MILTONDUFF
| Distillery Opened | Capacity | Malting Floor | Washback Type | Number of Washbacks | Number of Wash Stills | Number of Spirit Stills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1824 | 5.8 million litres | / | Stainless steel | 16 | 3 | 3 |
Miltonduff distillery is situated 7 kilometres south-west of Elgin, in peaceful rural surroundings called Pluscarden. Once called the Garden of Scotland, this is excellent land for growing barley.
This was one of the reasons for an abbey to be founded here by Alexander II in 1230. The influence of the abbey grew and a big part of the surroundings soon belonged to the monks of Pluscarden, including the site where Miltonduff distillery now lies.
Miltonduff, the suffix comes from the Duff family who owned the estate, became legal in 1824 when Andrew Peary and Robert Bain obtained the license for the distillery.
At the end of the century the Miltonduff distillery was one of the largest producers in Scotland, producing over a million litres per year and a triple distillation (an unusual technique for Highland/Speyside distilleries).
In 1964 two so-called Lomond stills were added to the Miltonduff distillery equipment for the production of the "Mosstowie" malt whisky. George Ballantine & Son was the company that was resposible for the development of the Lomond still design.
In 1981 the Lomond stills of Mosstowie were replaced with regular pot stills to increase production of the Miltonduff distillery malt whisky; there simply wasn't a lot of demand for the Mosstowie 'Lomond' whisky.
The Miltonduff distillery was acquired entirely by Allied Lyons in 1987.
Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard) becomes the new owner of the Miltonduff distillery through the acquisition of Allied Domecq from 2005 until today.
- 1824 Andrew Peary and Robert Bain obtain a licence for Miltonduff Distillery.
- 1866 William Stuart buys the Miltonduff distillery.
- 1895 Thomas Yool & CO. becomes new part-owner of the Miltonduff distillery.
- 1936 Thomas Yool & CO. sells the Miltonduff distillery to Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts. The latter transfers administration to the newly acquired subsidiary George Ballantine & Son.
- 1964 A pair of Lomond stills are installed at the Miltonduff distillery in order to start producing the Mosstowie single malt.
- 1974 Major reconstruction of the Miltonduff distillery.
- 1981 The Lomond stills are decommissioned and replaced by two ordinary pot stills, the number of stills now totalling six.
- 1986 51% of Hiram Walker's shares in Miltonduff distillery has been acquired by the Allied Lyons.
- 1987 Allied Lyons acquires the rest of Hiram Walker.
- 1991 Miltonduff appears in the caledonian malts line up.
- 2005 Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard) becomes the new owner of the Miltonduff distillery through the acquisition of Allied Domecq.
Miltonduff distillery is equipped with an 8 tonne full lauter mash tun with a copper dome, 16 stainless steel washbacks with a fermentation time of 56 hours and six, large stills. The lyne arms are all sharply descending which allows for very little reflux.
The Miltonduff distillery's range consist of :
- 15 yo
- 17 yo
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