Glengoyne Single Malt
Encyclopedia
Glengoyne Distillery is a whisky
distillery
continuously in operation since its founding in 1833 at Dumgoyne
, north of Glasgow
, Scotland
. Glengoyne is unique in producing Highland single malt whisky matured in the Lowlands
. Located upon the Highland Line
, the division between the Highlands
and Lowlands of Scotland, Glengoyne’s stills are in the Highlands while maturing casks of whisky rest across the road in the Lowlands. Unlike many malt whisky distilleries, Glengoyne does not use peat
smoke to dry their barley, but instead uses warm air.
In the 1820s an Act of Parliament
was passed, which reduced the cost of the license required to distil and duty on spirit. Shortly after the introduction of the 'Excise Act of 1823' (or 'Walsh Act') the first of these illicit stills came into official existence, with Glengoyne following later in 1833. Although Glengoyne only officially existed from 1833 and no records exist from before this date, it is believed that distilling on the site pre-dates that with a local historian writing that the smoke of "illicit stills" was visible in the area in the early 19th century.
The distillery remained with the Lang Brothers until taken over by the Robertson & Baxter group in 1965, who later became the Edrington group. In 1966 and 1967 the number of stills was increased from two to three as the distillery underwent a rebuilding project.
In 1984 the Lang Brothers became suppliers of whiskies to the then Queen Mother
, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
household. The Royal Warrant
has since been delegated to Ian Macleod and features on all Glengoyne products.
Speaking of the acquisition and planned expansions in 2003, Leonard Russell, managing director for Ian Macleod stated "We'll be aiming to increase sales of the Glengoyne from the current level of 450,000 litres to one million litres next year".
Later, speaking in 2005 Russell stated "we continue to make whisky exactly the same way at Glengoyne".
The original warehouse built by George Connell is still be found on the site, as the shop and visitor reception area. Today, Glengoyne has eight working warehouses with a total capacity of nearly two million litres (4.5 million bottles) or spirit.
, on the south-western edge of the Scottish Highlands
, close to Loch Lomond
and to the north of Glasgow
. Although distilled in the Highlands, making Glengoyne a Highland single malt, the whisky is matured in the Lowlands
. This is because the distillery itself sits upon the Highland Line
, the division between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland which splits the distillery in two. The boundary line runs underneath the A81 road from Glasgow to Aberfoyle and passes in front of the distillery with the warehouses located to the southwest of the road.
Glengoyne is regularly referred to as the "most beautiful distillery in Scotland". The distillery has been in continuous operation producing Highland single malt whisky for over 175 years with a current distilling capacity of over one million litres of alcohol
and over 35,000 visitors per annum.
Glengoyne, along with The Macallan
, is one of only two distilleries remaining today that uses Golden Promise barley which is low in yield but high in quality. The distillery's water supply comes from the Glengoyne Burn which flows from the nearby Dumgoyne hill into the distillery grounds before continuing on to Loch Lomond
.
Unlike many malt whiskys Glengoyne does not use peat
smoke to dry their barley
but instead favours the use of warm air. The clear and bright appearance and distinctive flavour of the Glengoyne single malts are credited to this lack of peat smoke. This rare characteristic is utilised in the marketing of Glengoyne with the use of the promotional slogan "The authentic taste of malt whisky untainted by peat smoke".
As a result of the use of unpeated malt Glengoyne has been noted as being stylistically closer to a Lowland single malt
as opposed to a Highland single malt.
The distillery has won various awards for its products including a double gold awarded to the 17 year old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a gold for the 15 year old Scottish oak wood finish for "best wood finish" by the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival. Glengoyne 17 year old was voted World's Best Single Highland Malt in the "Best of the Best" whisky tasting, organised by "Whisky Magazine".
Due to the rapid growth recently of the Scotch malt whisky industry (recent figures indicate a 9% growth in 2002) and of the premium whisky market as a whole, Glengoyne is mainly marketed in the UK, Scandinavian, French, German and USA markets.
Coordinates: 56.01403°N 4.36378°W
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
distillery
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
continuously in operation since its founding in 1833 at Dumgoyne
Dumgoyne
Dumgoyne is a hill prominent on the edge of the Campsie Fells and is a well known landmark visible from Glasgow. It is a volcanic plug and is 427 m high...
, north of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Glengoyne is unique in producing Highland single malt whisky matured in the Lowlands
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
. Located upon the Highland Line
Highland Boundary Fault
The Highland Boundary Fault is a geological fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east...
, the division between the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
and Lowlands of Scotland, Glengoyne’s stills are in the Highlands while maturing casks of whisky rest across the road in the Lowlands. Unlike many malt whisky distilleries, Glengoyne does not use peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
smoke to dry their barley, but instead uses warm air.
Illicit stills
In the early nineteenth century, due to the heavy taxes on spirit production imposed by the government, many whisky producers were forced to operate illegally. The area around Glengoyne was full of hills and forests which provided excellent cover for the distillers. Records show that at least eighteen illicit whisky stills were operating in the area.In the 1820s an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was passed, which reduced the cost of the license required to distil and duty on spirit. Shortly after the introduction of the 'Excise Act of 1823' (or 'Walsh Act') the first of these illicit stills came into official existence, with Glengoyne following later in 1833. Although Glengoyne only officially existed from 1833 and no records exist from before this date, it is believed that distilling on the site pre-dates that with a local historian writing that the smoke of "illicit stills" was visible in the area in the early 19th century.
Whisky production
The distillery began distilling in 1833 and was known as the Burnfoot distillery. It was originally owned by George Connell who built the distillery and took out a lease on the surrounding land, on which was built a warehouse which is still in use today. In 1876 the distillery was sold, by Archiball G. MacLellen, to the Lang Brothers who were based in Glasgow. It is stated that the Langs intended to name the distillery Glengoyne, but due to a mistake by a clerk it was recorded as Glen Guin. In 1894, or 1905 it was changed to Glengoyne which comes from 'Glenguin' or 'Glen of the Wild Geese'.The distillery remained with the Lang Brothers until taken over by the Robertson & Baxter group in 1965, who later became the Edrington group. In 1966 and 1967 the number of stills was increased from two to three as the distillery underwent a rebuilding project.
In 1984 the Lang Brothers became suppliers of whiskies to the then Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
household. The Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
has since been delegated to Ian Macleod and features on all Glengoyne products.
Modern era and expansion
In April 2003, Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd. acquired Glengoyne Distillery, and the 'Glengoyne Single Malt' and 'Langs Blended Whisky' brands. The acquisition of Glengoyne Distillery meant that Ian Macleod became a fully integrated distiller, blender and bottler. Under Ian Macleod, Glengoyne saw a vast increase in output capacity as well as a similar rise in sales.Speaking of the acquisition and planned expansions in 2003, Leonard Russell, managing director for Ian Macleod stated "We'll be aiming to increase sales of the Glengoyne from the current level of 450,000 litres to one million litres next year".
Later, speaking in 2005 Russell stated "we continue to make whisky exactly the same way at Glengoyne".
The original warehouse built by George Connell is still be found on the site, as the shop and visitor reception area. Today, Glengoyne has eight working warehouses with a total capacity of nearly two million litres (4.5 million bottles) or spirit.
Production and character
Glengoyne Distillery is situated at DumgoyneDumgoyne
Dumgoyne is a hill prominent on the edge of the Campsie Fells and is a well known landmark visible from Glasgow. It is a volcanic plug and is 427 m high...
, on the south-western edge of the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, close to Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
and to the north of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Although distilled in the Highlands, making Glengoyne a Highland single malt, the whisky is matured in the Lowlands
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
. This is because the distillery itself sits upon the Highland Line
Highland Boundary Fault
The Highland Boundary Fault is a geological fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east...
, the division between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland which splits the distillery in two. The boundary line runs underneath the A81 road from Glasgow to Aberfoyle and passes in front of the distillery with the warehouses located to the southwest of the road.
Glengoyne is regularly referred to as the "most beautiful distillery in Scotland". The distillery has been in continuous operation producing Highland single malt whisky for over 175 years with a current distilling capacity of over one million litres of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and over 35,000 visitors per annum.
Glengoyne, along with The Macallan
The Macallan
The Macallan is a brand of single malt Scotch whisky first distilled in 1824 at The Macallan Distillery near Easter Elchies House, at Craigellachie, in Moray...
, is one of only two distilleries remaining today that uses Golden Promise barley which is low in yield but high in quality. The distillery's water supply comes from the Glengoyne Burn which flows from the nearby Dumgoyne hill into the distillery grounds before continuing on to Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
.
Unlike many malt whiskys Glengoyne does not use peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
smoke to dry their barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
but instead favours the use of warm air. The clear and bright appearance and distinctive flavour of the Glengoyne single malts are credited to this lack of peat smoke. This rare characteristic is utilised in the marketing of Glengoyne with the use of the promotional slogan "The authentic taste of malt whisky untainted by peat smoke".
As a result of the use of unpeated malt Glengoyne has been noted as being stylistically closer to a Lowland single malt
Lowland Single Malts
Lowland Single Malts are single malt whiskies distilled in the lowlands of Scotland.The region now only has three currently producing distilleries: Glenkinchie, near Edinburgh; Auchentoshan, near Clydebank; and Bladnoch in Galloway....
as opposed to a Highland single malt.
Products
At its current operating capacity Glengoyne produces over one million litres of pure spirit (new make spirit) every year which is used in a number of different whiskies.The distillery has won various awards for its products including a double gold awarded to the 17 year old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a gold for the 15 year old Scottish oak wood finish for "best wood finish" by the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival. Glengoyne 17 year old was voted World's Best Single Highland Malt in the "Best of the Best" whisky tasting, organised by "Whisky Magazine".
Due to the rapid growth recently of the Scotch malt whisky industry (recent figures indicate a 9% growth in 2002) and of the premium whisky market as a whole, Glengoyne is mainly marketed in the UK, Scandinavian, French, German and USA markets.
Current Range
| Range | Aged | Cask Finish | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Single Malt Single malt Scotch Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient... |
|||
| 10 years | Gold at 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition | ||
| 12 years cask strength Cask strength Cask strength is a term used in whisky-making to describe the level of alcohol-by-volume strength that is used for a whisky during its storage in a cask for maturation – typically in the range of 60–65% abv.... |
Double Gold at 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition | ||
| 17 years |
|
||
| 21 years | Gold at 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition | ||
| 32 years | N/A | ||
| Limited Edition Single Malt Single malt Scotch Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient... |
|||
| 16 years | Glenguin Shiraz Cask | ||
| 15 years | Scottish Oak wood | Gold at 2005 Stockholm Beer & Whisky festival |
Past range
| Range | Aged | Cask Finish | Number of Bottles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Rare Bottlings Single Malt Single malt Scotch Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient... |
|||
| 11 years Single cask |
European Oak Sherry Hogshead | 301 | |
| 16 years Single cask |
Refill Hogshead | 287 | |
| 19 years Single cask |
Oloroso Hogshead | 262 | |
| 2007 Rare Bottlings Single Malt Single malt Scotch Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient... |
|||
| 14 years Single cask |
American Oak Sherry Hogshead | 296 | |
| 20 years Single cask |
Spanish Oak Sherry Butt | 592 |
| Range | Aged |
|---|---|
| 2006 Rare Bottlings Single Malt Single malt Scotch Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient... |
21 years Single cask |
| 29 years Single cask |
|
| 36 years Single cask |
|
| 16 years Single cask miniature |
|
| 2005 Rare Bottlings Single Malt Single malt Scotch Single Malt Scotch is whisky made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient... |
|
| 19 years Single cask |
|
| 32 years Single cask |
|
| 37 years Single cask |
Sources
- Rennie, R.C. (1966). The County of Stirling (The Third Statistical Account of Scotland, Volume 18). Glasgow: William Collins Sons & Co.
External links
- Page with information on Golden Promise Barley
- Glengoyne official website
- Ian MacLeod official website
Coordinates: 56.01403°N 4.36378°W