Dufftown Distillery
Speyside
Scotland
Owned by:
Diageo
About
One of the few distilleries whose spirit stills are larger than its wash stills, for years Dufftown was produced in the ‘Bell’s’ style – a malt-heavy, ‘nutty-spicy’ character.
History
One of a number of distilleries which started as a mill, Dufftown started producing whisky in 1896 for its owner, the blending firm Mackenzie & Co (which already owned Blair Athol). It became part of Arthur Bell & Sons in 1933 and was a key player within that blender’s estate, increasing its stills to eight by 1979 – currently there are six.
Bell’s also built the neighbouring Pittyvaich distillery in 1975 (it was run more or less as Dufftown 2) to cater for the rise in demand for its blend. Pittyvaich closed in 1993 and was demolished in 2002. Bell’s was bought by Guinness in 1985 and two years later Diageo was formed.
Until the opening of Roseisle, Dufftown was Diageo’s largest distillery. In 2006, it joined the Singleton family (alongside Glendullan and Glen Ord) with its market being, predominantly, UK and Europe.
Timeline
- 1895 The Dufftown-Glenlivet distillery is built within a former mill by Peter Mackenzie, Richard Stackpole, John Symon and Charles Macpherson
- 1896 The distillery begins production
- 1897 Glenlivet-Dufftown falls under the ownership of P.Mackenzie & Co
- 1933 The distillery becomes part of Arthur Bell & Sons' portfolio
- 1968 Dufftown undergoes a refurbishment – its stills are increased from two to four while its floor maltings are decommissioned
- 1974 The distillery's stills are increased again to six
- 1975 Bell's builds the Pittyvaich distillery next door to produce malt for its blend
- 1979 A further two stills are added, bringing the total to eight
- 1985 Arthur Bell & Sons is purchased by Guinness
- 1993 Pittyvaich is closed. The building is finally demolished in 2002
- 1997 Guinness merges with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo
- 2006 The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Year Old is launched in travel retail
- 2014 The Singleton Tailfire and Sunray are launched
Production facts
- Condenser Type
- Shell and tube
- Fermentation Time
- 75hrs
- Filling Strength
- 63.5%
- Grist Weight (t)
- 13
- Heat Source
- Steam
- Malt Specification
- Non peated
- Malt Supplier
- Mainly in house
- Mash Tun Type
- Lauter
- New-make Phenol Level
- Non peaty
- New-make Strength
- 67-68%
- Spirit Still Charge (l)
- 15,300
- Spirit Still Shape
- Plain
- Stills
- 6
- Wash Still Charge (l)
- 12,000
- Wash Still Shape
- Plain
- Washback Type
- Steel
- Washbacks
- 12
- Water Source
- Jock's Well, Conval Hills Spring
- Wort Clarity
- Clear
- Yeast Type
- Creamed
Ownership
Current owner
Previous owners (4)
Dufftown-Glenlivet Distillery Co
1895–1897
P Mackenzie & Co
1897–1933
Arthur Bell & Sons
1933–1985
Guinness UDV
1985–1997
