Knockdhu Distillery
Encyclopedia
Knockdhu Distillery was established in 1893 by John Morrison.
John Morrison had purchased the Knock estate from the Duke of Fife
and shortly afterwards discovered several springs
of fine water
rising on the southern slopes of the Knock Hill. So taken by the quality of the water was Morrison that he sent samples away for analysis. Within a month, negotiations began, resulting in the construction of the Knockdhu Distillery at the base of the Knock Hill. The site was also chosen for its proximity to the Knock Station on the Banff branch line of the Great North of Scotland Railway
(GNSR) between Aberdeen
and Elgin
. Not only was the new location convenient to the railway but it was also within a few miles of a district noted both for its barley
and inexhaustible source of excellent peat
, both essential ingredients in fine malt whiskies
.
Gordon & Macbey, of Elgin, were appointed architects and the foundations
were laid in May 1893. The distillery was constructed using grey granite
of local origin. Power was supplied by a steam engine
of 16 horse power and, when in full production, the two pot still
s could turn out 2,500 gallon
s of spirit
per week.
Knockdhu Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is currently bottled under the Gaelic
name anCnoc meaning "the hill".
The distillery is owned by Inver House Distillers Limited
, whose other distilleries include The Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery
, Old Pulteney Distillery, Balblair Distillery
, and Balmenach Distillery
.
John Morrison had purchased the Knock estate from the Duke of Fife
Duke of Fife
Duke of Fife is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, named after Fife in Scotland. There have been two creations of the title, the first in 1889 and the second in 1900, both in favour of Alexander Duff, 6th Earl Fife in the Peerage of Ireland and 1st Earl of Fife in the Peerage of the...
and shortly afterwards discovered several springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
of fine water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
rising on the southern slopes of the Knock Hill. So taken by the quality of the water was Morrison that he sent samples away for analysis. Within a month, negotiations began, resulting in the construction of the Knockdhu Distillery at the base of the Knock Hill. The site was also chosen for its proximity to the Knock Station on the Banff branch line of the Great North of Scotland Railway
Great North of Scotland Railway
The Great North of Scotland Railway was one of the smaller Scottish railways before the grouping, operating in the far north-east of the country. It was formed in 1845 and received its Parliamentary approval on June 26, 1846, following over two years of local meetings...
(GNSR) between Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
. Not only was the new location convenient to the railway but it was also within a few miles of a district noted both for its 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...
and inexhaustible source of excellent 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...
, both essential ingredients in fine malt whiskies
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...
.
Gordon & Macbey, of Elgin, were appointed architects and the foundations
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
were laid in May 1893. The distillery was constructed using grey granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
of local origin. Power was supplied by a steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
of 16 horse power and, when in full production, the two pot still
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
s could turn out 2,500 gallon
Gallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
s of spirit
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...
per week.
Knockdhu Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is currently bottled under the Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
name anCnoc meaning "the hill".
The distillery is owned by Inver House Distillers Limited
Inver House Distillers Limited
Inver House Distillers Limited is a Scottish malt whisky distiller, based in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. The company is now a subsidiary of Thai Beverages, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in South East Asia, with a market capitalisation in excess of US$4bn.Inver House Distillers is...
, whose other distilleries include The Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery
The Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery
The Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery was founded in 1897 by John Hopkins & Company for the sum of £17,000. The site was chosen by John Hopkins himself for its unpolluted water supply from the Granty Burn, one of the major tributaries to the River Spey...
, Old Pulteney Distillery, Balblair Distillery
Balblair Distillery
right|thumb|250px|View of Balblair DistilleryBalblair Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located in Edderton, Ross-shire, Scotland.Originally founded in 1790, the distillery was rebuilt in 1895 by the designer Charles C Doig to be closer to the Edderton Railway Station on the Inverness and...
, and Balmenach Distillery
Balmenach Distillery
Balmenach Distillery was established in 1824 by James MacGregor, from a family of farmers and illicit distillers who resided in Tomintoul.- History :...
.
See also
- WhiskyWhiskyWhisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
- Scotch whiskyScotch whiskyScotch 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...
- List of whisky brands
- List of distilleries in Scotland
External links
- anCnoc Single Malt Whisky - Website
- Inver House Distillers Limited - Corporate Website