Coleburn

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > C

COLEBURN

17 years old

40%
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distilled 1972
Bottled 1989
Proprietors:
J. & G. Stewart Distillers Ltd
Gordon & Macpahil, Elgin

COLEBURN

10 years old

65,5 %
Date distilled Oct 81
Date bottled Mar 92
Society Cask No. code 56.3
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

COLEBURN

24 years old

40 %
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distilled 1972
Bottled 1996
Proprietors: J. & G. Stewart Ltd
Gordon & Macpahil, Elgin

COLEBURN

14 years old

43 %
VINTAGE 1983
Distilled 30.4.83
Bottled 8.97
Cask Nos. 795 & 796
540 bottles
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

COLEBURN

16 years old

57,3%
SILENT STILLS
Distilled 20.4.83
Bottled 31.1.00
Cask No. 798
248 bottles
J. & G. Stewart Ltd
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

COLEBURN

29 years old

50 %
THE OLD MALT CASK 50o
Single Cask Bottling
Distilled January 1970
Bottled January 1999
213 bottles
No Chill Filtration
No Colouring
Douglas Laing & Co, Ltd, Glasgow

COLEBURN

21 years old

59.40%

RARE MALTS SELECTION
Natural Cask Strenght
Distilled 1979
Bottled October 2000
Limited Edition
Genummerde flessen
United Malt & Grain Distillers Ltd, Glasgow
Dating from 1897 but sadly closed since 1985, Coleburn was named after a nearby farm, and was once known as Coleburn - Glenlivet.

As you enjoy this rarely seen pale gold 21 year old Speyside malt, its peaty, leafly nose introduces a light, smooth body. Some pepper appears on the palate, with mint toffee flavours. The finish is, most unusually for a Speyside, medicinal, becoming hot and spicy.

COLEBURN

19 years old

46%
THE UN - CHILLFILTERED
COLLECTION
Closed Distillery
Distilled on: 22nd October 1981
Matured in a Sherry Butt
Cask No. 1341
Bottled 17th May 2001
785 bottles
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

Founded: 1897

Designed by: Charles Doig

Investor: John Robertson & Son Ltd

Whiskyblender from Dundee

First Manager: John Grant

Cooling water: Glen Burn

Process water: a calcium rich spring nearby

Wash Still capacity: 18.185 litres

Spirit Still capacity: 14.548 litres

Condensers: shell and tube

Mashes: 9 in a week

Warehouse capacity: 4500 casks

Output: 1.000.000 litres a year

Closed: 25 May 1913

Sold and in production again : 1916

New owner: Clynelish Distillery Co, owned by

John Walker & Sons Ltd, John Risk, D.C.L.

Transferred: 1930 to S.M.D. Ltd and

Licensed to: Mitchell Brothers Ltd and

Later to: J. & G. Stewart Ltd

Spirit Still replaced: 1950

Wash Still replaced: 1955

Mash tun replaced: 1959

Direct coal firing changed into

indirect heating: 1962

Worm tubs replaced with

condensers: 1962

Floor malting abandoned: 1968

Was Still replaced: 1971

Mash tun replaced: 1976

Last spirit run: 28 march 1985

Licence canceled: 1992

COLEBURN

25 years old

43 %

1981

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Distillation Date: March 1981

Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead

Bottling Date: September 2006

Proprietors: J. & G. Stewart Ltd

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Coleburn Distillery was built by John Robertson of Dundee and is situated between Elgin and

Rothes. The location was chosen for the water supply and because the Great Northern Railway ran close by. It became a key component of Usher’s blends and also contributed to

Johnnie Walker blends. The distillery was mothballed in 1985 and is unlikely to produce whisky again.

A pleasant after dinner whisky

COLEBURN

30 years old

40%
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distilled 1972
Bottled 2002
Proprietors: J. & G. Stewart Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

COLEBURN

Aged 36 years

62,4 %

SIGNATORY VINTAGE

1970
CASK STRENGTH COLLECTION
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled on: 13/01/1970
Bottled on: 14/03/2006
Matured in a Wine Treated Puncheon
Cask No: 00/1142
233 Numered Bottles
Natural Colour
Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky

COLEBURN

1 9 8 1

27 years old

43 %
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Distillation Date: 1981
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Bottling Date: 2008
Proprietors: J & G Stewart Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

These whiskies are known as The Premier Cru of Single Malt Scotch. They are elegant,

fruity malts which usually have a drying smokiness

Nose: Sweet and creamy with malt notes

Palate: Sweet and herbal with sherry influences

Body: Light / medium

Finish: Dry

Coleburn Distillery was established in 1896. It lies to the east of the River Lossie between

Elgin and Rothes.

Coleburn was mothballed in 1985, and it is unlikely that it will produce whisky again.

COLEBURN
Estd. 1896
41 years old

46 %
GORDON & MACPAIL RARE OLD
A Special Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled: 1972
Lot No: R O / 13 / 06
Only 214 Bottles
Bottled 2013
Natural Colour
Non Chill Filtered
Selected, matured and bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Founded in 1896 Coleburn lies to the east of the River Lossie between Elgin and Rothes,

Having mainly be owned by Scottish Malt Distilles Coleburn was mothballed in 1985.

Strawberry and blackcurrant aromas initially, hints of toasted malt and almond develop.

The palate has black pepper with grapefruit and raspberry flavours, which are comple-

mented by a subtle hint of oak

COLEBURN (1896 - 1985)
Longmorn, Elgin, Morayshire. Licentiehouder: J. & G. Stewart Ltd, Edinburgh. Onderdeel van Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (S.M.D.). De malt divisie van United Distillers Ltd. Eigendom van Guinness.
In 1985 gesloten

.
Gebouwd in 1896 in opdracht van John Robertson & Sons Ltd, whiskyblenders te Dundee op land dat deel uitmaakt van het landgoed Coleburn. Architekt was Charles Chree Doig (1855 - 1918)
.
Reden voor vestiging hier was de aanwezigheid van voldoende water van heel goede kwaliteit en de Glen Burn voor waterkracht en koelwater en ook de Great North of Scotland Railway lag vlakbij.
John Grant was de eerste manager en zou dit dertig jaar blijven.

Coleburn werd in 1916 overgenomen door Clynelish Distillery Co, Ltd, waarin, The Distillers Company Ltd, John Walker & Sons Ltd en John Risk, de vroegere eigenaar van Clynelish elk voor een derde deel eigenaar waren.

Na het samengaan van D.C.L. met de 'Big Three', James Buchanan & Co, Ltd, (Black & White), John Dewar & Sons Ltd, (White Label) en John Walker & Sons Ltd in1925, bekend als de 'Big Amalgamation', ging het eigendom van Coleburn over in handen van Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd, in 1930.

Coleburn werd aangesloten op het electriciteitsnet op 25 April 1950. De spoorweglijn werd opgeheven in 1966.Coleburn heeft twee met stoom verhitte ketels.Tot aan de sluiting in 1985 was J. & G. Stewart Ltd, Edinburgh de licentiehouders.

October 2005
Diageo has announced that its 2005 Annual Rare Malts Selection will be the last.
The collection will consist of four cask strenght single malts from closed distilleries; Glen Mhor 28 years old, Millburn 35 years old, Glendullan 26 years old and Linkwood 30 years old.
Dr. Nicholas Morgan, global malts marketing director commented: 'As the Special Releases are now well established, it makes less sence to continue selecting and promoting a parallel series of Rare Malts with his own separate indentity'.In future, all premium and rare whiskies will be made available in the annual Special Releases series.

The distillery was built in 1896 by John Robertson & Sons Ltd., whisky blenders, of Dundee, on part of the Coleburn estate, about six miles south of Elgin. The site, a strip of level ground in the Glen of Rothes, had access to a spring of water well suited to the production of whisky, and the Glen Burn provided an abundant supply for power and cooling. A branch of the Great North of Scotland Railway ran nearby. The railway company, which had a particular interest in developing distillery traffic, built a goods station, with ample accommodation for sidings, to serve Coleburn.
Plans for provisional approval were submitted by the architect in November 1895. Charles Doig, an experienced distillery engineer, had no difficulty in gaining approval for the plant. The first problem turned out to be the provision of suitable lavatory accommodation for the excise office. This took eighteen months to resolve. There were also objections to the site of the excise officer's house, because it was below the level of the public road, encumbered with boulders and isolated by woodland. These objections were met by the distiller undertaking to drain the ground, remove the boulders, clear the woodland and build cottages for employees a short distance away. Faults were then found with the plans for the house itself, followed by prolonged delay in its completion. The Collector of Inland Revenue allowed the distiller to begin working in January 1897 on the understanding that the house was almost ready. In the meantime, he reported, the excise officer had to lodge with the distillery manager, "there being no other lodgings available in that wild neighbourhood". As the manager was "a very respectable man", the Collector did not "apprehend that any harm will result from the circumstances." And, "when the little matters in the house are finished", he wrote four months later, "I think that the officer will be remarkably well fixed in many ways, but he seems to be a trifle hard to please".
Coleburn was built in warm-coloured Morayshire sandstone, and roofed with blue Welsh slates. The owners described its appearance as plain, business-like and yet picturesque. "Faced on one side by a....plantation of Scotch firs and birches, and swept by the cool mountain breezes of Brown Muir", it was located "in a snug corner shut off from the surrounding country... complete in itself, compact and clean with a cleanliness that can only be attained in Highland air."
The Moray & Nairn Express published a description in April, observing prophetically: "if de-pression awaits distilling in the future, there can be no doubt that distilleries provided with such exceptional railway facilities as Coleburn will possess a great advantage over others.

While most distilleries have the expense of cartage to face, some of them over many miles, here at Coleburn the waggons are situated close to the distillery buildings, and loaded or unloaded with very little delay or trouble. The economy of this arrangement is obvious. Apart from this, the buildings at Coleburn seem to be constructed with an eye to the saving of labour." The main source of power was a compound steam engine of 30 h.p. A water wheel, located underground, could be used as an alternative. John Grant, "a man of large practical knowledge and proficiency", was the manager. He remained in charge for at least thirty years.
Coleburn was acquired in 1916 by the Clynelish Distillery Co. Ltd. This company was owned in three equal shares by The Dis
tillers Company Limited, of Edinburgh, John Walker & Sons Ltd., of Kilmarnock, and John Risk, the former owner of Clynelish. After The Distillers Company amalgamated with Walker's and other major whisky blending companies, the ownership of Cole-burn was transferred to a subsidiary, Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd., in 1930.
Two steam engines were working at Coleburn in 1947. The main engine, one of 30 h.p., built by McFarlane & Machan, was the source of power for the malt mill and the stirring gear in the mash tun. An auxiliary Marshall engine drove the machinery in the malt barns, the wash-back switchers and the pumps in the stillhouse. The original water wheel was no longer there, but a small one, fed by the overflow from the worm tubs, drove the rummager in the wash still. Electric light was generated by a Maudsley Rota dynamo, driven by a Ruston & Hornsby crude oil engine of 10 h.p. There was also a standby engine of 7 h.p. by the same maker. All of these engines became redundant when the distillery was connected with the electric grid on 25 April 1950.
The stable and cart-shed were converted into a cottage in 1947-48. The two horses had already gone. "As hard-worked as a distillery horse" was a sardonic local saying, because farm horses worked all the hours of daylight, distillery horses only when there was work for them. At Colebum, the railway delivered barley, empty casks and coal right into the buildings until the line closed in 1966.
The original plant seems to have lasted for a long time: the spirit still until 1950, the feints receiver and the wash still until 1955, and the mash tun until 1959. The two stills were externally heated by coal-burning furnaces, fired by hand, until 1962, when they were converted to internal heating by steam from a coal-fired boiler. Condensers then replaced the worm tubs, and the small water wheel went out of service. The boiler was converted to oil-burning in 1971, when the wash still was again replaced. The mash house was rebuilt, and the mash tun was replaced, in 1976.

Most of the buildings retain their original appearance. The makings, disused since 1968, has two kilns, one with the usual "pagoda" roof, the other, unusually, with a flat top. The second kiln was used for drying barley at a controlled temperature: the process was slow and gave good results.
There are now ten houses for occupation by employees upon the site, which covers about 6 acres (2.4 hectares). Coleburn Farm, also owned by the company, covers 520 acres (210 hectares) and is let to tenants. The main products are beef and grain.
Colebum, although close to a main road, is still a secluded spot. Red squirrels, rabbits and roe deer can be seen at times from the window of the office; pheasants feed on the field beyond, and woodcock in the plantations.
The licensed distillers are J. & G. Stewart Ltd., Edinburgh, blenders of Jamie Stuart, Usher's Green Stripe, Usher's OVS, Usher's De Luxe and Stewart's Finest Old Scotch whiskies.

1897

Built by John Robertson & Son,

whisky blenders, Dundee Architect is

Charles Doig

1913

Coleburn closes
1916

Coleburn is bought by Clynelish Distillery Company,

jointly owned by Distillers Company Limited (D.C.L.)

John Risk and John Walker. Coleburn reopens
1917

J. & G. Stewart Ltd, Edinburgh a subsidiary of

Distillers Company Limited, (D.C.L.) is licensee
1930

D.C.L. buys Clynelish Distillery Company and

are now the owner sof Coleburn

Operations are transferred to the Scottish Malt

Distillers (S.M.D.)
1985

The distillery is mothballed
1992

The distillery lacks a license
1996

United Distillers Ltd, plans to build

apartments

in the distillery and local authorities approve

though no further developments take place
2000

Coleburn 21 years old and distilled in 1979 is

launched as a Rare Malt
2004

The brothers Dale and Mark Winchester

buy Coleburn from Diageo. The plans are to

transform it into a activity centre with a hotel,

restaurants, shops and concert venues

Founded: 1897
Designed by: Charles Doig
Investor: John Robertson & Son Ltd

Whiskyblender from Dundee

First Manage: John Grant
Cooling water: Glen Burn
Process water: a calcium rich spring

nearby
Wash Still capacity:18.185 litres
Spirit Still capacit :14.548 litres
Condensers: shell and tube
Mashes: 9 in a week
Warehouse capacity: 4500 casks
Output: 1.000.000 litres a year

Closed: 25 May 1913

Sold and in production again: 1916

New owner: Clynelish Distillery Co,

owned by

John Walker & Sons Ltd, John Risk, D.C.L.

Transferred: 1930 to S.M.D. Ltd and
Licensed to Mitchell Brothers Ltd and :

later to J. & G. Stewart Ltd

Spirit Still replaced: 1950

Wash Still replaced: 1955
Mash tun replaced: 1959
Direct coal firing changed into
indirect heating: 1962
Worm tubs replaced with
condensers: 1962
Floor malting abandoned: 1968
Was Still replaced: 1971
Mash tun replaced: 1976
Last spirit run:28 march 1985

Licence canceled: 1992

Much of Coleburn’s life was spent producing Speyside malt whisky for J&G Stewart’s Usher’s blend, as well as Johnnie Walker Red Label. Rarely bottled as a single malt, the distillery is more famous for its experimental work with new production techniques.

Its first official bottling as a single malt was as a 21-year-old in 2000 for Diageo’s Rare Malt’s series. Since then it has appeared under a handful of independent bottler’s labels.

Coleburn was born from the last great distillery boom of the 1890s, and counts itself alongside Knockando, Lochside and many others as a creation of the visionary Victorian architect, Charles Doig.

The distillery was founded in 1897 in Longmorn, five miles south of Elgin by John Robertson & Son. It was originally fitted with two copper pot stills which became operational two years later.

In 1915 Coleburn was sold to the Clynelish Distillery Company, which was jointly owned by John Risk, John Walker & Sons and DCL. Ten years later DCL bought out Risk’s share in the company, bringing both Clynelish distillery and Coleburn into the newly formed Scottish Malt Distillers. Soon after DCL licensed Coleburn to its subsidiary, J&G Stewart of Edinburgh.

Sadly the whisky loch of the 1980s saw the closure of many distilleries, including Coleburn. Despite a renovation during the 1960s, its degrading plant equipment made it a prime target for mothballing by DCL in 1985.

Coleburn’s distilling license was eventually revoked in 1992 and while proposals were submitted by Diageo to convert the distillery buildings into flats and houses a few years later, they were quietly withdrawn.

In 2004 brothers Dale and Mark Winchester acquired the distillery buildings with grand plans of transforming Coleburn into an entertainment centre featuring a hotel, spa, concert hall and shops. While plans are still in place to build a hotel and spa (or even a boutique distillery on the site), Coleburn’s dunnage warehouses were leased in 2014 to Aceo, owner of independent bottler Murray McDavid, to mature its own stocks and use as the company’s headquarters.

The bottler, which also owns the Coleburn brand name under Coleburn Distillery Ltd, has released a blend under the distillery name and has since spoken of its intentions to release further Coleburn blends and even restart the distillery’s whisky production

Founded : 1897

Designed by : Charles Doig

Investor : John Robertson & Son Ltd

Whiskyblender from Dundee

First Manager : John Grant

Cooling water : Glen Burn

Process water : a calcium rich spring nearby

Wash Still capacity : 18.185 litres

Spirit Still capacity : 14.548 litres

Condensers : shell and tube

Mashes : 9 in a week

Warehouse capacity : 4500 casks

Output : 1.000.000 litres a year

Closed : 25 May 1913

Sold and in production again : 1916

New owner : Clynelish Distillery Co, owned by

John Walker & Sons Ltd, John Risk, D.C.L.

Transferred : 1930 to S.M.D. Ltd and

Licensed to : Mitchell Brothers Ltd and

Later to : J. & G. Stewart Ltd

Spirit Still replaced : 1950

Wash Still replaced : 1955

Mash tun replaced : 1959

Direct coal firing changed into

indirect heating : 1962

Worm tubs replaced with

condensers : 1962

Floor malting abandoned : 1968

Was Still replaced : 1971

Mash tun replaced : 1976

Last spirit run : 28 march 1985

Licence canceled : 1992