Dalmore

Dalmore, established in 1839, embodies the opulent history of northern distilleries, often backed by prosperous patrons. Its founder, Alexander Matheson, amassed wealth through Jardine Matheson, a prominent trading firm that succeeded the East India Company and oversaw opium trade with China. In 1878, the Mackenzie family assumed the lease and later ownership of Dalmore, maintaining family control until 1960 when Whyte & Mackay, one of the distillery's primary customers, acquired it. Whyte & Mackay itself has undergone numerous ownership changes, with its current owner being Emperador of the Philippines.

Dalmore's distinctive character, characterized by rich fruitiness with underlying cereal notes, arises from an unconventional distillation process. The wash stills at Dalmore feature flat tops and are available in two sizes: three with a 13,000-liter capacity and one double that size. The spirit stills are equipped with water coolers around their necks to enhance reflux, with one of them being double the size of the others. This difference in size and the variable charge strength, dictated by the fill level of the low wines and feints receiver, contributes to different end flavors. Skilled stillmen expertly control this seemingly random process before vatting the distillates for casking.