Dallas Dhu distillery
Contents
The Dallas Dhu Distillery is a closed distillery still tourable as a working museum. Dallas Dhu means “black meadow” in Gaelic.
Production
Although there is no longer any production, the decision was made to convert the disused distillery into a museum five years after it was closed. The interior is almost completely preserved and largely corresponds to that of 1939. The lovingly restored museum is very popular and is under the Scottish State Commission for Buildings and Monuments. In the museum you can learn a lot about malting and distilling details are available at [Historic Environment Scotland](https: //www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dallas-dhu-historic-distillery/).
History
Originally named “Dallasmore”, the still was built by Alexander Edward in 1898, only to be sold a year later and then renamed Dallas Dhu. Its founder was also responsible for building the Benromach distillery, which is still active today. At the time, the distillery mainly produced its malt for a popular blend called “Roderick Dhu”.
In 1939 the still was almost completely destroyed by fire. A water wheel supplied the distillery with energy until 1971. The two stills that have survived to this day were probably too small to remain competitive. It is also said that the water supply stopped in 1983, which is why the distillery had to close.
Dallas Dhu bottlings have become quite rare given their closure that has lasted over 30 years. However, one or the other bottler could very rarely fill an old barrel of this former pearl, so that nowadays there are still a few remaining stocks here and there.
Dallas Dhu factsheet
| Name | Pronounced | AKA | Region | Country of Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Dhu | Dallasmore | Speyside | Scotland | |
| Status | Active | Whisky Type | Website | Tours Available |
| Lost | 1899 - Present | Malt | Dallas Dhu | Not Available |
| Manager | Distiller | Blender | Owned by | Parent Group |
| Gordon Dey | Historic Scotland |
Dallas Dhu Timeline:
1899: Alexander Edward made plans for Dallas Dhu Distillery and sold the rights to built it on his own land to Wright & Greig, the Glasgow blender
1900: Purchased by Wright & Greig of Glasgow
1919: Sold by Wright & Greig of Glasgow to J.P. O’Brien & Co.
1921: Acquired by Benmore Distilleries Ltd., an English consortium based in Glasgow (also owners of Benmore, Lochhead and Lochindaal)
1929: Benmore Distilleries Ltd. taken over by the Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL)
1930: Transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD)
1930-36: Silent
1939: Considerable damage caused by a fire burning the still house and damaging most of the production equipment. The warehouses, with a maturing stock worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, were saved. Two stills. Licensed to Benmore Distilleries Ltd., Glasgow
WWII: Production was ceased
1983: Distillery closed
1988: Reopened as a museum to the public under the aegis of Scotland’s Historic Buildings and Monuments Directorate (no production)
1992: License cancelled
Can I tour Dallas Dhu?
Yes Dallas Dhu distillery is tourable. On Trip Advisor the distillery has been rated as excellent by 94 of 183 tours to date. This gives Dallas Dhu an overall rating of 4.5
Latest reviews
They Made the “Water of Life” Here!
by Don Wright
Our Scotland Explorer pass include admission to this historic distillery, so we did our best to make sense of Google Maps and the car GPS and eventually found it. Note to Historic Scotland - better signage and make sure Google is steering potential visitors in the right direction! Once inside, it’s a self-tour with an audio guide. You learn about the art of distilling whisky, and the history of this particular distillery. It was a quiet day, most of the time we had the place to ourselves. At the end of the walk-about, you get a free dram of a local blend, always a good way to end a tour. It was fascinating to see the huge copper tanks and wooden barrels, walk through the various production rooms and buildings, and peek inside the warehouse. By the way, this distillery was built in 1899 and operated, with some slowdowns and stoppages, until 1983. What’s on view is just how it was left on the day it closed. Oh, we also learned the word whisky is derived from uisge beatha, Gaelic for “water of life”. Indeed!
Very Interesting
by Allison H
Great place to visit. The tour is self guided and allows up close viewing. It was fun to see the system, and the recreations. The person from whom we bought tickets, etc. was extremely friendly. Highly recommend, if you are interested in distillery.
Interesting
by 526gs526
As a keen whiskey drinker I was keen to have a look at this place. We interesting walking around without a tour guide trying to rush you along. Looking forward to finding out more about the history of the company when it closed down.
| Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Excellent | 94 |
| Very good | 67 |
| Average | 18 |
| Poor | 3 |
| Terrible | 1 |
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