Mannochmore distillery
The Mannochmore (Gaelic for “great monk”, pronounced like “Mánnochmór”) Distillery is located just outside, south of Elgin.
How does Mannochmore Single Malt taste?
Mannochmore whiskeys are oily, fruity, slightly smoky and always show a floral note. As a rule, these malts are also significantly dry.
Mannochmore products have only been available on the market as single malts since 1992. The largest proportion of the annual production supplies Diageo’s blended Scotch whiskies.
Manufacturing:
How is Mannochmore whiskey made?
The Mannochmore distillery has a maximum production capacity of 3.2 million liters. The distillery has a mash tun, eight fermentation vats and six stills. Including 3 spirit stills and 3 wash stills. The stills are heated with steam. The distillery’s water is drawn from the Brandon Burn, while the malt is bought from Elgin’s Burghead Maltings.
The Mannochmore, only available as a single malt since 1992, was released by Diageo as a 12-year-old whiskey in the Flora and Fauna series. The distillery is also famous for the popular collector’s whisky bottling Loch Dhu. Loch Dhu caused considerable sensation due to its almost black color. Mannochmore can be found regularly at the independent bottlers, such as Signatory or Gordon & MacPhail. Signatory’s Cask Strength Collection featured several exotic Mannochmore bottlings , including several sherry cask maturations, made from South African wood.
History
Even though Mannochmore is already 50 years old, it is one of the younger established Scottish distilleries. The distillery was founded in 1971 by John Haig & Co. DCL has placed the order to establish this new distillery right next to Glenlossie.
With the six stills Mannochmore, which is three times the size of neighbouring Glenlossie, was designed for a large output right from the start. Despite its great popularity with whiskey blenders, the system could not be fully utilized. The closure of Mannochmore followed with the great whiskey crisis of the 80s. Between 1983 and 1989 the distillery was idle. Production was only resumed under DCL’s successor United Distillers - not least because the neighboring Glenlossie distillery was closed for renovation. Another shutdown period took place between 1995 and 1997. Today, Glenlossie is part of Diageo.
The Mannochmore distillery was built late. Established in 1971 and 1972, it was supposed to help increase whiskey output at Glenlossie. Both distilleries are right next to each other and use the same raw materials. John Haig & Co. built the distillery, which was mothballed after just a few years in 1985. however, at the end of the decade, 1989, the Mannochmore distillery was back in operation.
In 1992 Mannochmore came onto the market for the first time as a single malt: In the Flora & Fauna series by United Distillers & Vinters (UDV). In 1996, the Loch Dhu Single Malt from the same distillery followed.
In 1996 Mannochmore introduced the famed “Loch Dhu” (“Black Loch” in Scottish Gaelic) single malt whisky. Famed might be generous as the spirit was virtually black due to the volume of caramel introduced.
After a brief shutdown in 1995, the distillery only produces twelve months and then has a twelve-month break with the nearby Glenlossie distillery, with which it shares its staff.
Mannochmore has a total of six steam-heated stills, a cast-iron mash tun with a copper dome, eight larch fermentation vats and a Porteus mill. From 1985 to 1989 Mannochmore was shut down due to falling demand, and also for a short time in 1995. Up until 2007, Mannochmore and Glenlossie even shared the employees: In the winter there was six months of fire in Glenlossie, and in the summer in Mannochmore. However, since 2007 each distillery has had its own employees and both distilleries work simultaneously.Most of the whiskey distilled in Mannochmore flows into the “Diageo” blends, including the “Dimple”, a first, semi-official bottling of a single malt (twelve years old) was only launched in 1992 in the “Flora & Fauna” series (43 Vol%) on the market. Mannochmore gained dubious notoriety from 1996 when the “Loch Dhu” (Gaelic for black hole), a “black whiskey”, was brought out. How exactly the intense color of this ten-year-old Mannochmore came about is not known. One theory is double-burned bourbon barrels, a second the use of caramel. The successor to this “Loch Dhu” was the “Cu Dhub” (Gaelic for “Black Dog”), which is no longer in production.
Original bottlings currently available (June 2017) are limited to a 25-year-old Mannochmore (53.4 Vol%), bottled in “Diageos” series “Special Releases” and an 11-year-old Mannochmore (59.1 Vol%), bottled in “ Diageos ”series“ Managers Choice ”.
Mannochmore factsheet
| Name | Pronounced | AKA | Region | Country of Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mannochmore | Speyside | Scotland | ||
| Status | Active | Whisky Type | Website | Tours Available |
| Active | 1971 - Present | Malt | Mannochmore | Not Available |
| Manager | Distiller | Blender | Owned by | Parent Group |
| Unknown | Diageo |
Mannochmore Timeline:
1971: Built beside Glenlossie Distillery by Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD). Six stills. Licensed to John Haig & Co. Ltd., Markinch, Fife
1985: Closed
1989: Reopened
1992: First single malts on the market
1996: Single malt made available for Loch Dhu
1999: Owned by United Distillers & Vintners Ltd. (UDV)
2004: Owned by Diageo plc
Can I tour Mannochmore?
No, unfortunately Mannochmore distillery is not open to the public for tours