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Highland Malt
The Eastern Highlands
GLEN GARIOCH (1785 - 1968) (1970 - 1995) (1997

Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire. Licentiehouder en eigenaar Morrison's Glen Garioch Distillery Ltd.
Gesticht door Ingram, Lamb & Co in 1797, was de eerste distillateur John Manson.
In 1840 kocht J.F. Thomson & Co te Leith, de distilleerderij.
In 1886 was William Sanderson, de blender van Vat 69, medeeigenaar van Glen Garioch.
William Sanderson overleed in 1908 en zijn zoon volgde hem op.
Sanderson ging in 1935 samen met Booth Distilleries, gin producenten.
In 1937 wordt Glen Garioch overgenomen door de Distillers Company Ltd. (D.C.L.).
In 1968 werd Glen Garioch gesloten wegens een tekort aan water.
In 1970 koopt Stanley P. Morrison te Glasgow de distilleerderij en door een nieuwe water-bron aan te boren, en de warmte die vrijkomt bij het distillatieproces te gebruiken voor het verwarmen van kassen waarin komkommers, tomaten en cyclames worden geteeld en de uitstekende kwaliteit van de whisky, wordt de distilleerderij een succes.
In 1970 wordt Glen Garioch gesloten en wordt te koop aangeboden.
In 1992 is er sprake, dat een consortium onder de leiding van de toenmalige manager van Springbank, John McDougall, Glen Garioch zou overnemen voor £ 2.25 miljoen. Maar dit ging niet door,
November 1997 wordt Glen Garioch weer opgestart. Als reden wordt opgegeven: 'verplich-tingen tegenover de lokale bevolking en sterke groei van de afzet'.
Dit gebied is van oudsher de gerststreek van dit deel van Schotland.
De turf komt van Piligo Moss.
Glen Garioch heeft een vloermouterij.
De mouterijen dateren uit 1905 en iedere week wordt er 56 ton gerst geweekt en verwerkt tot 47,5 ton mout.
De distilleerderij maakt 29 mashes (beslag) van 3.72 ton per week. Hiervoor is de eigen mout niet genoeg, meer dan de helft wordt bij gekocht.
De kilns worden met gas gestookt en de gebruikte turf dient slechts als aroma en niet voor verhitting.
Het maken van het beslag (mashing) duurt vijf uur. Er zijn negen fermenters één grote van hout en acht kleinere van hout, waarin de gist handmatig wordt verdeeld. Dit proces duurt 42 uur.
Er zijn twee wash - stills, één van 5000 liter, één van 25 liter en twee spirit stills van elk 2400 liter.
Het distillatieproces duurt acht uur.
De maximum kapaciteit is 1,8 miljoen liter spirit per jaar. Het bedrijf telt 16 werknemers.
De whisky wordt gelagerd in sherry vaten, waarvan er ongeveer 16000 in voorraad zijn.

History:

The location chosen in 1794 by John and Alexander Manson for their new distillery was
an abvious one.

Old Meldrum lay at one end of the Valley of the Garioch, Geery in the ancient Doric
dialect of Aberdeenshire.

The Valley with the beautiful vieuws towards Bennachie, was claimed to grow the finest
barley in Scotland. John and his younger brother Alexander realised that there was a clear
advantage in setting up production in a small glen alongside a peaceful track that led to
the rutted Aberdeen - Banff road. They already owned a small unused tannery with his
own water supply from nearby Parcock Hills.The building had an ideal position on the
very edge of the little town and made access for ox carts much easier.

The first proven evidence comes from the rev. Thomas Tait, who recorded in his 'Statical
Account of Meldrum of 1794' that there existed a distillery and brewery, lately established
in it, and both are in a thriving way.

The Manson family came originally from Caithness but had been settled in the Garioch valley
for some generations, becoming prosperous farmers and merchants, specialising as tanners.

The first indication of any involvement with alcoholic drinks is found before the existence of
the distillery; on the gravestone of Alexander Manson in Bourtie churchyard. It reads:

Alex Manson vintner in Old Meldrum, who lived a honest credible(e) life, who died 10th Oc-
tober 1765, aged 65.

John Manson at the age of 32 appears to have taken charge of the new Glengarioch distillery
with brother Alexander, just 24, as a partner. On the site of the old tannery they constructed
a brewery and a small distillery. No doubt they sold some of their early whisky production
to local inns and merchants but it must be remembered that all the trade was in casks and so
increasingly Glen Garioch malt whisky was sent to Aberdeen on wagons for purchase by wholesalers and blenders. Whilst on a number of occasions survival has been a real struggle
for Glen Garioch it shouldn't be overlooked that the much more substantial Bridge of Don
distillery at Aberdeen was founded in 1794 - the same year as Glen Garioch - but wenr into
liquidation within 12 months

Confusion about the early ownership of the distillery has been thrown into some confusion
by the involvement of two men with the name of John Manson.

The Manson family was fairly large with different branches. Some were found in Caithness
where hundreds of them existed, in Orkney and Shetland and other branches blossomed else-
where. John is an extremely common Christian name and this was merely the case of a father
and son. The key evidence comes from Alexander Manson of Old Meldrum, a direct descen-
dant of both Johns
It is a list of assets drawn up by the first John, the joint founder of the distillery, in 1838,
the 76th and last year of his life. The account indentifies a loan he made to his son John
Manson Junr Glengarioch Distillery 1,400 Pounds

The first John Manson lived from 1767 - 1838. He was a local merchant when he and his
brother Alexander built the distillery and in the second year he confronted his first major
challenge when in September 1795, the Government issued a one month ban on distilling
due to a shortage of barley

His younger brother Alexander Manson, long before churches and chapels became entwined
in the Temperance Movement, served Old Meldrum Free Church as an elder for 34 years and
the current Alexander Manson is custodian of an illuminated scroll testifying to his ancestor's
good service and outstanding character.

John Manson Junr was born in 1804 and through property purchase became the Laird of Fingask. He was an extremely busy and prosperous man: he ran Oakhill farm, was a mana-
ger of the Linen Bank in Old Meldrum and also maintained his interests in leather produc-
tion, the ownership of a snuff factory, brewing and distilling

John Mansion Junr married Elizabeth Livingstone, a cousin of the great explorer David
Livingstone. Their second child Patrick (1845 - 1922), later Sir Patrick Manson, is wide-
ly recognised as 'The Father of Tropical Medicine', for it is recorded that he was the first
person to indentify malaria, earning him the nickname Mosquito Manson. He is also remem-
bered as the Founder of the London School of Tropical Medicine in 1899. A plaqueon the
garden wall of the house in Old Meldrum, called Cromlet Hill, records his birth.

When he died in 1922 there was a memorial service in London's St. Paul's Cathedral, where
Winston Churchil, then Home Secretary, provided a tribute. He was interred the next day
in Allenvale cemetery, Aberdeen.


Two of the most influential owners of the Glen Garioch distillery were the whisky baron
William Sanderson and his son William Mark Sanderson.

They were long - term investors in the distillery. William Sanderson (1839 - 1908) pur-
chased a 50 % interest in J.G. Thomson & Co, who owned the distillery in 1886.
This was just 12 months before the opening of the massive multiownership North British
grain distillery. Glen Garioch offered hum top quality malt whisky to blend with the grain
whisky that he purchased from North British

In 1886, with the distillery manager Jimmy Shand busily conducting his band of 12 men,
the future of Glen Garioch showed reasonable promise. Jimmy Shand was the manager
for most of the William Sanderson era. He enjoyed the life of the gentry. He had began
working life as a humble gardener at Meldrum House but his conditions were to change.
He joined the distillery staff and as a talented man, was steadily promoted to manager.
He then lived next ndoor to the distillery in the substantial Glengarioch House and de-
lighted in an arrangement that junior distillery workers should tend his garden.

In this period the distillery team hadfurther spade work, because they were digging the
local peat, before drying it in blocks to peat the barley.

The men loved Jim and would do anything for him, especially after he introduced a small
pig farm in the distillery grounds. The pigs were fed on the pot ale and became very tasty
indeed. In 1897 The Royal Northern Agricultural Society awarded a 'silver medal for the
best boar to J.F. Thompson & Co Glen Garioch Distillery

The Meldrum & Bourtie Heritage Society later reported that Glen Garioch had a milking
cow which was milked twice a day by Mrs Horne who also cleaned the distillery office.

As the 20th century began, blended Scotch whisky was steadily increasing in international
popularity, Glen Garioch, sometimes spelled Glengarioch, was having a comfortable run
but as 1914 arrived so did the First World War. The younger men all headed for military
service but it seems that the older men maintained some low volume production.

Jimmy Sand, who was far too old to fight, took careful control of the distillery's farming
activities to ensure that all the connected families could eat meat and drink milk.

Jimmy Sand is known to have been manager in 1886 and served until, (it is believed) he
Retired in 1918 aged 73 years. Aided by the odd wee dram he lived until he was 93.

Eventually in 1921, with international demand for the Sanderson - owned V A T 69, nick-
named the Pope's telephone number, increasing steadily, William Mark Sanderson and
some colleagues acquired the balance 50 % . Glen Garioch was then blended, not just in
V A T 69 but into 2 supposed daily whiskies, a blend for morning drinking called A M
and for post meridian drinking called P M.

Notable amongst his co - directors was Archibald A. Crawford whose famous Crawford's
3 S T A R Whisky also contained generous volumes of Glen Garioch


William Mark Sanderson had gambled on the massive U S market, despite several years
of declining sales, influenced by the looming threat of Prohibition.

When it finally arrived on January 1st 1920, like many of the whisky barons he thought
it would be a short - lived affair and so he persuaded his co - directors to purchase the
remaining 50 % of Glen Garioch.

It was a crucial mistake of expanding at the wrong time. The early years of Prohibition
proved extremely difficult and his decision had disastrous results.
A disappointed old man, he and his partners sold out in 1933, the very year Prohibition
finished !


Scottish Malt Distillers Limited, (S.M.D.) purchased Glen Garioch in 1937, the same year
that S.M.D. was amalgamated with the Distillers Company Limited, D.C.L.

Its purchase of Glen Garioch was in order to source more malt whisky for the massive de-
mands of the various D.C.L. blended whiskies.

Within 2 years the Second World War had arrived and the production of Scotch whisky was
suspended. As with many other distilleries several of the Glen Garioch buildings were
commandeered for billeting soldiers

Scottish Malt Distillers Limited was never happy with the limited volume of production at
Glen Garioch. The problem was that the spring on Percock Hills was simply too small.

The company's directors must have dreamed of finding other suitable water supplies but see-
med to have no real knowledge of the locality, or of Old Meldrum people and perhaps didn't
know their work force well enough.

The distillery's 10.000 gallons per annum just wasn't sufficient for Distillers Company Limited's giant thirst and so in 1968 Glen Garioch was put up for sale.


Stanley Morrison was a very shrewed man and in 1970 he bought the Glen Garioch distillery
through his company Stanley P. Morrison Ltd for the realistic price of 150.000 Pounds

He soon re - started production on the same small volume but was quite determined to find
an additional water source to expand the distillery

In 1972 he appointed the likeable Joe Hughes as distillery manager. Part of Joe Hughes's task
was to find another water source but before he could begin searching, his hand was forced by
pollution. One day he walked into the distillery and smelt silage. In fact he said you could smell silage everywhere. He quickly realised that it was coming from the water supply and
strode up the Percock Hills to inspect the source, only to find it seriously polluted by an ac-
cidental release of silage water caused by a neighbouring farmer.

He then approached another farmer in the locality called Eddie Booth to ask if he had some land at Coutens Farm that might provide the answer. Eddie Booth replied that there was a
field with some potential but that Glen Garioch had better be quick because he would start
planting it in a month.

Joe Hughes turned to a local contractor Alec Digger Grant, for help. He has earned his nick-
name because he owned a J C B. The pair quickly began work and the rest is history.
They found what might be called the ' Silent Spring of Coutens Farm', for it couldn't be
seen or heard, but it flowed in sufficient abundance to be piped to the distillery with the
result that production increased ten fold to 100.000 gallons per annum.

Joe Hughes later made the understatement 'I don't think that Scottish Malt Distillers Limited,
(S.M.D.) were very pleased when they heard about it.

1972 was a year to remember for another reason. Glen Garioch was bottled by the distillery
as a Single Malt Whisky for the very first time and soon, proudly displaying its own label,
it found its way onto the retail shelves and bars.


Canny Scots are always looking at ways of being financially efficient and this talent led to the
famous Glen Garioch Greenhouse Project.

It was an era when several distilleries attempted to make use of waste heat in different ways.
One chose the rearing of eels and another bred trout, while Glen Garioch decided upon using
its waste heat for the greenhouse cultivation of tomatoes and geraniums.

The idea was the brainchild of Stanley P. Morrison Ltd's production director Alistair F. Ross
and distillery manager Joe Hughes, but they were soon supported by 2 other enthusiastic ta-
lents - B B C Scotland T V Beechgrove Garden presenter Jim McColl and Morrison's chief
engineer Harry Cockburn

Late in 1977 the distillery successfully applied for planning permission for the project and over a period constructed glasshouses and poly tunnels for tomatoes and flowers; later another
glasshouse was added to cultivate potted plants.

The tomatoes soon proved popular and in addition peppers, aubergines and a few cucumbers were grown. Tulips sold quickly initially but interest soon faded away. The intention was not
necessarily to make a fortune but to be efficient and environmentally friendly.

In December 1978, just as the operation was beginning to run smoothly, Joe Hughes was
transferred to Glen Garioch's sister distillery Bowmore on the island of Islay.

He was replaced by Willie McNeil who was a whisky traditionalist and to put it politely
was 'not enthusiastic'about the project. Also Alistair Ross and Harry Cockburn had be-
come diverted by other whisky production priorities elsewhere and Jim McColl who already
acted as consultant manager and publicist, was left carrying the scheme largely on his own
Despite those problems it attracted national and international attention. The Glen Garioch
Greenhouse project was featured on B B C T V's Tomorrow's World. Then in 1982 Glen
Garioch was cjosen to be part of the British Pavilion at the World Fair in Knoxville, Ten-
nessee. In 1988 Glen Garioch displayed a mini - distillery and glasshouse at the Glasgow
Garden Festival, which were visited by Prince Charles and Princess Diana and by then Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Another factor in the failure of the scheme was that Glen Garioch was a malt whisky distil-
lery and not a fruit and vegetables sales organisation and the marketing of the produce was
problematic. To start with tomato sales were quite promising but marketing the flowers
quickly caused problems. One of the biggest difficulties was calculating an annual produc-
tion cycle to keep cash flow running. An additional idea was to plant 2 acres of raspberries
in an adjacent field but while it filled a small cap, it was well away from the original prin-
cipe. Subsequently the project was closed down in 1993.


1994 saw the purchase of Glen Garioch by Suntory Ltd.

The Japanese whisky bysiness was - at the time - by far the largest customer of the small
malt distillery, purchasing around 50 % of annual production


1995 brought an unexpected decision to close the distillery but in 1977 this was rescinded
with the ownership being transferred to Morrison Bowmore Ltd, which company is wholly
owned by Suntory Ltd.
1797 Thomas Simpson, a distiller founds Glen Garioch

1827 Ingram, Lamb & Co owners of the distillery

1837 Johnn Manson & Co, buys the distillery, also owner of Strathmeldrum
Distillery (1825 - 1839) also in Old Meldrum

1884 J.G. Thomson owner

1908 William Sanderson (V A T 69) has a 50 % stake in the distillery

1921 William Sanderson buys the remaining 50 % in Glen Garioch

1933 William Sanderson & Son merges with Booth Distilleries Ltd, the
gin producer

1937 Booth Distillers Ltd is acquired by Distillers Company Ltd (D.C.L.) now
Diageo

1943 Glen Garioch is transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd (S.M.D.)

1968 Glen Garioch is decommissioned

1970 Stanley P. Morrison Ltd buys the distillery

1973 First reconstruction and then production starts
A more peaty whisky is produced

1978 Stills are increased from two to four

1982 Glen Garioch is the first distillery to use gas from the North Sea for heating

1994 Suntory controls all of Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd

1995 October, the distillery is mothballed

1997 Glen Garioch reopens in August

2004 336 bottles of the oldest Glen Garioch ever is released 46 year old, 1958

2005 A 15 year old Bordeaux Cask Finish is launched
A visitor centre is opened

2006 A 8 years old is released

THE OLD MALT CASK 50o
Douglas Laing & Co, Ltd
Douglas House 18, Lynedoch Crescent, Glasgow G 3 6 E Q.
In 1949 Fred Douglas Laing established Douglas Laing & Co primarily as a blender and bottler for his Scotch Whisky blends The King of Scots and House of Peers, which are available today internationally.
Large stocks and reserves of aging Malts in particular, were laid down by Mr. Laing, many being guarded for 25 - 30 years specifically for the older blends such as the 25 and 30 Year Old KING OF SCOTS.
With more than 50 different Malts in stock, over the last 50 years from filling programme, it was obvious that the Malt Master would have certain favourites. These have variously been chalked off the times of regular quality control, as being of particular qualitative interest; both commercially, and for the pleasure of the Directors. It has been their particular perk, benefit and privelege to nose and taste some of the finest quality samples indicative of the Distillers's art.
It was judged by the two current owners/directors (sons of the founder, so nepotism is not dead!) that some of these stocks were 'too good to blend'. And so the OLD MALT CASK selection was developed in 1999 to extend those perks and benefits beyond the Director's tasting suite!
Initially it was felt that 50 different Malts commemorating the Company's 50th Anniversary would be approciate. That tally has now been exeeded but our preferred strenght of 50 % alc/vol is maintained. We believe this strenght creates a fine, round, full quality for various Malts when taken 'neat'. It also allows the regular consumer to know precisely how much or little water should be added to this artisan and craftman's distillate.
These selected Malt Whiskies have waited many years to reach their classic heights of qua-lity. Not only with your health in mind, but with a view to greater enjoyment, may we suggest that in the style of the founder, whose signature endorses your Malt, you enjoy its glass leisurely and slowly.
Douglas Laing