Glen Moray Distillery

Glen Moray’s Expansion

Since La Martiniquaise acquired it, Glen Moray has pursued an ambitious expansion and launched numerous new releases. This strategy has re-established its prominence in Speyside whisky, positioning it as a significant competitor to premium brands like Glenmorangie. In 2018, the distillery produced five times the volume it did in 1897. Despite this considerable output, all 85,000 casks mature traditionally on-site.

Unique Location

Glen Moray, originally a brewery on Gallow Hill, was established in 1830 beside the River Lossie in the historic town of Elgin. It was converted into a distillery in 1897, following the installation of two stills. Its location in a cool, sheltered hollow beneath the water table reportedly allows for a larger angel’s share than most other whiskies.

Early Years

The original brewery, known as Elgin West, had been producing ales since 1830. In its early years, Glen Moray distinguished itself by using a wide range of casks for whisky maturation. It sourced barley locally, including from Gallowcrook farm, which the distillery later purchased. However, it closed in 1910 due to neglect by its owners, Robert Thorne and Son, who were more invested in their Aberlour Distillery.

In 1924, the MacDonald and Muir families, owners of Glenmorangie, revived Glen Moray. They bottled a 31-year-old whisky and sold it at the distillery, an unusual practice given the preference for blended whisky over single malt at the time.

Further Expansion

During the 1950s, the distillery doubled its production with the installation of two more stills. In the 1980s and 90s, Master Distiller Edwin Dodson was among the first to experiment with unusual cask types.

In 1999, Glen Moray released expressions aged in Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay barrels. The distillery was sold to La Martiniquaise in 2008, who expanded it in 2012 by adding two more stills. It was further expanded in 2016 with the addition of an 11-ton full-lauter mash tun.

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