Mannochmore, based in Elgin in the Scottish Highlands, is a relatively modern distillery having been opened by John Haig & Co. in 1971. Built on the site of the Glenlossie Distillery, Mannochmore is much larger in size, with 8 washbacks, 3 wash stills and 3 spirit stills (all steam heated) giving it approximately three times the capacity of it’s sister distillery. The distillery has certainly had a stop start history, with the site being closed between 1985 and 1989, and then again for a period in 1995.
Once it reopened it alternated between 12 months on and 12 months off with the Glenlossie Distillery, sharing it’s staff. It resumed full time production around 2007/08 with it’s own full time dedicated team.
Flying under the radar of many, Mannochmore gained a lot of exposure, if not fans, with it’s now infamous Loch Dhu single malt released in 1996. Meaning ‘Black Lake’ in Gaelic, Loch Dhu was an almost black whisky with a very smokey flavour. Although it certainly had it’s fans, it was also loathed by many.
