Glentauchers is a granite-built distillery established in 1898 by James Buchanan & Co., originally designed to produce whisky for the Buchanan’s and Black & White blends. Situated near Keith, it is known for producing a lighter style of whisky that leans towards floral notes, made possible by the distillery’s setup, which includes long ferments and slow distillation. This approach aligns with its role in producing lighter blends, such as Ballantine’s today.
Glentauchers was part of the early experimentation with ‘continuous pot still distillation,’ running a 100% barley mash through an adapted pot still. In 1966, production was significantly increased when the distillery expanded its stills from two to six.
The distillery, like many others, faced a decline in demand during the 1980s and was mothballed in 1985. However, in 1989, it was acquired by Allied Distillers (later part of Chivas Brothers in 2005) and restarted in 1992. Since then, its whisky has been primarily used in Ballantine’s blends, though it occasionally appears in independent bottlings, like those from Gordon & MacPhail.
In 2017, Glentauchers was released as a 15-year-old single malt under the Ballantine’s brand, alongside expressions from Glenburgie and Miltonduff, offering a rare opportunity to taste its character outside of blended whisky.
