Mannochmore

Scottish Malt Distillers founded Mannochmore distillery in 1971. The site was managed by John Haig & Company Limited until 1985, at which point it was mothballed due to the big british recession.

Information about the Distillery
84 Bottles
Scotland, Speyside
-3.319313 57.598740
Active
Diageo
12 t
1971
3,200,000 l
Average tasting notes Tasting notes
i
Nosing
Fruit:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Spices:
Spices:
Sherry:
Nuts:
Sherry:
Oak:
Oak:
Malt:
Malt:
Melon:
Melon:
Orange:
Orange:
Oil:
Oil:
Herbs:
Chocolate:
Herbs:
Chocolate:
Nuts:
Peach:
Honey:
Honey:
Peach:
Pear:
Apple:
Vanilla:
Apple:
Herb:
Berries:
Pear:
Vanilla:
Berries:
Herb:
Tobacco:
Tobacco:
Lemon:
Floral:
Floral:
Pepper:
Raisin:
Raisin:
Pepper:
Lemon:
Dried Fruit:
Caramel:
Grapefruit:
Dried Fruit:
Caramel:
Grapefruit:
Peat Smoke:
Grape:
Grape:
Plum:
Plum:
Hay:
Nutmeg:
Almonds:
Alcohol:
Nutmeg:
Banana:
Hay:
Banana:
Alcohol:
Peat Smoke:
Almonds:
Kiwi:
Fig:
Mint:
Red Currant:
Kiwi:
Strawberry:
Tropical Fruit:
Hazelnut:
Mint:
Pineapple:
Grass:
Red Currant:
Barley:
Cherry:
Cherry:
Barley:
Tropical Fruit:
Fig:
Ginger:
Medicinal Smoke:
Wheat:
Pineapple:
Hazelnut:
Wheat:
Medicinal Smoke:
Ginger:
Grass:
Strawberry:
Tasting
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Fruit:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Nuts:
Fruit:
Malt:
Spices:
Malt:
Chocolate:
Herbs:
Oak:
Oak:
Herbs:
Chocolate:
Sherry:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Nuts:
Sherry:
Honey:
Honey:
Orange:
Orange:
Oil:
Pepper:
Oil:
Pepper:
Floral:
Floral:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Herb:
Herb:
Caramel:
Pear:
Caramel:
Pear:
Hay:
Hay:
Chili:
Chili:
Banana:
Berries:
Almonds:
Heather:
Heather:
Almonds:
Banana:
Berries:
Lime:
Ginger:
Ginger:
Lime:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Grape:
Grape:
Clove:
Cherry:
Barley:
Clove:
Anis:
Cherry:
Barley:
Peat Smoke:
Grass:
Grass:
Plum:
Cake:
Wheat:
Plum:
Wheat:
Apple:
Peach:
Tobacco:
Tobacco:
Peach:
Cake:
Apple:
Nutmeg:
Pineapple:
Hazelnut:
Dark Chocolate:
Tropical Fruit:
Hazelnut:
Nutmeg:
Alcohol:
Tropical Fruit:
Alcohol:
Pineapple:
Dark Chocolate:
Peat Smoke:
Black Currant:
Grapefruit:
Maritime Notes:
Mint:
Kiwi:
Coconut:
Date:
Kiwi:
Grapefruit:
Date:
Melon:
Coconut:
Blackberry:
Green Apple:
Leather:
Coffee:
Mint:
Maritime Notes:
Melon:
Blackberry:
Green Apple:
Leather:
Salt:
Black Currant:
Coffee:
Lemon:
Salt:
Lemon:
Finish
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Spices:
Fruit:
Oak:
Oak:
Sherry:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Nuts:
Herbs:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Herb:
Herb:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Herbs:
Malt:
Malt:
Tobacco:
Floral:
Floral:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Tobacco:
Oil:
Oil:
Almonds:
Almonds:
Mint:
Nuts:
Grapefruit:
Mint:
Orange:
Orange:
Grapefruit:
Pepper:
Heather:
Chili:
Pepper:
Chili:
Heather:
Salt:
Apple:
Grape:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Grape:
Apple:
Salt:
Maritime Notes:
Maritime Notes:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Caramel:
Strawberry:
Coffee:
Strawberry:
Black Currant:
Green Apple:
Cake:
Cake:
Black Currant:
Coffee:
Caramel:
Green Apple:
Peach:
Cherry:
Pear:
Lemon Peel:
Plum:
Dried Fruit:
Honey:
Peat Smoke:
Peach:
Berries:
Lemon:
Honey:
Hazelnut:
Banana:
Dried Fruit:
Lemon Peel:
Hazelnut:
Hay:
Barley:
Peat Smoke:
Berries:
Pear:
Plum:
Banana:
Walnut:
Raisin:
Walnut:
Barley:
Hay:
Cherry:
Raisin:
Lemon:
Details about the Distillery

The Whisky

Apart from a 12 year old bottling as part of the United Distillers ‘Flora & Fauna’ range, there hasn’t been a great deal of official bottlings from Mannochmore. There was an 18 year old official bottling, which was sold out in 2014. The distillery has also released the ‘Back Dhu’ Single Malt, which has gained a lot of traction on the market. ‘Loch Dhu’ means ‘black lake’ in Gaelic, which was an extremely appropriate title, as the spirit was basically black. Loch Dhu became known as the ‘Black Whisky’, and was incredibly popular due to its niche slot in the market. The distillery has since stopped producing Loch Dhu.

A number of independent bottlers have released expressions of Mannochmore. Douglas Laing have released a 13 year old and 14 year old, and Gordon & MacPhail have released a Connoisseur’s Choice bottling. The reason that Mannochmore is rarely seen as a Single Malt is that the distillery is one of Diageo’s workhouse distilleries. Mannochmore used to be a major component in the Haig blends, and today it is a major component in many of Diageo’s blends, including Johnnie Walker.

The Production

The production capacity of the distillery stands at an impressive 3.2 million liters.  The water used in production is drawn from the Bardon Burn, a tributary to the river Spey. The Bardon Burn also provides water to Mannochmore’s neighbour, Glenlossie. In fact, the same eight-man crew operates both distilleries. The distillery has one cast iron lauter mash tun, which has a copper dome, and is accompanied by eight larch wash backs.

The Pot Stills

Mannochmore distillery is powered by six pot stills. It has three wash stills, all at a production capacity of 14’700 liters. The three spirit stills each have a capacity of 16’100 liters. All of the stills have a traditional ‘Speyside” shape, with wide spherical lids and tall conical necks. All of the stills at the distillery are indirectly heated by steam.

The Maltings

The malt used in the production of Mannochmore is unpeated, and the malt is bought from Castle Head Maltings in the town of Elgin. The original barely is handpicked from a selection of Speyside farms, which are famed for the quality of their barley.

The Warehouse

Mannochmore distillery has a combination of both dunnage and racked warehouses, which host both the spirit which is intended to be sold as Single Malt, as well as the spirit which is intended to be used for blending. The warehouse facility boasts enough space for 200’000 casks. Due to the enormous capacity of the facility, Diageo use it to mature some of their other Single Malts as well.

The History

Mannochmore distillery has had a brief but successful history. Scottish Malt Distillers founded Mannochmore distillery in 1971. The site was managed by John Haig & Company Limited until 1985, at which point it was mothballed due to the big British recession.

During this first time of production, Mannochmore was a major contributor to the Haig’s Blends. In 1989, the distillery was re-opened again. Following Diageo and United Distillers’ acquisition of Scottish Malt Distillers, the first official single malt bottling, a 12 year old, under the 'Flora & Fauna’ range was released from the site. In 1997, the distillery launched the infamous ‘Loch Dhu’ bottling, which was met with a mixed reaction due to heavy artificially colouring, but has managed to garner a cult following. Under Diageo’s ownership, the distillery has continued to be a bulk provider of Malt Whisky for Blends. The distillery has also been at the forefront of some of the most recent technological advances in the distillation process. In 2012 the distillery added a biomass burner for the residues of the mash tun.

Visitor’s Centre

Unfortunately, there is no visitor’s centre at Mannochmore, and the site is closed to the public.

Visitor information

Mannochmore Distillery
Glenlossie Road
Thomshill
Elgin
IV30 8GY

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