Mortlach was the first distillery in Dufftown.

Mortlach Single Malt is very popular in blending. Established in 1823 by James Findlater, who was joined by Alexander Gordon and James Macintosh the following year, this distillery produces today a non-peated spirit of about 3.800.000 litres per year. The distilling process is unique and rather complex as there is a partial triple distillation with the number one spirit still called Wee Witchie and a traditional double distillation with the other two pairs of wash and spirit stills. The cooling system is by traditional wooden worm tubs and one steel worm tub which make for clean fruity and velvetly heavy malt.

The malt comes from Burghead Maltings. There are five dunnage warehouses with about 21.000 casks maturing.

In Spring 2010 Gordon & MacPhail bottled a 70 year old Mortlach distilled on 15th October 1938 which was matured in a first fill Sherry hogshead made of Spanish oak. Only 70 75cl decanter bottles and 162 20cl bottles of this exceptional pre-wartime distilled whisky were released under the Generations Brand at cask strength (45,10% A.B.V.) with a recommended retail price in the UK of 10.000 pounds and 2.500 pounds respectively. In 2010 it was the oldest whisky bottled in the world (see also The Glenlivet Distillery).

There is a 12 tonne full lauter mash tun, the 47-48.000 litres of worts are cooled down to 16 degrees in summer and to 18 degrees in winter, liquid 230 litres of Mauri yeast is now used before it had been Kerry yeast, fermentation is a mix between short, which is 54 hours and long, which is 58 hours. „...there are four shorts and twelve longs per week...“ There is only one operator per shift, the production process is largely computer controlled.  „We distil 2.58 times, 2.7-2.8 times, we triple distil...“

Diageo announced  in April 2013 „...plans to invest around £ 30million in new production facilities in Speyside, including a project to substantially increase the capacity of the Mortlach distillery at Dufftown. This will involve the building of a new stillhouse, which will replicate the unusual partial-triple distillation process which makes Mortlach unique.“

Brian Higgs, Diageo malt distilling director, said: „Mortlach is one of Diageo’s most important malt whisky distilleries, producing the finest quality single malt used in our world-leading blended Scotch whiskies. We are delighted to be able to develop and expand this distillery.“

Mortlach is very popular with the independent bottlers.

The news in November 2013 was: „Diageo will invest nearly £30 million into building a second still house at Mortlach distillery to replicate the complex shape its pot stills. The new still house will double the production which will probably start at the end of 2014.“

Latest news in October 2014: Diageo stopped their plans of extension due to the slowdown in demand of Scotch whisky around the world in 2013.

Distillery Manager: Sean Phillips (2013)

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