Miltonduff

Introduction:

Miltonduff Distillery offers two official Single Malts: Miltonduff and Mosstowie. Miltonduff has had various official releases, primarily from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including a 10 – year – old and a 12 – year – old expression. Independent bottlers like Gordon & MacPhail and Douglas Laing have also released their own versions. Mosstowie, on the other hand, was never officially bottled by the distillery but was used as a component in Hiram Walker Blends. However, a few independent bottlings of Mosstowie exist, such as a 30-year-old by Duncan Taylor and a 12 – year – old and 20 – year – old by Gordon & MacPhail.

Production:

With a production capacity of 5.5 million liters, Miltonduff was once the largest distillery under Allied Distillers. Even after Pernod Ricard’s acquisition of Allied Domecq, it remains one of the group’s largest distilleries, second only to Glenlivet in capacity. The distillery sources water from the Black Burn. However, since the closure of the site, the production capacity for Mosstowie has been lost.

Pot Stills:

Miltonduff utilizes six pot stills, with three wash stills having a capacity of 18,000 liters each, and three spirit stills with a capacity of 17,500 liters each. Mosstowie, distilled using a pair of Lomond stills, featured a unique design with a regular pot at the bottom and three plates in the straight necks, allowing for versatile malt flavor production without the need for additional stills.

Maltings:

Mosstowie’s malt had a lightly peated character, imparting a soft, smoky taste, while Miltonduff used completely unpeated malt. Both Single Malts sourced their malt from an industrial source in Speyside.

Warehouse:

Miltonduff boasts an extensive warehouse complex, housing both dunnage and racked warehouses. The distillery ages its Single Malt in a combination of American white oak and Sherry casks.

The History: Founded in 1824 by Andrew Peary and Robert Bain, Miltonduff began its operation as a legitimate distillery after the passing of the Excise Act, although it had previously operated illicitly. The distillery changed ownership over the years, with Hiram Walker acquiring it in 1936 and later transferring management to Ballantine’s. The installation of Lomond stills in 1964 facilitated the production of Mosstowie, but they were replaced with regular pot stills in 1981 to maintain production levels. In 1986, Allied Domecq acquired the majority of Hiram Walker stocks and acquired the rest of the company in 1987. In 2005, Pernod Ricard gained ownership of Miltonduff through the merger of Allied and Pernod.

Visitor’s Centre:

Regrettably, Miltonduff does not have a visitor’s center, and the distillery remains closed to the public.

Visitor information:

Miltonduff Distillery
Elgin
Moray
IV30 8TQ