The Glenlivet began legally in 1824, when George Smith took out a licence to distil at his farm at Upper Drumin, in the parish of Glenlivet.1,2,3 In 1859 production moved to a new, larger distillery at Minmore.3,4,5 In 1884, after a legal fight over the name, it became The Glenlivet.1,2,6Pernod Ricard has owned it since 2001, through Chivas Brothers.6,7,8
Outstanding review score, 91 out of 100Outstanding91/100
An unusual whisky that transforms from onion soup, petrol and paraffin into mango, honey and fruit salad, becoming magnificently fruity despite a few charming…
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fruit salad
heather honey
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Producing, 1824–1943
Silent, 1943–today
Name
The Glenlivet, 1824–1884
The Glenlivet, 1884–today
182419001950Today
From Upper Drumin to Minmore
Andrew Smith began distilling at Upper Drumin in 1774, and George Smith inherited the business from his father in 1817.6 After the 1824 licence, Smith made 50 gallons a week at first.1,2,3 Excavations at Upper Drumin, used from 1824 to 1859, suggest a wash still and a spirit still over coal-fired furnaces, with a spiral copper worm cooled by running water.3 He was close to bankrupt in 1826, but his landlord, the Duke of Gordon, gave him money and helped him find customers.6,9 Output reached 200 gallons a week by 1839.1,3 In 1850 he built a second distillery at nearby Delnabo.2,6 When the Auchorachan distillery closed in 1854, Smith was the only licensed distiller left in the glen.9 In 1858 fire destroyed the Upper Drumin distillery while he was building a new one at Minmore.2,5,10 Minmore started in 1859 at 600 gallons a week, with new stills of 2,000 and 1,200 gallons; one record says it was first called Drummin-Glenlivet.3,4,5
George Smith died on 27 November 1871, and his youngest son, John Gordon Smith, took over.1,2,6 A settlement in 1884 let this distillery call itself The Glenlivet, while others could add '-Glenlivet' to theirs.1,2,6 A fire in 1890 forced some buildings to be replaced, and 2 more stills were added in 1896.6 In 1909 George Smith Grant, George Smith's grandson, led the malt distillers against the big blenders in the 'What is Whisky' case.9
Captain Bill and the single malt
Captain Bill Smith Grant, George Smith's great-grandson, left the army in 1921 to run the distillery.11 After Prohibition ended in 1933, he led a drive to sell single malts in the United States again.1,9,11 In the spring of 1943 the distillery halted production and was mothballed, or closed for a time, by government order.2,12,13 Its output was back at pre-war levels by 1947.2
In 1953 the Smith firm merged with J. & J. Grant, owner of The Glen Grant, to form The Glenlivet and Glen Grant Distillers.2,11 Its floor maltings, where barley was malted on site, closed in 1966.6 In 1970 the firm merged with Longmorn-Glenlivet and Hill Thomson & Co. Ltd. to form The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd; Wikipedia dates that name to 1972.2,8,11 Seagram of Canada bought the company in 1977.2,8,10 In 2001 Pernod Ricard bought Seagram's Scotch whisky business and named it .
Next: Mergers and new owners, A bigger distillery, How it makes its spirit
On 5 June 2010 Prince Charles opened a £10 million extension with a new mash tun, 8 washbacks and 6 stills.1,2,14 It brought the distillery to 14 stills and expanded capacity by 75%.1,2,14 In 2015 work began on another expansion, which later reports said would double capacity from 10.5 million to 21 million litres a year.2,15,16 An earlier report said it would treble production.2,15,16
Its water comes from Josie's Well and other springs close by.2,6,17 Its malt has less than 1ppm phenols and comes from Boortmalt.2,6 Another source names Crisp Maltings in Portgordon as the malt supplier.2,6 A trade report counts 32 wooden washbacks and 26 stills.6,18 Washbacks are the tanks where wort, the sugary water drawn from the mash, ferments, here for about 54 hours.6,18 The spirit is distilled twice, and the stills are heated by steam.6,17 The stills are tall and lantern-shaped, with long, narrow necks, which help make a light spirit.2,6,17 Shell and tube condensers cool the still vapour.6 Whiskypedia says the floral, estery style seen today goes back to the 1860s, when the spirit was noted for a pineapple note.6 Its offices, warehouses and visitor centre are listed at Category B, but not its much-altered production buildings; the warehouse ranges are among the oldest in Scotland.5
