Strathisla

Macdonald Ingram & Co. bought the distillery in 1823, and William Longmore bought it in 1830.⁴ Its whisky was long known as Strathisla, after the river beside it, and Whiskypedia says the distillery took that name in 1870.^2,4,6 Whisky Magazine instead says it was renamed Strathisla in 1850, became Milton-Keith in 1870, and used Strathisla for good from 1880.^2,4,7 On 22 January 1876 a fire killed 30 cows and destroyed much of the barley, but it did not stop work at the distillery.⁶ In July 1879 a spark in the mill set the fine grain dust alight.^1,8,9 After the fires, Longmore rebuilt the plant in stone; heritage records say it was mainly rebuilt around 1880, around 1890 and in the 1950s.^1,8,9 In 1880 Longmore retired and passed the distillery to his son-in-law, John Geddes-Brown, who set up William Longmore & Co.^4,6 Alfred Barnard's 1887 book describes two malt barns, two old-style pot stills of 2,000 and 5,000 gallons, and worm pipes laid in a concrete reservoir.⁷ Peat from Bogbain Moss and Orkney was chiefly used to dry the malt, and the yearly output was 90,000 gallons.⁷ Whiskypedia says it became Milton again in 1890, but a report of the 1876 fire and Barnard's 1887 book both call it the Milton Distillery.^2,4,7

In 1940 Jay Pomeroy, a London financier, bought a majority share of William Longmore & Co.^4,6 He sent the whisky to London, where it is believed to have been sold on the black market.^4,6 In 1949 he was prosecuted over his tax returns and fined £111,038; Whiskypedia says he was jailed for tax evasion.^4,6 On 14 April 1950 whisky broker Jimmy Barclay bought it at auction for £71,000, the first piece in Sam Bronfman's plans for a reworked Chivas Regal 12 Year Old.^2,4,5 The distillery was renamed Strathisla once more in 1951.^4,10

In 1965 two more stills were added, bringing the total from two to four.^2,4,5 In 1970 it began a short run of a heavily peated whisky, Craigduff.⁴ Its buildings are listed at Category A; heritage records date the listing to 24 March 1988 or 24 March 1971.^1,9 In 2001 Pernod Ricard bought Seagram's whisky business, including Chivas Brothers and Strathisla.^4,6,8 In 2006 the old filling store, offices and canteen were being converted into part of the visitor centre and guest rooms.³

Its water comes from the Broomhill Spring; Whiskypedia adds the Cossburn Springs, and Whisky Magazine names the Fons Bulliens Well.^4,7,8 Its malt comes from Bairds and is not peated.⁴ It has 10 wooden washbacks, the vessels where the sugary water from the mash ferments.⁴ Fermentation lasts 54 hours.⁴ It has 2 wash stills and 2 spirit stills.^4,8 Steam coils heat the stills, and the wash stills are lantern-shaped.⁴ Shell and tube condensers turn the vapour back into spirit.⁴ Its small stills help give the new spirit heft and weight.⁴