Convalmore

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > C

CONVALMORE

20 years old

40 %
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distilled 1969
Bottled 1989
Proprietors: W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

CONVALMORE

16 years old

43 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 18/3/81
Bottled 10/7/97
Cask no: 89/604/107
Genummerde flessen
The Ultimate Whisky Company N.L.

CONVALMORE

36 years old

40%
GORDON & MACPHAIL
RARE OLD
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
A special single malt scotch whisky
Distilled 1960
Bottled 1996
Proprietors: W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

CONVALMORE

23 years old

60,8%
SILENT STILLS
Distilled 14.10.76
Cask No. 4470
Bottled 1.2.00
Genummerde flessen
314 bottles
W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

1893 Founded by the Convalmore – Glenlivet Distillery Company

Architect is Donald Mackay from Dufftown

1894 Production starts

1905 Purchased from liquidator for 6000 Pound plus stock à 2s. 6d.

per proof gallon in March by W.P. Lowrie, whisky blenders,

Glasgow

1906 W.P. Lowrie runs into financial troubles and James Buchanan,

a major customer and friend to W.P. Lowrie, takes over Lowrie

including Convalmore

1909 A fire in October destroyes Convalmore

1910 Convalmore is back in operation

Experimental distilling of malt whisky in continuous stills, take place

1916 The continuous still experiments are abandoned

1925 Coleburn is bought by the Distillers Company Limited (D.C.L.) from

James Buchanan & Co

1930 D.C.L. transferres Coleburn to Scottish Malt Distillers. (S.M.D.)

1962 Direct heating of the stills from coal fire is abandoned for indirect

heating by steam

1963 The number of stills is increased from two to four

1985 Convalmore is mothballed

1990 United Distillers Ltd sells te buildings to William Grant & Sons who

uses them for storing their own malts Glenfiddich and Balvenie

2003 Diageo lauches a 24 year old Convalmore from 1978 as a Rare Malt

2005 A 28 year old Convalmore is launched as a Special Release from Diageo

CONVALMORE

17 years old

40 %
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distilled 1981
Bottled 1998
Proprietors: W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

CONVALMORE

15 years old

43 %
CHIEFTAIN'S CHOICE
Distilled 1983
Ian MacLeod & Co, Ltd, Broxburn

CONVALMORE

16 years old

54 %

VINTAGE 1984
Distilled 1984DUN BHEAGAN
SINGLE MALT COLLECTION
Bottled 2000
William Maxwell & Co, Ltd
Dun Bheagan, home to clan Macleod for over 700 years, has many a legend. The castle over¬looking Dunvegan Loch, is home to a renowed treasure, the Fairy Flag. A magical flag used by the clan in times of war that is said to have the power, when invoked, to preserve the Clan three times from disaster. So far, the powers have only been invoked twice.

The Isle of Skye, like most of the Highlands and Islands, produced the 'Uisge Beatha', Water of Life.

Local farmers used to make their whisky spirit from small stills hidden within peat sheds and stone byres, well disquised from the insidious Crown Exisemen. The local clans and Gaelic speaking comminities of the Isle of Skye have always been proud and independent people who long lived automomously outwith the rules and discriminate taxes imposed by the Crown of Scotland and the Union.

That same spirit and character can be found in the Dun Bheagan collection of Single Malt Whiskies

CONVALMORE

24 years old

59,4 %

RARE MALTS SELECTION
Natural Cask Strenght
Distilled 1978
Bottled April 2003
Limited Edition
Genummerde flessen
Convalmore Distillery, Dufftown,
Banffshire
'Another closed distillery, at Dufftown in the heart of Speyside. Pale golden, this expres-dion opens out into a complex, full-flavoured, sweet-starting, long-finishing malt with a creamy medium body'.

As it began production early in 1894 just outside Dufftown, at the heart of Speyside, Con¬valmore naturally enjoyed the finest of situations. Designed by Donald Mackay, it took its name from the Conval Hills, and its water from a source in them.

An involvement with Buchanan's ensured a continued growth in sales throughout the Edwardian era. Until, that is, fire broke out in the area of the tunroom on 29th October, 1909.

At the height of the blaze the Dufftown News reported flames rising thirty to forty feet, whilst 'to add to the other discomforts snow commenced to fall and the effect of the burning building on the white landscape provided a striking picture'.

Rebuilt, the distillery now dallied with a patent still for some years before reverting to traditional methods, it being found that the patent spirit did not age well. It produced steadily, save in wartime, until falling 'silent' in the mid-eighties.

This 1978 24 years old is a pale gold, complex after-dinner malt that starts subtly with a faded nose, but blossoms to reveal hidden depths. Hints of chocolate cream on the smooth palate become lemony on the way to a long, woody and warming finish.

Although some buildings remain, Convalmore may never reopen. Al least, the present bottling provides a warming memory of its onde—fiery past.

CONVALMORE

28 years old

57,9 %

SPECIAL RELEASES 2005
Natural Cask Strenght
Distilled 1977
Bottled 2005
Very Limited Release
Limited Edition
From European Oak Refill Casks
Numbered Bottles
3900 Bottles
Convalmore Distillery,
Dufftown, Banffshire
Scottish Malt Distillers, Elgin
Deeply attractive, this lingering cask-strenght Convalmore is from a long-closed distillery at Dufftown in the heart of Speyside.

The rich, golden colour and scented nose open out into a complex, sweetly spicy, full-flavoured, elegant and mature malt.

Local man Peter Dawson's new Convalmore distillery was established in 1894 near the River Fiddich just outside Dufftown at the heart of Speyside. Designed by another local man, Donald Mackay, it took its name and its water from the Conval Hills.

Dawson took as motif for his well-known brand Dawson's Perfection the bluebell, symbolic flower of Scotland and a common springtime sight on Speyside. His distillery enjoyed good railway links and its whisky was always in demand by Glasgow merchants including James Buchanan, who took over in 1906.

Fire rather than bluebells created a picturesque scene here on 29 October 1909. The Dufftown News reported flames in the tun room and malt barns rising thirty to forty feet, whilst 'to add to the other discomforts snow commenced to fall and the effect of the burning building on the white landscape provided a striking picture'.

Rebuilt in 1910, the distillery finally closed in 1985.

This 1977 is a complex, rich-bodied 28 year-old malt with a scented, spiced fruit compote nose that blossoms to reveal perfumed, waxy aromas and orangey crème brulée behind.

On the mouth-coating palate it's sweet and cedar-spicy with light smoke, whilst a medium lenght finish introduces a perfumed aftertaste with menthol, nutty notes. All in all, a soothing counterpoint to a once-fiery past.

CONVALMORE

24 years old

43 %
SPEYSIDE
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
WHISKY
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distillation Date: September 1984
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogsheads
Bottling Date: July 2008
Proprietors: W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
Convalmore was established in 1893 and was the fourth distillery to be established

in Dufftown. The distillery was extensively damaged by fire in 1909. When it was

rebuilt it briefly experimented with a continuous column still.

Convalmore fell silent in 1985

Nose: Light estery notes, with hints of vanilla and soft fruits

Palate: Spicy – pepper, sweet and mouth watering

Body: Light to medium

Finish: Well balanced

Speyside whiskies are known as the Premier Cru of Single Malt Scotch

They are elegant, fruity malts which usually have drying smokiness

CONVALMORE

1 9 7 5

33 years old

43 %
GORDON & MACPHAIL
RARE OLD SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Distilled: 1975
Matured in a Refill Sherry Hogshead
Bottled 2008
Proprietors: W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Convalmore was established in 1893 and was the 4th distillery to be established in Dufftown

after Mortlach, Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

The distillery was extensively damaged by fire in 1909 and after being rebuilt briefly experimented with a continuous column still.

The distillery, to this day, still stands on the outskirts of Dufftown but has been silent since

1985

Sweet, oak character laced with ripe fruit notes

Speyside
CONVALMORE

Dufftown, Banffshire. Licentiehouder: J.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd. Onderdeel van Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (S.M.D.). De malt divisie van United Distillers Ltd. Eigendom vanGuinness.Gesloten in 1985

Sinds 1990 het eigendom van William Grant & Sons Ltd.
The Convalmore - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltd werd gevormd op 24 Juni 1893 met een kapitaal van £ 12.000.Aandeelhouders waren wijn- en drankenhandelaars teGlasgow. Directeur werd Peter Dawson een bekend whiskyhandelaar te Dufftown. Architekt was Donald Mackay.De distilleerderij ging in produktie in Februari 1894.
.
In 1896 werd het aandelenkapitaal verhoogd tot £ 40 en in1904 werd The Convalmore - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltdgeliquideert vanwege de enorme neergang die de whiskyindustrie toen doormaakte.
W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd, te Glasgow, een grote voorraadhouder, handelaar, makelaar in whisky nam de distilleerderij en de whisky over.Eén afnemer van Lowrie wasJames Buchanan die al zijn whisky van hem betrok
.
In 1906 kwam ook Lowrie in moeilijkheden en werd geholpen door Buchanan die voor 5/8 aandeelhouder werd van W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd. Eerder had Lowrie Buchanan geholpen om zelfstandig te worden en zijn Black & White blended whisky uit te brengen.

In de nacht van 29 October 1909 werd de distilleerderij door brand verwoest. In 1910 was Convalmore weer herbouwd.
In 1930 kwam Convalmore onder de hoede van Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd, na de fusie van Buchanan en anderen met The Distillers Company Ltd.

In 1949 werd Convalmore aangesloten op het electriciteits net. Gedurende een korte periode rond 1910 heeft Convalmore ook nog een patent still binnen zijn muren gehad.

In 1972 werd er een afdeling bijgebouwd die diende om veevoer van reststoffen van het distillatieproces te produceren afkomstig van Convalomore, Craigellachie, Glendullan enMortlach.
Het proceswater kwam van de Conval Hills, het koelwater van de rivier Fiddich. . Convalmore had vier ketels.

William Grant & Sons Ltd, gebruikt de distilleerderij als lagerpakhuis

The Convalmore-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd. was aGlasgow-based company, formed on 24 June 1893. It had a capital of £0, divided into ordinary shares of £10 each, all of which were taken up by wine and spirit merchants, or brokers, mainly in the Glasgow area. By this means, a trade weekly asserted in November, "a ready market for the make is at once assured". The paper added that the project had been minutely supervised by the company's managing director, Peter Dawson, a wholesale whisky merchant in Glasgow, and aDufftown man "whose long experience and knowledge of distilleries and their requirements is sufficient to ensure a work perfect in every detail".

Production began in February 1894, when the Elgin Courantpublished a description of the new distillery, designed by aDufftown architect, Donald Mackay. "Its situation (close to the railway station and within a mile of the town of Dufftown)is most convenient and central and will save considerable time and money in cartage", the paper stated. "The natural contour of the ground has been largely taken advantage of, and during the whole process of manufacture only one pump is used ... gravitation doing all the rest". A "powerful steam engine" drove the malt mill and the mashing machine, and a small water-wheel, fed by the overflow from the worm tank, was used to work the rummager in the wash still.

The company was reconstructed in 1896 with a capital increased fourfold to £40. Eight years later, midway in a period of recession in the trade, it went into voluntary liquidation to enable its sale to W. P. Lowrie & Co. Ltd., of Glasgow.Lowrie operated as a stockholder, blender and bottler for wholesale merchants of Scotch whisky who had no premises of their own for production. One of these, James Buchanan,drew all his supplies of whisky from Lowrie. Their close relationship had been of mutual benefit, because Buchanan'shad become one of the "Big Three" whisky houses. By 1906,however, the collapse in the market for mature whiskies had brought Lowrie into financial difficulty. His readiness to retire coincided with Buchanan's need to avert the collapse of his sole supplier. The Lowrie company was reconstructed with five-eighths of the capital held by Buchanan and the capacity of its blending and bottling warehouses in Glasgow was expanded to meet the growing sales of Buchanan's Black & White Scotch Whisky.

On the night of 29 October 1909 a fire broke out atConvalmore. First observed at midnight in the vicinity of the tunroom, it quickly spread to the malt barns, and it was evident (the Dufftown News reported) that these buildings could not be saved. Local residents helped to work the distillery's fire-fighting apparatus, but the heat seems to have prevented the connection of the hoses. The workers had to fall back on carrying buckets of water "which required very much energy and was attended with not a little personal danger...

By great efforts and considerable risk of life the fire was kept from spreading to the stillhouse and store adjoining the tunroom. For some time the fire raged with extraordinary ferocity, and fears for the safety of the whole building were entertained. While it was at its height the flames rose to between 30 and 40 feet high, and the scene in the valley was a remarkable and never-to-be forgotten one by those who witnessed it. To add to the other discomforts, snow commenced to fall, and the effect of the burning building on the white landscape provided a striking picture".

The malt barn, the kiln, the malt mill, the mash house and the tunroom were destroyed, with damage estimated to cost between £0 and £0. They were rebuilt and re-equipped in1910. The premises continued to be worked by W. P. Lowrie & Co. until 1930, when ownership was transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd., a subsidiary of The Distillers Company Limited of Edinburgh, which by then had merged with James Buchanan and other major Scotch whisky blending companies.

Convalmore covers a site of approximately 7 acres (about 3 hectares). It accommodated a signals detachment of the 51st (Highland) Division from 1940 to 1942, and then gunners from the 52nd (Lowland) Division until 1944.The distillery was connected with the electric grid in approximately 1949. It had been equipped with its own source of electric light before the fire of 1909, and now had the option of electric power. At this time a large Tangye steam engine was used in the malt barns, the mill room and the mash house; a small one drove the tunroom switchers, the pumps in the stillhouse and the dynamo that generated electric light. The small engine was taken away for scrap in approximately 1967 and the large one in 1969.

The two pot stills were externally heated by coal-burning furnaces, fired by hand, until they were converted in 1962 to internal heating by steam from a coal-burning boiler. Two stills, and a second boiler were added, and the wash backs were increased from four to six, in 1964-65. The boilers were converted to oil-firing in 1970. A new mash house was built, and the cast iron mash tun replaced by one of stainless steel, in 1975. The worm tank, untypically, is made of cast iron.

A plant was built in 1972 for the production of dark grains, a high-protein animal feedingstuff, from the solid matter left over from the mashing and distillation processes at Convalmore, Craigellachie, Glendullan and Mortlach Distilleries.

Most employees live in the area of Dufftown, Drummuir, Craigellachie and Keipʣpʣ��i�ʣ�ʣ@�ʣMalt Distillers owns six houses for occupation by employees at the distillery.

Convalmore takes its name from the Conval Hills, the source of its process water, which is collected in a dam at the foot of the hills, less than a mile from the distillery. Cooling water is drawn from the River Fiddich.

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 Convalmore - Glenlivet Distillery Co establishedConvalmore Distillery in 1893.

Following a recession in the whisky industry in 1904, the distillery and its stock was
purchased by W.P. Lowrie & Co, Ltd for the sum of 6.000 pound. Two years later,
Lowrie was purchased by James Buchanan & Co, Ltd.

With much of the distillery destroyed by fire in 1909. a substantial amount of the equipment within the distillery had to be rebuilt.

Part of the rebuild involved the installation of a continuous still, with the capacity to distil 2,273 litres of wash per hour

During this time, the owners experimented with continuous distillation, which was abandoned in 1915.

The continuous still was removed in 1916, but pot still distillation continued.

In 1925 the distillery was aquired by the Distillers Company Ltd who completed the modernisation fo the distillery andanother pair of stills were added to the original pair.

The distillery continued successfully for many years until 1985when it was closed, due to over - production in the ScotchWhisky Industry

In 1992 D.C.L. sold the distillery to W. Grant & Sons Ltd,who currently use it for warehousing capacity'.:

1893

Founded by the

Convalmore - Glenlivet Distillery Company,

Architect is Donald Mackay from Dufftown

1894

Production starts
1905

Purchased from liquidator for 6000 Pound

plus stock à 2s. 6d. per proof gallon in March

by W.P. Lowrie, whisky blenders, Glasgow
1906

W.P. Lowrie runs into financial troubles and

James Buchanan, a major customer and friend to

W.P. Lowrie, takes over Lowrie including

Convalmore

1909

A fire in October destroyes Convalmore
1910

Convalmore is back in operation

Experimental distilling of malt whisky in

continuous stills, take place
1916

The continuous still experiments

are abandoned
1925

Convalmore is bought by the

Distillers Company Limited (D.C.L.)

from James Buchanan & Co
1930

D.C.L. transferres Convalmore to

Scottish Malt Distillers. (S.M.D.)
1962

Direct heating of the stills from coal fire

is abandoned for indirect heating by steam
1963

The number of stills is increased from

two to four
1985

Convalmore is mothballed
1990

United Distillers Ltd sells te buildings to

William Grant & Sons who uses them

for storing their own malts Glenfiddich

and Balvenie
2003

Diageo launches a 24 year old Convalmore

from1978 as a Rare Malt
2005

A 28 year old Convalmore is launched as a

Special Release from Diageo.

Convalmore was established in 1893 and was the fourth distillery to be established in Dufftown.

The distillery was extensively damaged by fire in 1909.

When it was rebuilt it briefly experimented with a continuous column still.

Convalmore fell silent in 1985

Nose: Light estery notes, with hints of vanilla and soft fruits

Palate: Spicy - pepper, sweet and mouth watering

Body: Light to medium

Finish: Well balanced

Speyside whiskies are known as the Premier Cru of Single Malt Scotch

They are elegant, fruity malts which usually have drying smokiness

1909 After a fire is was decided to build also a column still, with a capacity of 2300 litres of wash per hour, but the malt whisky produced was of an unstable quality, the columnstillwas removed in 1915.

Convalmore was dormant during World War II

The production capacity was doubled in 1964 / 1965 from 2 to 4 stills and the stills were converted into indirect heating.

Also at the same time 2 new Wash backs and a new boiler were added.

In 1972 a dark grain plant, also serving the neighbouring distilleries was build, two bonded warehouses were build and in1975 a new mash house was built and a stainless steel Wash tun was installed, replacing the cast iron Wash tun.

Convalmore’s life was always dedicated to providing fillings for blends and as a result its whiskies were never given the platform which, it now transpires, they deserved. Like many distilleries of that period, its predominant character was waxy – though according to distillers who remember its new makeConvalmore’s was at the same high levels as Clynelish with an extra fruity heart. It is very rarely seen, the most notable being a couple of excellent tropical fruit-accented Special Releases from Diageo.

The fourth of Dufftown’s famed seven stills, Convalmorewas built in 1893/4 as part of the last Victorian gold rush. Its original owners failed and ownership passed to the leadingGlasgow broker-blender W.P. Lowrie and from there toJames Buchanan when he bought Lowrie’s business. By that time Buchanan’s blends, the most famous of which at the time was Black & White, had global distribution and as a result, as other new builds closed, Convalmore remained in production.

In 1909, the distillery was damaged in a fire and when it reopened a year later it contained a pair of pot stills and a new continuous still which had been engineered to produce malt whisky. Sadly, there are no descriptions or plans for this innovative design which only ran for five years.

When Buchanan’s joined DCL in 1925, as part of the Great Merger of the major blending houses with the production giant, Convalmore joined its Scottish Malt Distillers [SMD] division. An expansion took place in 1964 with capacity doubled thanks to a second pair of stills being installed along with a dark grains plant.

It was mothballed in 1985 and sold to William Grant & Sons– the site is contiguous with Grant’s Balvenie andGlenfiddich distilleries. Although the Convalmore buildings are still clearly visible from the road all the equipment has been removed.

1894

Convalmore distillery is built

1904

The business is bought by W.P. Lowrie

1909

Convalmore is damaged in a fire

1910

The distillery reopens with an added

experimental still making grain whisky

from 100% malt mash.

1915

The experimental still is scrapped

1925

Convalmore joins the DCL portfolio

1964

Convalmore's stills are increased to four

1985

The distillery is closed and the site sold

to William Grant & Sons

Diageo

1997 -

United Distillers

1986 - 1997

Distillers Company Limited

1925 - 1986

James Buchanan & Company

1906 - 1925

WP Lowrie

1904 - 1906

Convalmore-Glenlivet Distillery Co

1893 - 1904