Coleburn Distillery
Longmorn by Elgin
Morayshire IV38 8GN

Owner: Diageo

Creation date: 1899

Settled below the road from Rothes to Elgin, Coleburn distillery, whose buildings are still in good condition should never produce any whisky again. Owned by Clynelish up to 1916, it belongs to the D.C.L. (Distillers Company Ltd.) since 1930. The distillery has been refurbished in the 1950's and 1960's.
Coleburn closed in 1985. Its whisky is still available in the collection "Rare Malts" and from independent bottlers. 

Bottles

Cardhu Distillery
Knockando, Aberlour
Banffshire AB38 7RY
+44 1340 872 550

Owner: Diageo

Creation date: 1824

John Cumming converted the familial farm called Cardow into a distillery round 1810. He used the barley produced by the farm and he produced his own peat. The proximity of the river Spey ant the surrounding hills were assets for a distillery. He began as a moonshine distiller.
The hills were a place of safety in case the excise men would "visit" him. The controls were frequent, and John's wife, Helen Cumming helped her husband with a successfully stratagem. She used to receive them very well, and to invite them for dinner. When they arrived, she put a red flag behind the barn. As long this flag was visible, John knew the excise men were still present, and he waited before coming back to the farm.
In 1824, after the promulgation of the Excise Act, John decided to purchase a licence for the production of his whisky. This made made marketing of his spirit quite easier.
During the 19th century, the distillery was rebuild 3 times. John Cumming's daughter in law, Elisabeth took the management of the distillery in 1876 and contributed to its success.
She built a new distillery near the farm, and sold stills to a certain William Grant, who was on the point to found Glenfiddich. 
As most of the distilleries, Cardhu closed during the second world war.
Renewed in 1960, the numbers of stills grew from 4 to 6.
The distillery was called "Cardow Distillery" since 1981. The Cardhu malt is currently one of the best sellers world-wide.
About 30% of the production is sold as single malt, the remaining entering in blends. Cardhu is the basis of the Johnnie Walkers blends, Red, Black, Green and Blue labels.
The commercial success is so great currently that it was at the origin of many discussions in the whisky world in 2003. UDV is not able anymore to satisfy all the demand for Cardhu malt, and decided to market vatted malt instead of single malt without changing the packaging. The other producers were furious, and after lots of discussions, UDV decides to change the colour of the label of Cardhu Vatted malt to avoid confusion for the customers, and depreciation of the image of single malt. 

Bottles

Caperdonich Distillery
Rothes
Morayshire AB38 7BS
+44 1542 783 300

Owner: Pernod Ricard

Creation year: 1897

The distillery was originally founded in 1897 under the name "Glen Grant 2" It's founder was Major James Grant, and it was just intended to be an extension of Glen Grant, which is situated on the other side of the main road. 
Both distilleries were joined by a pipe-line, known as "the whisky pipe" by the inhabitants of Rothes. The legend says that people of Rothes made some holes in the pipe, in order to get their own part of the spirit. This would have caused some floods in the town of Rothes. 
The distillery has been closed in the beginning of the 19th century, because of a decreasing demand on whisky. No production between 1901 and 1965, when it was reopened by "The Glenlivet and Glen Grant Distilleries Ltd". The production made good progresses, and two new stills were added, and the distillery has been modernized in order to be run by just two people.
In 1978, "The Chivas and Glenlivet Group (Seagram)" took over the distillery, together with Longmorn, Benriach, Glen Grant et The Glenlivet. 
The Seagram distillery division became part of the French group Pernod-Ricard in 2000. 
The distillery has never released official single malts, its owner having decided to use all the production for blends. 

Bottles

Braeval Distillery (Braes of Glenlivet)
Chapeltown, Ballindalloch
Banffshire AB37 9JS
+44 154278-3342

Owner : Pernod Ricard

Creation year: 1973

Founded in 1973 under the name "Braes of Glenlivet", the distillery was intended to produce malt exclusively for the needs of the blenders, especially for the brands of the owner, The Chivas and Glenlivet group.
It was the most modern distillery in Scotland in those days. In 1995 the the Braes of Glenlivet distillery has been renamed in Braeval, because its owner did not want to mention Glenlivet as part of the name of any distillery but "The Glenlivet" anymore. They own "The Glenlivet" as well. The renaming took place in 1995.
The distillery does not have own warehouses, and the first make spirit is brought in tank lorries to the central warehouses of Chivas, in Keith.
The whisky is exclusively made for blending purposes, and most of the production is used in the blends of the owning company, but it is appreciated by many other blenders as well. 

Bottles

Braeval Distillery (Braes of Glenlivet)
Chapeltown, Ballindalloch
Banffshire AB37 9JS
+44 154278-3342

Owner : Pernod Ricard

Creation year: 1973

Founded in 1973 under the name "Braes of Glenlivet", the distillery was intended to produce malt exclusively for the needs of the blenders, especially for the brands of the owner, The Chivas and Glenlivet group.
It was the most modern distillery in Scotland in those days. In 1995 the the Braes of Glenlivet distillery has been renamed in Braeval, because its owner did not want to mention Glenlivet as part of the name of any distillery but "The Glenlivet" anymore. They own "The Glenlivet" as well. The renaming took place in 1995.
The distillery does not have own warehouses, and the first make spirit is brought in tank lorries to the central warehouses of Chivas, in Keith.
The whisky is exclusively made for blending purposes, and most of the production is used in the blends of the owning company, but it is appreciated by many other blenders as well. 

Bottles

Royal Brackla Distillery
Cawdor, Nairm
Inverness-shire IV12 5QY
+44 1667 402 002

Owner: Bacardi

Creatin year: 1812

Build on the Cawdor property, which became famous because of Shakespeare (Macbeth), Royal Brackla was the first distillery to obtain the title of supplier of the Court, during the reign of William IV in 1835.
The distillery has been build in 1835 by captain William Fraser. The starting period was very difficult, because of the concurrence of the moonshine distillers in that area. Captain Fraser was forced to find some outlets in the Lowlands.
In the early 1860's, Andrew Usher & Co joined the company. He is supposed to be the inventor of the blending technique consisting in mixing malt whisky with grain whisky. That is the reason why Brackla was one of the first whiskies to be used in blends.
The distillery has been rebuild in 1898 by two wine brokers from Aberdeen. In1926 the distillery has been taken over by the John Bisset & Co company who integrated Brackla in the D.C.L. (Distillers Company Ltd.) in 1943. The DCL has been absorbed later by UDV, which was the distillery branch of Guinness.
Rebuild again in 1964, it doubled its production capacity in 1970. The distillery was closed from 1985 to 1991, but is currently operational again.
The malting floors have been used up to 1966, when a second pair of stills have been added. During this refurbishment, the oldest buildings have been destroyed.
The Diageo Company has been created by the merging of Guinness and Gran Metropolitan. UDV (United Distillers & Vintners) is part of Diageo.
In accordance with the anti-trust law, UDV was obliged to sell the distillery to its current owner, Dewars, belonging to Bacardi-Martini.
The main part of the production is used in blends like Dewars, Johnnie Walker Gold Label and Bisset's Finest Old.

Bottles

Benromach Distillery
Forres,
Morrayshire IV36 OEB
+44 1343 545 111

Owners: Gordon & MacPhail

Creation year: 1988

The distillery has been founded during the last years of the 19th century whisky-boom, in 1898 by Duncan MacCallum who was in those times the owner of Glen Nevis in Campbeltown, and by F.W. Brickmann, wine merchant in Leith. The opening of the distillery dates back to 1900, and its first closing to 1907 because of the bad business of Mr Brickmann. Between 1907 and 1910 the distillery was reopened by MacCallum alone, under the name Forres. The distillery recovered its first name, Balmenach, after World War I.
Balmenach distillery closed again during the 1930's. In those days, the distillery belonged successively to Joseph Hobbs (also owner of Ben Nevis) and Hattim Attari. 
In 1938 the distillery was acquired by an investors concern, called Associated Scottish Distilleries, belonging to Train & McIntyre (who were part of the "National Distillers of America"). Later in 1953 the Associated Scottish Distilleries became part of DCL (which would become UDV later). Other distilleries belonging to the same concern like Glenury Royal, Glenesk and Glenlochy closed definitely during the 1980's. Benromach was closed too in 1983 and nearly entirely dismantled. The only part of the distillery which remained was the wash backs.
In 1992, Gordon & MacPhail acquired the empty buildings and the remaining stock from UDV. Those stocks made the reconstruction financially possible and the distillery reopened officially in 1998. 
The long time (6 years) between the acquisition and the reopening was partially due to difficulties of Gordon & MacPhail to acquire the burn and the Benromach trade mark.  

Bottles

Banff Distillery
Inverboyndie
Banffshire B 9139

Owner: Diageo

Creation year: 1824

The history of the Banff distillery is just a succession of destructions and reconstructions. 
The distillery was settled just a mile outside the town Banff, on the seaside North of Speyside. It has been founded in 1824 by James Mc Killigan. Its first name was Mill of Banff then Inverboyndie Distillery.
Closed in 1863, it has been rebuild on another site in Inverboyndie. 
Destroyed by fire in 1877, it has been the target of a bombing in august 1941. In 1953, an explosion in the still room damaged the distillery once again.
The last building of the distillery has been destroyed by a fire in 1991.
However, its malt can still be found at some independent distillers.
The malt of the Banff distillery was used in the "Slater Rodger" blend.

Bottles

Balvenie Distillery
Dufftown, Keith
Banffshire
AB55 4BB
+44 1340 820 000

Owner: William Grant & Sons Ltd

Creation year: 1892

Originally founded under the name of Glen Gordon, The Balvenie is the second distillery build by William Grant (after Glenfiddich) in 1887. The stills come from the Lagavulin and Glen Albyn distilleries. The reason why William Grant preferred buying used stills was not so much economic, but he wanted to be sure the stills are working and producing a good spirit.
William Grant's distilleries were nearly the only ones who continued producing whisky during the two world wars. Nearly all the others were obliged to close because of a lack of barley.
In the 60's, The Balvenie doubled its production capacity and did the same again in the 70's. The distillery sells its whisky as single malt since 1973. In the warehouses, there should be some old casks dating from the 30's.
The Balvenie distillery is settled in the very heart of the Speyside area. The distillery has been built in 1892 from an old manor from the 18th century. The first distillation took place in 1893. Very few has changed since that time, and the distillery is really proud of its roots, and does everything it can to preserve it.
The exceptional quality of the single malt from The Balvenie is greatly due to the know-how of the craftsmen who create the whisky. Nearly all the operations in the process of making whisky happen in the distillery, from malting to repairing the casks. The Balvenie has it's own cooperage.
The Balvenie is quite different from Glenfiddich, even if both distilleries belong to the same family. The Balvenie belongs to the Grant family since 5 generations. This is a guarantee of tradition respect.
The greatest part of the production is marketed as single malt, and the remaining is uses in the Grants and Clan Mac Gregor blends, belonging to the same company.

Bottles

Balmenach Distillery
Cromdale, Grantown on Spey
Morayshire PH26 3PF
+44 1479 872 569

Owner: Inver House Distillers Ltd

Creation year: 1824

The Balmenach distillery has been founded in 1824 by James McGregor who was a moonshine distiller in the Tomintoul areafor years, together with his two brothers.
However, James McGregor was one of the first distillers to apply for a licence allowing him to distil legally. From the very fisrt year of activity, his whisky has been bought by an Aberdeen company, as well as by Lord Selkirk and the Duke of Bedford.
James died in the 1870's, leaving his widow alone for running the distillery and the farm. She was not able to do this and neglected everything, including her children, as she rapidly became the best customer of the distillery.... Her son John was obliged to come back from New Zealand where is was earnig lots of money with his farm to help his mother to run the business in 1878. 
John did not modify anything to his father's distillery, despite the fact that the facilities were in such a bad state of repair. The refurbishment began not earlier than 1897, when James Mcgregor, son of John became the first manager of the Balmenach-Glenlivet Distillery Ltd. 
The first thing James did was building a railway to the station of Cromdale.
The distillery was closed during World War I, just as most of them.
A group of blenders (MacDonald Green, Peter Dawson and James Watson) bought the distillery in 1922. A few years later, the group became part of the Distiller Company Ldt, who left its shares to teh Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd in 1930. This group became later United Distillers, after DCL was absorbed by Guiness. 
The Balmenach distillery closed again during World War II .
Electricity has been installed in 1950, and all the installations but the malt mill were supplied by it. The malting floors were replaced in 1963 by a Saladin Box 
The farm was closed in 1978, and replaced by a waste processing plant which produces cattle feed.
UDV closed the distillery in 1993. On december 2 1997, Inver House took over the distillery and the production resumed on March 2 1998. However, the warehouses were empty when the distillery was taken over, and some more years will be necessary to find the first production of the distillery on the market. 

Bottles