Glenfarclas distillery

Glenfarclas

Glenfarclas Visitor Centre
Region: Speyside
Owner J. & G. Grant
Founded 1836
Status Active
Water source Ben Rinnes
Number of stills 3 wash stills, 3 spirit stills
Capacity 3,000,000 litres

Glenfarclas distillery is a Speyside whisky distillery in Ballindalloch, Scotland. Glenfarclas translates as meaning valley of the green grass. The distillery is owned and run by the Grant family.[1] The distillery has six stills which are the largest on Speyside and are heated directly by gas burners.

The distillery has a production capacity of around 3.5 million litres of spirit per year. Normally four stills are used for production with two kept in reserve.

The distillery has approximately 68,000 casks maturing on site, in traditional dunnage warehouses, with stock from every year from 1953 to the current year. Glenfarclas produce a traditional Highland malt with a heavy sherry influence.

History

The distillery was first granted a license in 1836[2] when it was run by Robert Hay. In 1865 it was bought by John Grant and is still owned and run by his descendants, making it truly independent.

John L.S. Grant, who joined Glenfarclas in 1973, is the current Chairman. His son George S. Grant is Director of Sales. The company was named Distiller of the Year by Whisky Magazine in 2006.[3]

Since 2006 Glenfarclas has been distributed in the UK by Pol Roger Ltd.[4] In 2008 the company began sponsoring horseracing with the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. In 2011, the 40-year-old 46% vol. expression was named "Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year" in the 17th Annual Malt Advocate[5] Whisky Awards.

Proprietary bottlings

A miniature (50ml) of Glenfarclas 105. The label bears the facsimile signature of John L.S. Grant.

Glenfarclas is produced in the following proprietary bottlings:

In 2007 Glenfarclas launched The Family Casks, a collection of 43 single cask bottlings, with one from every year from 1952 to 1994. This collection now extends to 2001, but the distillery no longer has stock of casks from 1952 and 1953.

In January 2011 Glenfarclas released a limited edition bottling to mark the distillery's 175th anniversary.[6]

In June 2015, Glenfarclas released another limited edition bottling called the £511.19s.0d Family Reserve. This was launched to mark 150 years of the Grant Family owning the distillery. The name of this bottling references the price John Grant paid for the distillery in 1865. The bottle is sold with a copy of the original bill of sale for the distillery.

Visitor Centre

Glenfarclas was one of the first distilleries to open a visitor centre in 1973.[7] Today the visitor centre is open on weekdays throughout the year and Saturdays from July to September.

The visitor centre includes the "Ship's Room", a tasting room, with panelling from the RMS Empress of Australia - this ship was of historical importance for ferrying the last British troops home from Bombay, after they had symbolically passed through the Gateway of India, bringing an end to over two centuries of British imperial rule in India.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk
  2. ↑ Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010
  3. ↑ Whisky Magazine Issue 54, April 2006
  4. ↑ http://www.polroger.co.uk
  5. ↑ Malt Advocate official website. Accessed February 2011.
  6. ↑ http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk
  7. ↑ Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010

Bibliography

  • Bernhardt, Ralf; Würsching, Hans Georg (2004). The Glenfarclas Single Malt Whisky Collector’s Guide. Einhausen, Germany: Cluaran. ISBN 398093442X. 
  • Buxton, Ian (2011). Glenfarclas - An Independent Distillery. Glasgow: Angels' Share (Neil Wilson Publishing Ltd). ISBN 978-1906476755. 

Coordinates: 57°25′37.2″N 3°18′58.9″W / 57.427000°N 3.316361°W / 57.427000; -3.316361

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