest Single Malt Whiskies on the market. There have been a series of independent bottlings performed at the site, by independent bottlers such as Signatory Vintage, Douglas Laing and Gordon & MacPhail. The majority of the spirit produced at Glenlochy was used for blending, although the Blends in which it was a component have long since been discontinued.
The Production
The distillery took its water from the River Nevis, and sits in the foothills of the mountain from which the river takes its names. Sadly, since Glenlochy has been inactive since 1983, the exact production capacity of the distillery is unknown, although experts estimate that it must have been about one million liters per annum.
The Pot Stills
Unfortunately, the specific information about the size and style of the stills has been lost with the closing of the distillery. What we do know, however, is that there was one wash still and one spirit still located at Glenlochy.
Maltings
During Glenlochy’s operative lifetime, the distillery used its own floor maltings until 1968. After they closed, the distillery used the drum maltings at the Glen Ord distillery, near Inverness. The distillery had a license to cut the peat used in the malt drying process from Davenir Moss.
The Warehouse
Glenlochy had limited on-site warehouse space, and therefore casks were often housed in dunnage warehouses that had previously belonged to Ben Nevis distillery. The Single Malt was aged in a combination of carefully selected Sherry and oak casks.
The History
Glenlochy was one of the distilleries that were founded during the 'Whisky boom' at the end of the nineteenth century. David McAndie, who named it the 'Glenlochy-Fort William Distillery', founded it in 1898. Production started on the 4th of February 1901, and continued to operate until the onset of the First World War. The distillery was then closed due to the restrictions placed on the use of barley. Production resumed again in 1925, only to stop cease again a year later. This time it lay silent until 1938, when production was relaunched by Associated Scottish Distillers. In 1953, Distillers Company Limited (DCL) buys Train & McIntyre from American company National Distillers and transfers Glenlochy to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD). Thirty years later, in 1983, Glenlochy was taken out of service during the big British recession for the last time. Rather depressingly, the distillery’s premises were sold to the hotel developer West Coast Inns, who obtained permission to destroy all the buildings at the site, apart from the kiln building, with it’s Charles Doig designed pagoda roof, which is declared a historic building.
Visitor’s Centre
None. I’m afraid the closest you would be able to get would be staying in the hotel that is now located on the site.
User Notes about the Distillery
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