Glenturret Distillery
Encyclopedia
The Glenturret Distillery is located on the banks of the Turret River two miles north west of Crieff
in Perthshire
, Scotland
. The distillery
is hidden in the valley and its secluded location may have contributed to its early history as the site of several illicit bothy
stills. The high hills to either side of the distillery were thought to act as lookout points for the smugglers. When Alfred Barnard visited the distillery he described the valley as “a perfect paradise to artists, who come in great numbers to transfer some of its transcendant beauties to canvas.” The distillery is located in the parish of Monzievaird
and Strowan.
, since 1717. This early history has led to claims that Glenturret is the oldest distillery in Scotland, a title contested by other establishments such as Littlemill, Glenisla, Bowmore and Glen Garioch
.
The distillery was originally known as “Hosh” and was originally owned by the Drummond family. "Hosh" comes from the gaelic "cois", meaning foot. It was taken over by John McCallum in 1845 till 1875 when Thomas Stewart took it over and renamed it Glenturret in its centenary year.
The First World War saw the closure of the distillery, but following the war it reopened again under the Mitchell Brothers until 1921 when the great depression and prohibition in America saw it closed again. The buildings during this period were kept as storage by the Murrays of Ochtertyre. It did not reopen again to production till 1957 when it was revitalised by James Fairlie. Fairlie was a whisky enthusiast and his intention was to create a malt whisky created in traditional fashion and to preserve the craft of distilling. The distillery was bought by Cointreau
in 1981 and from there passed to Highland Distillers
in 1990. Since then it has become the home of “The Famous Grouse Experience”, which was nominated for an Interactive Entertainment Award at BAFTA in 2002.
. As the water used contributes much of the taste and character of the whisky, the purity and quality of the water is essential in the whisky making process. Ben Chonzie
is part of the Grampian Mountain Range and is a granitic intrusion, known as diorite
. This geology has resulted in the extreme softness of the water of Loch Turret making it a suitable source for the whisky.
Barley is soaked in water from the source for two to three days then spread over the floor of the malting house
. The green malt
is then dried in a kiln over peat smoke. The malt is then milled into grist
, which is like a course flour. Grist
is then mixed with hot water in the mash tun at about 70oC for about an hour. This is drained off and the second water, which is hotter, is added and allowed to run straight through. The third water is even hotter and is used as the first water for the next batch. The sugary wort
is collected, cooled and then fermented in large pine vessels called wash backs. Yeast is added and after 48 hours of fermentation the wash
is made. The wash
is then pre-heated in a wash-charger and from there goes to the wash
still. This is a traditional pot still made of copper and is of a shape unchanged in the history of Scotch whisky
making. The wash is heated in the pot still so the alcohol
vapour rises up and cools and condenses in the low wines receiver. The low wines then passes through to the spirit still where it is distilled again. The spirit running through the pot and spirit stills is subject to Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Duty and so is kept under lock and key. It can be sampled and tested by the stillman via the spirit sample safe. The spirit from the spirit still is divided in three parts, but only the middle cut or “Heart of the Run” is suitable to be made into malt whisky
. The other two parts are fed back into the low wines receiver to be re-distilled. The middle cut then goes to an oak spirit receiver and from there to the filling vats in the spirit store.
At this stage more water is added to reduce the concentration of alcohol
from 75% to 64%. Each oak cask is hand made and therefore unique, so each must be weighed before and after filling to determine how much spirit is in each. Each cask is stencilled with the name, year, cask number and number of litres. The casks are then laid aside in the warehouse for a minimum of three years when it can be used for blending. But for the malt whisky
range it is matured for 8, 10, 12, 15 or 21 years or longer for very special bottlings.
Philip Hills has described Glenturret with the words:- “Its nose has the floweriness which is characteristic of such [bourbon cask]; it opens up with water and yields scents of elderflower and liebfraumilch. It is entirely honest, not appearing to be anything it isn’t, but what it is, is sufficient; an entirely pleasing and agreeable whisky.”
female, the resident feline pest control expert at Glenturret from 1963 till 1987 was an officially recognised record breaker. Her record breaking victim count was 28,299 mice which were laid out on the Still House floor each morning to be inspected by the stillman. The auditors for the Guinness book of records observed Towser's prowess over a number of days and her total kill count was estimated statistically. She was commemorated by a bronze statue at the visitor's centre at Glenturret and her story was featured on Blue Peter
. Her paw prints also decorate the label on a bottle of Fairlie's light Highland Liqueur. Her successors are Dylan and Brooke who were chosen for their friendliness and photogenic looks rather than for their mousing skills.
wrote the poem "Earnest Cry and Prayer" in 1785 about the problems these high duties caused. Burns himself was an exciseman between 1789 and 1796. He was reported to be "not a bustling active gauger" and was allegedly too impatient for the lengthy stake-outs required in his investigations. But the job paid very well and there were often sizeable rewards paid and the job had very good security.
In 1814 the act banning the use of stills of less than 500 gallons was introduced. This limited whisky production to commercial concerns and from then on farmers had no way of raising enough money to pay their rents, as distilling allowed them to use their excess grain for whisky which could be sold at a profit greater than that of the grain itself. This drove many honest people to smuggling as a way to survive. Many widespread difficulties were caused by farmers moving off the land, that agriculture in the Highlands was in danger of dying out. The law was changed in 1816 to allow stills of more than 40 gallons to be legal to encourage small distillers. However this still meant that stills under 40 gallons were determined to be portable and hence illegal which eradicated a lot of domestic distilling.
Smuggling gangs set up stills in secret places. The stills themselves were small so that if the exciseman was spotted they could be removed and hidden. Smuggling chiefs were often men of high standing in the community. When one of their men was arrested the chief's name would be kept secret. This was partly due to the fact that the excise duties were seen as a tax by a foreign power, i.e. England, and so denying this revenue was their patriotic duty.
There are many tales of the deviousness of the whisky smuggler in outwitting the gaugers (an itinerant exciseman who measured containers and their content), and the excisemen. In one such story the gaugers confiscate a large cask of spirit and transport it to a nearby inn where they are staying. They take the cask to their room on the second floor for safe keeping. The smugglers came to the inn and employ the serving girl to locate where the cask sits on the floor above and using an auger bore into the bottom of the cask, removing all the spirit so that there is none left for the gaugers to sample.
The only way to tackle the illegal distilling entirely was to decrease the duty so that it was no longer profitable and increase policing so that the military and gaugers were increased. Revenue cutters were employed up and down the coast and the numbers excisemen was increased as they were often out numbered by smuggling gangs. Further tariff reforms and generous rewards for informers were introduced and these measures became known as "the burning and starving act".
Illicit distilling has died out from lack of profitability, but rumours still persist in remote places of homemade moonshine
like "Melvaig Mist" and in Shropshire.
Crieff
Crieff is a market town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich and also lies on the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins onto the A823 which leads to Dunfermline....
in Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, 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...
. The distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
is hidden in the valley and its secluded location may have contributed to its early history as the site of several illicit bothy
Bothy
A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate. Bothies are to be found in remote, mountainous areas of Scotland, northern England, Ireland, and Wales....
stills. The high hills to either side of the distillery were thought to act as lookout points for the smugglers. When Alfred Barnard visited the distillery he described the valley as “a perfect paradise to artists, who come in great numbers to transfer some of its transcendant beauties to canvas.” The distillery is located in the parish of Monzievaird
Monzievaird
Monzievaird is situated two miles west of Crieff in Highland Perthshire, Scotland.It was originally named Muithauard c.1200, Moneward 1203. The name is derived from the Gaelic magh + bard; Plain of the bards. ....
and Strowan.
History
The distillery was officially established in 1775, but the distillery had previously been under the control of illicit distillers, who sought to avoid paying taxes to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, since 1717. This early history has led to claims that Glenturret is the oldest distillery in Scotland, a title contested by other establishments such as Littlemill, Glenisla, Bowmore and Glen Garioch
Glen Garioch
Glen Garioch Highland Single Malt Whisky |Doric]] dialect of Aberdeen), is one of the oldest whisky distilleries in Scotland, dating back to 1797.-History:...
.
The distillery was originally known as “Hosh” and was originally owned by the Drummond family. "Hosh" comes from the gaelic "cois", meaning foot. It was taken over by John McCallum in 1845 till 1875 when Thomas Stewart took it over and renamed it Glenturret in its centenary year.
The First World War saw the closure of the distillery, but following the war it reopened again under the Mitchell Brothers until 1921 when the great depression and prohibition in America saw it closed again. The buildings during this period were kept as storage by the Murrays of Ochtertyre. It did not reopen again to production till 1957 when it was revitalised by James Fairlie. Fairlie was a whisky enthusiast and his intention was to create a malt whisky created in traditional fashion and to preserve the craft of distilling. The distillery was bought by Cointreau
Cointreau
Cointreau is a brand of triple sec produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is drunk as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called "Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec".-Production:...
in 1981 and from there passed to Highland Distillers
Highland Distillers
Highland Distillers was founded in 1887 by the Robertson family. In 1970 Highland purchased Matthew Gloag & Son Ltd., producers of the Famous Grouse blended whisky and acquired The Macallan single malt Scotch producers in 1996. Highland also produced the Highland Park brand whisky. Highland...
in 1990. Since then it has become the home of “The Famous Grouse Experience”, which was nominated for an Interactive Entertainment Award at BAFTA in 2002.
Production and Character
The water supply for the Glenturret comes via its own pipeline from Loch Turret which has its origin in Ben ChonzieBen Chonzie
Ben Chonzie, also known as Ben-y Hone, is a Scottish mountain situated eleven kilometres northwest of Crieff. It stands at 931 m and is therefore listed as a Munro...
. As the water used contributes much of the taste and character of the whisky, the purity and quality of the water is essential in the whisky making process. Ben Chonzie
Ben Chonzie
Ben Chonzie, also known as Ben-y Hone, is a Scottish mountain situated eleven kilometres northwest of Crieff. It stands at 931 m and is therefore listed as a Munro...
is part of the Grampian Mountain Range and is a granitic intrusion, known as diorite
Diorite
Diorite is a grey to dark grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar , biotite, hornblende, and/or pyroxene. It may contain small amounts of quartz, microcline and olivine. Zircon, apatite, sphene, magnetite, ilmenite and sulfides occur as accessory...
. This geology has resulted in the extreme softness of the water of Loch Turret making it a suitable source for the whisky.
Barley is soaked in water from the source for two to three days then spread over the floor of the malting house
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
. The green malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
is then dried in a kiln over peat smoke. The malt is then milled into grist
Grist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
, which is like a course flour. Grist
Grist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
is then mixed with hot water in the mash tun at about 70oC for about an hour. This is drained off and the second water, which is hotter, is added and allowed to run straight through. The third water is even hotter and is used as the first water for the next batch. The sugary wort
Wort
Wort may refer to:* Wort, the liquid created by the mashing of malted barley to use in brewing beer* Worting, Hampshire, a large district and suburb of the town of Basingstoke, in Hampshire, England....
is collected, cooled and then fermented in large pine vessels called wash backs. Yeast is added and after 48 hours of fermentation the wash
Wash (distilling)
In the production of distilled beverages, the term wash is used to refer to the liquid produced by the fermentation step, which is the input to the distillation process which concentrates the alcohol.-See also:...
is made. The wash
Wash (distilling)
In the production of distilled beverages, the term wash is used to refer to the liquid produced by the fermentation step, which is the input to the distillation process which concentrates the alcohol.-See also:...
is then pre-heated in a wash-charger and from there goes to the wash
Wash (distilling)
In the production of distilled beverages, the term wash is used to refer to the liquid produced by the fermentation step, which is the input to the distillation process which concentrates the alcohol.-See also:...
still. This is a traditional pot still made of copper and is of a shape unchanged in the history of Scotch whisky
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...
making. The wash is heated in the pot still so the 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....
vapour rises up and cools and condenses in the low wines receiver. The low wines then passes through to the spirit still where it is distilled again. The spirit running through the pot and spirit stills is subject to Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Duty and so is kept under lock and key. It can be sampled and tested by the stillman via the spirit sample safe. The spirit from the spirit still is divided in three parts, but only the middle cut or “Heart of the Run” is suitable to be made into malt whisky
Malt whisky
Malt whisky is whisky that is made from a fermented mash produced primarily from a malted grain. Unless otherwise specified, it is generally assumed that the primary grain is barley, although whisky is also made using malted rye...
. The other two parts are fed back into the low wines receiver to be re-distilled. The middle cut then goes to an oak spirit receiver and from there to the filling vats in the spirit store.
At this stage more water is added to reduce the concentration 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....
from 75% to 64%. Each oak cask is hand made and therefore unique, so each must be weighed before and after filling to determine how much spirit is in each. Each cask is stencilled with the name, year, cask number and number of litres. The casks are then laid aside in the warehouse for a minimum of three years when it can be used for blending. But for the malt whisky
Malt whisky
Malt whisky is whisky that is made from a fermented mash produced primarily from a malted grain. Unless otherwise specified, it is generally assumed that the primary grain is barley, although whisky is also made using malted rye...
range it is matured for 8, 10, 12, 15 or 21 years or longer for very special bottlings.
Philip Hills has described Glenturret with the words:- “Its nose has the floweriness which is characteristic of such [bourbon cask]; it opens up with water and yields scents of elderflower and liebfraumilch. It is entirely honest, not appearing to be anything it isn’t, but what it is, is sufficient; an entirely pleasing and agreeable whisky.”
Towser the Mouser
Towser, a long-haired tortoiseshellTortoiseshell cat
Tortoiseshell describes a coat coloring found mostly in female cats. Cats of this color are mottled, with patches of orange or cream and chocolate, black or blue. They are sometimes called torties...
female, the resident feline pest control expert at Glenturret from 1963 till 1987 was an officially recognised record breaker. Her record breaking victim count was 28,299 mice which were laid out on the Still House floor each morning to be inspected by the stillman. The auditors for the Guinness book of records observed Towser's prowess over a number of days and her total kill count was estimated statistically. She was commemorated by a bronze statue at the visitor's centre at Glenturret and her story was featured on Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
. Her paw prints also decorate the label on a bottle of Fairlie's light Highland Liqueur. Her successors are Dylan and Brooke who were chosen for their friendliness and photogenic looks rather than for their mousing skills.
Illicit Distilling
Excise duty was introduced in Scotland in 1660. The taxation laws were very complex and it was unclear how much tax should be paid. Duties also continued to rise gradually and Robert BurnsRobert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
wrote the poem "Earnest Cry and Prayer" in 1785 about the problems these high duties caused. Burns himself was an exciseman between 1789 and 1796. He was reported to be "not a bustling active gauger" and was allegedly too impatient for the lengthy stake-outs required in his investigations. But the job paid very well and there were often sizeable rewards paid and the job had very good security.
In 1814 the act banning the use of stills of less than 500 gallons was introduced. This limited whisky production to commercial concerns and from then on farmers had no way of raising enough money to pay their rents, as distilling allowed them to use their excess grain for whisky which could be sold at a profit greater than that of the grain itself. This drove many honest people to smuggling as a way to survive. Many widespread difficulties were caused by farmers moving off the land, that agriculture in the Highlands was in danger of dying out. The law was changed in 1816 to allow stills of more than 40 gallons to be legal to encourage small distillers. However this still meant that stills under 40 gallons were determined to be portable and hence illegal which eradicated a lot of domestic distilling.
Smuggling gangs set up stills in secret places. The stills themselves were small so that if the exciseman was spotted they could be removed and hidden. Smuggling chiefs were often men of high standing in the community. When one of their men was arrested the chief's name would be kept secret. This was partly due to the fact that the excise duties were seen as a tax by a foreign power, i.e. England, and so denying this revenue was their patriotic duty.
There are many tales of the deviousness of the whisky smuggler in outwitting the gaugers (an itinerant exciseman who measured containers and their content), and the excisemen. In one such story the gaugers confiscate a large cask of spirit and transport it to a nearby inn where they are staying. They take the cask to their room on the second floor for safe keeping. The smugglers came to the inn and employ the serving girl to locate where the cask sits on the floor above and using an auger bore into the bottom of the cask, removing all the spirit so that there is none left for the gaugers to sample.
The only way to tackle the illegal distilling entirely was to decrease the duty so that it was no longer profitable and increase policing so that the military and gaugers were increased. Revenue cutters were employed up and down the coast and the numbers excisemen was increased as they were often out numbered by smuggling gangs. Further tariff reforms and generous rewards for informers were introduced and these measures became known as "the burning and starving act".
Illicit distilling has died out from lack of profitability, but rumours still persist in remote places of homemade moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
like "Melvaig Mist" and in Shropshire.
External links
- Glenturret
- The Famous Grouse Experience
- A Highland Massacre
- OS Sheet 52 ; Map reference NN 856 234 ; Latitude 56 23° N, Longitude 3 51° W