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Distillery Glenturret (Glentarrit) is called the oldest distillery in Scotland. Although the date of foundation of the company is officially considered to be 1775, clandestine whiskey production in this area has been going on since the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Brand drinks are distinguished by a complex bouquet with a predominance of fruit and spicy tones. Glenturret whiskey is one of the main components of Famous Grouse Scotch.
Historical information
At the dawn of its existence, the distillery was called The Hosh and belonged to the Drummond family. The distillery produced whiskey with a mild and pleasant taste, which was given to it by local water. The owners received an official license only in 1818. Unlike other distilleries in Perthshire, the distillery survived all the crises that plagued the industry over the following decades. The company was renamed Glenturret in 1875 under the new owner Thomas Stuart, and at the beginning of the XNUMXth century the plant was taken over by the Mitchell brothers.
The First World War and the decline in whiskey consumption led to the fact that the distillery worked intermittently, and in 1923 the production was mothballed for a long time. In the 1950s, James Farley, a great enthusiast, took up the revival of Glenturret. Part of the equipment at the enterprise was dismantled, so the entrepreneur had to bring in the fermentation tanks from the Tullibardine plant.
The first release of Glenturret came out in 1960 at the height of interest in Scotch whisky. Farley was the second in Scotland to open a tourist center at the distillery. During the crisis of the 1980s, the plant existed for four years as part of the Remy Cointreau company, and then became part of Highland Distillers. In 2002, The Famous Grouse Smoky Black Club was opened on the territory of the distillery, the owners invested 2,2 million pounds in the construction of the building.
In 2018, the Glenturret factory was put up for sale once again, with the purchaser being Lalique Group, a luxury goods company headquartered in Zurich. The new owners plan to launch a new line of Glenturret single malts in 2020.
Production features
The distillery still maintains its own malthouses, and the company buys barley exclusively from Scottish farmers. The production uses the resources of the Loch Turret lake, which originates in the Grampian Mountains. Water flows through massifs of granite and diorite, is saturated with minerals and acquires a soft and pleasant taste. For aging, the distillery uses barrels of American and European oak, the oldest of the releases matures for 30 years. Since 2015, the distillery has rarely spoiled fans with new bottlings, and master blender Robert Dalgarno has been actively working on a new range.
Interesting Facts
One of the achievements recorded in the Guinness book is associated with the Glenturret distillery. The record was set by the Towser cat, which caught about 1963 mice between 1987 and 29. A monument to an outstanding animal was erected on the territory of the distillery, and BBC journalists made a film dedicated to this story. Tauser’s paw print adorns the Fairlie liqueur label.
The distillery welcomes whiskey lovers from all over the world every day. The most expensive tour takes a whole day and includes participation in the malting work, a sightseeing tour and lunch at a restaurant with a bottle of Glenturret whiskey. As a keepsake, the visitor receives a corporate suit of an employee of the enterprise, on which the name of the tourist is embroidered.
Types of whiskey Glentarrit
Glenturret 10 Years Old, 40%
Aged 10 years in American oak barrels, where it acquires an amber color and an apple-vanilla aroma. The bouquet is complex: spicy cinnamon and sweet vanilla enter at the start, followed by citrus fruits. At the end, woody notes appear, and the finish is soft and warming.
Glenturret Sherry Cask Edition, 43%
The whiskey is matured in sherry casks and produced in small batches. The honey-colored drink features a thick vanilla aroma with hints of creamy toffee, baked apple and wood. On the palate, ginger and nutmeg come to the fore, to which citrus sweetness is then added. At the finish, you can feel the sweetness of ripe fruit and the tartness of oak. Sold in a bottle packed in a cloth bag.
Glenturret 30 Years Old, 43,3%
Collection whiskey released in a limited edition of 1720 bottles. The aroma of a dark amber drink combines the smells of lemon, orange, fudge and marshmallow. In taste, fruits coexist with spicy spices, apples, oranges, anise and ginger differ. The aftertaste is velvety, with hints of honey and oak.
