Mortlach

In 1823, Mortlach was first licensed to James Findlater, who chose a site previously used by illicit distillers because of the quality water from the 'Highland John' well. He partnered with two locals, Alexander Gordon and Donald Mackintosh, but in 1831, the distillery was sold to John Robertson for £270. By 1842, the distillery was owned by J. & J. Grant, who were then building Glen Grant distillery, and moved Mortlach's equipment to their new distillery in Rothes. Mortlach's warehouses were converted into a Free Church chapel until a new church was built in Dufftown. In the late 1840s, the distillery buildings were bought by John Gordon, who 'expanded and improved the business' and, before resuming distilling, installed a brewing apparatus. He 'mainly sold whisky in Leith and Glasgow, but gained a certain reputation in the region under the name of "Real John Gordon"' (Elgin Courier, 1862). Gordon resumed distilling in 1851, and two years later George Cowie joined. Cowie had been a railway surveyor, later became the head of Dufftown, and in 1869 became the direct owner of Mortlach distillery. His son, Dr. Alexander Mitchell Cowie, had served as a senior medical officer in Hong Kong and returned to his father's side in 1895. Cowie became a leading figure in the whisky industry and Deputy Lieutenant of Banffshire: in the following 30 years, he established a high reputation for Mortlach (being ranked as a top malt whisky by blenders), and in 1897, after the installation of a private railway branch line shared with Glendullan, the distillery's capacity doubled (reaching 6 stills). Dr. Cowie's only son was killed in World War I, and in 1923 he sold the distillery to John Walker & Sons, who were also the distillery's main customers, and through this opportunity, the distillery joined D.C.L. in 1925. From 1936, the distillery was managed by S.M.D. Unlike most malt whisky distilleries, Mortlach kept operating during World War II except for 1944. Most of the distillery buildings were demolished and rebuilt in the early 1960s (completed in 1964), and the stills were equipped with new mechanical coal heating devices (replaced by indirect heating in 1971). Mortlach malt whisky is known for its full flavor, regarded as a top product by many blended whisky brands, also very popular in connoisseur circles. However, because it is a key base whisky for Johnnie Walker blended whisky, it is difficult to find on the market. The situation changed in 2014, when the brand launched three products globally: Mortlach Rare Old, Mortlach 18 Years, and Mortlach 25 Years. That year, plans were also announced to replicate a nearby distillery, but this plan was shelved in December 2014.

Mortlach likely has the most peculiar still configuration and most complex distillation method in the industry. The distillery is equipped with 6 stills, but each one has a different size and shape, and it's not triple distillation, but 2.81 times. A new distiller needs six months of training to figure out its mysteries. Here we won't waste space explaining this special distillation method, but the key to it is a secondary still numbered one, nicknamed "Wee Witchie," which distills three times per cycle. "In Scotland, there may be no distillery that has as many private clients as Mortlach, who not only send whisky to all parts of the British Empire, but also sell to the United States, India, China, and Australia. In all these places there are Mr. Cowie's clients, people who simply like Mortlach more than other brands..." (The Elgin Courant, 1893) Between 1866 and 1886, William Grant of Glenfiddich learned the whisky business at Mortlach, mastering every aspect, and eventually became distillery manager.