Glenturret

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > G

THE GLENTURRET

8 years old

40%
LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
Distilled, Matured & Bonded at
Glenturret Distillery, Crieff

THE GLENTURRET

LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY

12 years old

43 %

The Glenturret Distillery, Crieff

The cool, clear Turret burn rises high on Benchonzie, flows into the peaceful Turret Loch, then darts and dashes through one of the loviest glens in Scotland. This is Glenturret.

By the burn, above the ancient town of Crieff, is The Glenturret Distillery, the oldest in Scotland. Using local ingredients The Glenturret Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky is made by the Pot Still process - slowly, patiently, and in small prcious quantities, a tradition unchanged since it began in the Eighteenth century.

THE GLENTURRET

15 years old

40 %
LAST BOTTLE & EMPTY
Distilled, Matured & Bonded at
Glenturret Distillery, Crieff

THE GLENTURRET

11 years old

54,9 %

INFO
Date Distilled Oct 79
Date Bottled Jul 91
Society Cask No. code 16.3
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

THE GLENTURRET

13 years old

43 %
THE CASTLE COLLECTION
NUMBER 2
Distilled 10/12/79
Cask No. 1051
Bottled 13/9/93
180 bottles
The Whisky Castle, Tomintoul

THE GLENTURRET

27 years old

45,7 %
1966
NATURAL
CASK STRENGHT BOTTLING
Distilled 1966
Bottled 1993
80o Proof
Distilled, Matured in
Oak casks and Bonded at
The Glenturret Distillery, Crieff

THE GLENTURRET

over 20 years old

51,6 %
ANNUAL 1995 BOTTLING
Distilled on 30.7.75
Bottled 28.4.95
Cask no. 744
166 Genummerde flessen
The Quaich Society,
University of St. Andrews

THE GLENTURRET

15 years old

43%
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 12.10.79
Bottled 8.95
Cask no. 1055
366 Genummerde flessen
Van Wees, Holland

GLENTURRET

16 years old

43 %
1985
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Bottled 4/3/2002
Distilled 12/7/85
Genummerde flessen
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L.

GLENTURRET

16 years old

58,4 %
VINTAGE 1985
CASK STRENGHT
Distilled 12.7.85
Bottled 12.2.2002
Cask No. 117
270Genummerde flessen
Natural Colour
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

THE GLENTURRET

Aged 10 years

40 %

Bottled: 2004
Scotland's Oldest Distillery
Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Glenturret Distillery, Crieff

Character: Colour: pale lemon gold.Bouquet: spicy citrus with a mild peat aroma. Palate: Very soft, mature orange zest/vanilla.

Who knows for how long the river Turret has been flowing from its source high on Benchonzie, through one of the loveliest glens in Scotland and into the peaceful Turret Loch? One thing is certain: the distillery that sits by the burn has been quitly going about its craft for longer than any other in Scotland.

Since 1775, the Glenturret Distillery has produced small, precious quantities of Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky. As unchanging as the river, the traditional Pot Still process is used to this day. And Glenturret's master distiller is equally unswerving in his insi¬stence on the finest local barley.

The best ingredients, the purest water and the longest tradition of distilling exellence come together in a strong, smooth and mellow whisky, with a glorious bouquet and a natural golden hue. A dram of Glenturret is a pleasure reserved for those who find the time to savour it.

'Here are no fads, appliances, or patents, but like the building, the vessels are all of the ancient pattern'. Alfred Barnard - 1887.

Uitgebracht: zomer 2004

GLENTURRET

16 years old

46 %
Highland Single Malt
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 21/11/92
Matured in a refill sherry butt
Cask no: 825
Numbered bottles
Bottled: 06/03/09
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company,
P.O. Box 18, 3800 A A Amersfoort

THE GLENTURRET

TRIPLE WOOD

40 %
American sherry oak, European
sherry oak and ex - bourbon casks
Highland Single Malt Scotch whisky
Scotland's Oldest Distillery
The Glenturret Distillery,
Crieff, Perthshire
Exclusively selected for The Whisky shop.

“Here are no fads, appliances, or patents, but like the building, the vesselsare all of

the ancient pattern.” Alfred Barnard 1887.

Who knows fro how long the River Turret has been flowing from its source high on the

Ben Chonzie, through one of the loviest glens in Scotland and into the peaceful Turret Loch.

One thing is certain: the distillery that sits by the burn has been quietly going about its craft

for longer than any other in Scotland.

Since 1775, the Glenturret Distiller has produced small, precious quatities of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. As unchanging as the river, the traditional Pot Sill process is used this day.

This unique Triple Wood cask selection has been hand – picked by Glenturret’s Master of

Whisky, Neil K. Cameron.The combination of American sherry oak, European sherry oak

and ex – bourbon casks make a wonderfully rich and creamy Single Malt.

The aroma is a fragrant mix of orange peel, vanilla and peardrops with a taste of cederwood, cinnamon coated marzipan and a hint of coconut. The lingering oakiness finishes this exclusive dram.

The Midlands
THE GLENTURRET

MALTY, NUTTY, FRUITY, SMOKE

The Hosh, Crieff, Perthshire. Licentiehouder: The Glenturret Distillery Ltd. Eigendom van The Highland Distillers Ltd.
Gesticht in 1775 als Hosh distilleerderij, en is daarmee de oudste distilleerderij in de Hooglanden.
The Glenturret ligt tussen twee heuvels in, daar waar het water van de Ahaggie Burn de rivier Turret bereikt.
In 1875 wordt de naam Glenturret voor het eerst gebruikt.
The Glenturret wisselde enige malen van eigenaar maar begin 1900 was een landeigenaar te Crieff, Thomas Stewart, de bezitter.
Gedurende de eerste wereldoorlog was The Glenturret gesloten, daarna waren Mitchell Bros & Co, Ltd te Belfast gedurende twee jaar de eigenaars.
The Glenturret werd gesloten en de lagerpakhuizen deden tot 1923 dienst als opslagplaats.
In 1923 werden de Murrays van Ochtertyre, eigenaars van de aangrenzende grond de eigenaars die het ook voor opslagdoeleinden gebruikten.
In 1927 waren de laatste voorraden whisky uit de lagerpakhuizen weggehaald.
James Fairlie, een whiskyenthousiast en kenner van de whiskyhandel, kocht de distilleer-derij in 1957 en er werd een nieuwe distilleerderij gebouwd in 1959 - 1960.
Zijn zoon Peter hielp hem hierbij.
In 1981 werd The Glenturret verkocht aan Cointreau en het was tijdens hun eigenaarsschap dat de whiskylikeur The Glenturret werd ontwikkeld en uitgebracht.
In 1990 werden The Highland Distillers Ltd voor E 31.3 000.000 eigenaar van The Glenturret.
The Glenturret had ook een beroemde kat 'Towser', die het wereldrecord muizenvangen in haar bezit had, bij haar dood in Maart 1987 had ze 27.890 muizen gevangen.
Haar opvolgster was Amber.
The Glenturret is een kleine distilleerderij met twee ketels met een produktie van ongeveer 400.000 liter spirit per jaar.
Het proceswater komt van Loch Turret, het koelwater uit de Turret Burn.
Het meeste van de whisky wordt verkocht aan bezoekers van de distilleerderij.
In Mei 2002 werd een nieuw bezoekerscentrum geopend: The Famous Grouse Experience, at Scotland's Oldest Distillery.
De investering was E 2.5 miljoen.
De Mash tun is één ton, de acht wash backs zijn elk 6000 liter en de Wash still is groot 12500 liter, terwijl de Spirit still 9000 liter groot is, beiden worden indirect met stoom verhit

Voorjaar 1999 kregen de Edrington Group en Highland Distillers verschil van mening over het niet of wel aanhouden van de beursnotering.
September 1999 wordt bekend dat Edrington en William Grant & Sons samen Highland Distillers overnemen.
De naam van de nieuwe onderneming luidt: The 1887 Company, wat slaat op het stichtingsjaar van Highland Distillers.
Edrington verkrijgt 70 %-, William Grant & Sons 30 % van de aandelen.

Records have shown that distillation was taking place from as early as 1717 when Glenturret
was an illicit distillery, until it was officially established in 1775.

Glenturret wqas originally named Hosh, that is the area in which Glenturret is located. Hosh
comes from the Gaelic "cois" meaning foot.

It was not unto 1875 that the distillery was re - named Glenturret, by is new owner Thomas
Stewart, this name is derived from the water source of Glenturret: Loch Turret.

Production continued until 1914 and Glenturret fell silent in 1921 and it was not until 1959
that James Fairlie restored the distillery and started production again.

1981 Cointreau buys the distillery and in 1990 they sell Glenturret to Highland Distillers.

Also in 1981 Cointreau built a visitors centre

In 1999 Highland Distillers is taken over by the Edrington Group.

In 2000 Glenturret is home of The Famous Grouse Experience.

The barley used is Concerto (2012) and unpeated

Manager is Neil Cameron.

A heavily peated whisky , 80 ppm, is used to produce Ruadh Maor.

In 1957 Glenturret is refurnished with second hand equipment and in 1971 a further
upgrading has done.

Owner: The Edrington Group
Established: 1717
Water Source: Loch Turret
Malt Source: Simpsons of Berwick
Malt Storage Capacity: 25000kg
Mill Type: Porteous Mill
Grist storage: 1050 kg
Mash Tun Construction:ex Tullibardine

Mash Size: 5000 litres
No. of Wash Backs:
Wash Back Capacity:
ex Tullibardine,6250 litres
Yeast: Kerry Quest M
No. of Wash Stills: 2
Wash Still Charge: 12.6000 litres
Heat Source: Steam internal pans
Wash Still Shape:
Pot Still with bulge in neck
No. of Spirit Stills: 1
Spirit Still Charge: 6600 litres
Heat Source: Steam Internal copper
coil
Spirit Still Shape: Pot Still with straight
side.
Current Annual Distillery Output: (2012)
160.000 litres a year.

1775

Whisky smugglers establish a small

farm distillery with the name Hosh

1818

John Drummond is licensee
1826

A distillery in the vicinity is named

Glenturret and decommissioned before
1852
1837

John Drummond is no longer the

licensee of The GlenTurret
1852

John McCallum is licensee
1874

John McCallum is no longer

licensee of The Glenturret
1875

Thomas Stewart is manager

is changed the name of the the

distillery from Hosh into The Glenturret
1903

Mitchel Brothers Ltd takes over
1921

Production ceases and the buildings

are used only for whisky storage
1929

Mitchel Brothers Ltd is liquidated
The distillery is dismantled
The buildings are uede for

storage of agricultural needs
1957

James Fairley Glenturret is in

production again
1981

Remy Cointreau buys the distillery
A visitor centre is opened
1990

Highland Distillers take over
1999

Edrington Group and William Grant

& Sons buy Highland Distillers for

601.000.000 pound
The purchasing company the 1887

Company is a joint venture between

the Edrington
Group ( 70 %) and William Grant &

Sons (30 %).
2002

The Famous Grouse Experience

visitor centre costing 2,500.000

pound is opened
2003

A 10 year old replaces the 12 year old

2007

Three new single casks released

2013

An 18 year CS is released as a distillery exclusive

2014

A 1986 single cask is released

2015

Sherry, Triple Wood and Peated are released

2016

Fly's Masters released

2019

Lalique Group and Hansjörg Wyss buy the distillery
Edrington completes Grouse Experience makeover

2020

Capacity: 500.000 Ltrs

Output: 190.000 Ltrs

Ruadh Maor a heavily peated , 80 ppm is produced

in 2019 10.000 Ltrs

2020

A new range is launched

2021

Glenturret Jaguar E - type is released

May, 2014
Edrington has announced that the £250,000 investment in the visitor facilities at the Famous Grouse Experience at its Glenturret Distillery, Scotland's most visited distillery, in Crieff, has been completed.
The announcement comes ahead of an anticipated surge in visitor numbers for this year's Commonwealth Games and golf Ryder Cup.
Scotland's oldest working distillery was established in 1775, and is the home of the country's best-selling Scottish blended whisky (No. 4 standard blended whisky worldwide).
The refurbishment programme, which is the first major upgrade to the facilities since 2007, has seen the visitor café, shop and tasting experiences transformed, as well as the welcome lounge that receives 120,000 visitors every year.
The distillery has opened up a new tasting bar, alongside which there are a series of nosing pods to allow visitors to get much closer to the whisky blending process and identify aromas and ingredients that make the spirit so distinctive.
This year Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games in July, and the Ryder Cup in September. The facilities for corporate entertainment and private events have also been enhanced with a new facilities for whisky tasting experiences, including The Famous Grouse Suite, extending the distillery's abilities to accommodate valuable corporate and group business.
Another new feature, is the 'Personalisation Bar' in the new gift shop, which allows customers to not only bottle their own whisky, but to personalise their bottle of The Famous Grouse on site.
Business development manager Lesley Williamson said: "This will be an extremely busy year for tourism businesses in the Perthshire area. The eyes of the world will be upon us and it's imperative that we continue to deliver our visitors a quality experience.
"Glenturret Distillery has a place in Scotland's history as the oldest working distillery, and The Famous Grouse Experience is a popular visitor attraction for tourists from around the globe.
"The investment demonstrates our commitment to the future of the Distillery in Crieff and in our offering to the corporate and private events market, as well as an important tourism destination, both of which are incredibly important to our business."

"Here are no fads, appliances, or patents, but like the building, the vesselsare all of
the ancient pattern." Alfred Barnard 1887.

Who knows fro how long the River Turret has been flowing from its source high on the
Ben Chonzie, through one of the loviest glens in Scotland and into the peaceful Turret Loch.

One thing is certain: the distillery that sits by the burn has been quietly going about its craft
for longer than any other in Scotland.

Since 1775, the Glenturret Distiller has produced small, precious quatities of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. As unchanging as the river, the traditional Pot Sill process is used this day.

This unique Triple Wood cask selection has been hand - picked by Glenturret's Master of
Whisky, Neil K. Cameron.The combination of American sherry oak, European sherry oak
and ex - bourbon casks make a wonderfully rich and creamy Single Malt.

The mash tun contains only a tonne of grist, the washbacks are wooden, and the stills have a slightly rudimentary look about them suggestive of a more rustic approach to whisky-making. This is not however borne out in the spirit which is light, acidic, and intense. Some heavily peated malt [called Ruadh Mhor, ‘Big Red’] is also made, which goes into Black Grouse.

Glenturret has an uncommonly chequered history. On one hand, it is fond of claiming to be Scotland’s oldest distillery. On the other, it could be said to be one which helped to usher in a new era for distillation.

The oldest distillery claim doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny. The site is claimed to have been the site of an illicit still known as The Hosh [Gaelic for ‘foot’] which was operational in the 1770s, though quite why an illegal operation would have a name is slightly unclear. Licensed distilling on the site only started in 1818 when John Drummond began making whisky.

Unlike many small Perthshire distilleries of that period, it survived the trials of the 19th century and in 1875 it changed its name from The Hosh to Glenturret – taking the name from a nearby distillery which had failed 20 years previously.

The troubled times of the 1920s hit it hard, and in 1928 it was dismantled. In the late 1950s, however, James Fairlie had the idea of building a new plant inside the old buildings. He bought the stills and mash tun from Tullibardine (which was being refitted) and got Glenturret up and running once more in 1960, in time to take advantage of the upturn in whisky’s fortunes.

Fairlie and his son Peter also saw the potential in whisky tourism and soon opened a visitor’s centre – the second distillery to do so.

It was, for a decade, part of Rémy Cointreau (1981-1993) before joining Highland Distillers [now Edrington] who, in 2002, radically transformed the site into The Famous Grouse Experience.

Single malt bottlings are now rare.

1775

An illicit distillery named

Hosh is said to have been

established

1818

John Drummond is granted

a license to distil at the same site

1852

John McCallum takes over

as license holder

1875

Thomas Stewart picks up

the license and changes the

distillery's name from the Hosh

to Glenturret

1907

The distillery passes into the

hands of Mitchell Bros

1923

Glenturret closes, and is

dismantled five years later

1959

James Fairlie reopens the

distillery using the stills and

mash tun from Tullibardine

1981

Rémy Cointreau buys the distillery

and installs a visitors' centre

1990

Highland Distillers acquires Glenturret

1999

Edrington and William Grant & Sons

purchase Highland Distillers and

ownership of Glenturret falls to the former

2002

Edrington build a £2.2m visitors' centre,

The Famous Grouse Experience, at Glenturret

The Edrington Group

1999 - present

Highland Distillers

1990 - 1999

Rémy Cointreau

1981 - 1990

James Fairlie

1957 - 1981

Mitchell Brothers

1907 - 1928

Glenturret Distillery Co

1896 - 1907

Thomas Stewart

1875 - 1896

John McCallum

1852 - 1875

John Drummond & Co

1818 - 1852

GLENTURRET AND CUTTY SARK BRANDS FOR SALE

June 2018

Blended Scotch Cutty Sark and Glenturret distillery – the home of The Famous Grouse – are being put up for sale by their owner Edrington as part of plans to refocus its portfolio on premium brands.

The Famous Grouse Experience at Glenturret distillery

Iconic sight: The Famous Grouse Experience will close at Glenturret distillery following its sale

The owner of the new Macallan distillery on Speyside expects a ‘high level of interest’ in the two brands from prospective buyers.

Glenturret distillery in Crieff is currently home to the Famous Grouse visitor centre, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.

While Glenturret’s single malt whisky is a relatively small brand on its own, selling around 48,000 bottles a year, it forms a major component of the blended Scotch.

Both the distillery and visitor centre are being offered for sale, which will see the closure of the Famous Grouse Experience, although all 31 employees at the site are expected to keep their jobs in the transfer.

Edrington will however keep hold of The Famous Grouse brand, which is the best-selling whisky in Scotland.

Gerry O’Donnell, corporate affairs director for Edrington, said the company is considering creating a new visitor experience for the brand elsewhere.

‘It’s a good chance for us to reimagine our experiences for consumers in the future,’ he said.

Edrington chief executive Ian Curle said the sale of both Glenturret and Cutty Sark would enable the company to focus on its premium portfolio, including Macallan, Highland Park, Glenrothes and Famous Grouse.

‘Premium spirits is the fastest growing area of the spirits market,’ he said.

‘Focusing our resources and investment on the brands best equipped to compete powerfully will help Edrington to capitalise on the long term prospects from premium spirits.’

Cutty Sark was originally created to be smuggled across to the US during Prohibition

The news follows the opening of Macallan’s new subterranean distillery near Craigellachie, which forms part of a £500 million investment in the brand.

O’Donnell added: ‘These brands are above Glenturret in the pecking order and it’s our sense that Glenturret will get the focus and investment and consideration in another owner that it probably needs.’

The sale will also allow Edrington to focus on the development of Glenrothes single malt, having bought the distillery back from London wine and spirits retailer Berry Bros. & Rudd in April 2017.

Now available in over 30 countries, Glenrothes will see a new range and packaging introduced later this summer.

Cutty Sark, which was created in 1923 by Berry Bros. & Rudd, and owned by Edrington since 2010, is the biggest selling blended Scotch in Spain, Greece and Portugal, selling over eight million bottles a year.

The brand accounts for 10% of all spirits bottled at Edrington’s Great Western Road facility in Glasgow, although any impact on production ‘can be managed over time’.

The news comes as Edrington announced an annual sales increase of 7% for its 2017/18 financial year, and pre-tax profit increase of 3%.

The company also produces Brugal rum and Snow Leopard vodka.

GLENTURRET DISTILLERY SOLD TO LALIQUE OWNER

December 2018

Glenturret distillery, the home of The Famous Grouse, has been sold to the Swiss owner of Lalique crystal.

Glenturret distillery

Tourist attraction: Glenturret currently welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year

The distillery, based on the banks of the River Turret in Crieff, has been home to the blended Scotch whisky brand for the past 40 years.

Edrington, which owns Macallan and Highland Park distilleries, sold the site to Art & Terroir, a French wine producer and distributor operated by Lalique owner Silvio Denz.

The deal includes both the Glenturret distillery and single malt brand, as well as some maturing stock, although Edrington will retain the Famous Grouse brand.

The deal, made for an undisclosed sum, is expected to complete in spring 2019, and will safeguard the jobs of all Glenturret’s employees.

Ian Curle, chief executive of Edrington, said: ‘When we announced the sale in June, we were clear that we expected that all jobs would be safeguarded and we are pleased that negotiations have settled on a good result for Edrington and Art & Terroir, and one which will protect all our employees at Glenturret.’

Licensed distilling began at Glenturret in 1818 when it was known as The Hosh.

One of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Glenturret has preserved traditional brewing and distilling practices, and currently welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Denz, managing director of Art & Terroir, said: ‘Glenturret is the perfect choice as we enter the world of Scotch whisky and we are looking forward to working with the existing team to bring even greater success to this superb single malt and to its beautiful Perthshire surroundings.’

Edrington announced it was seeking a buyer for Glenturret and its blended Scotch brand Cutty Sark in June this year.

Last month the sale of Cutty Sark to French drinks group La Martiniquaise-Bardinet was confirmed for an undisclosed sum.

Through Art & Terroir, Denz owns and distributes several vineyards in Bordeaux, as well as Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Sauternes.

IN DEPTH

NEW GLENTURRET OWNER TAPS MACALLAN EXPERTISE

April 2019

The Glenturret distillery at Crieff, home of The Famous Grouse Experience, has a new owner – luxury goods business Lalique. But the team at the Perthshire plant has a familiar look to it, as .

How old?: Glenturret claims to be Scotland’s oldest distillery, but some question that

Until now, Glenturret has been best-known for The Famous Grouse Experience visitor centre, Towser the mouse-devouring cat and a dubious claim to be Scotland’s oldest distillery (supposedly dating from 1775, although licensed distilling only began in 1818) – but all of that might be about to change.

Nine months after being put up for sale by Edrington – owner of Macallan, Highland Parkand The Famous Grouse – the distillery in Crieff has a new owner: Glenturret Holding, a joint venture between luxury goods company Lalique Group and Swiss entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss, Lalique’s second-largest shareholder.

Lalique, known for its glassware but with interests in perfume, cosmetics, jewellery and furniture, paid £15.5m for its half of the distillery, brand and whisky stocks, giving Glenturret an implied total value of £31m.

Lalique company chairman and majority shareholder Sylvio Denz is a keen wine collector, and owner of Bordeaux estates Château Faugères (St-Emilion) and Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes) – but what does the Swiss owner of a French crystal maker know about whisky?

Perhaps more than we might think; Lalique has been working with luxury-focused single malt Macallan for many years. ‘Thanks to its collaboration with The Macallan, Lalique has acquired significant expertise, goodwill and standing in the Scottish whisky industry,’ says Denz.

It has also acquired a couple of high-profile figures in the Scotch whisky world, whose names are indelibly linked with Macallan: Bob Dalgarno, who spent 30 years at the Speyside distillery and who takes on the role of Glenturret master blender, and Ken Grier, the new venture’s strategic consultant, and the man who did more than anyone to bring Macallan’s new £140m home to life.

Old range: We will have to wait until 2020 to see the new Glenturret line-up

Denz says he is ‘very proud’ to have both on board with the new project, describing them as ‘great business partners and friends over the past 10 years’. General manager John Laurie and distillery manager Ian Renwick – in post for more than 20 years – complete the senior Glenturret team.

So, will the approach with Glenturret mirror the Macallan philosophy of luxury bottlings targeted at wealthy drinkers in the Far East? Denz has declined to comment on that, but the company does say that ‘anticipated joint initiatives include the design of The Glenturret whisky bottles by Lalique and the creation of limited whisky decanters in Lalique crystal’. The glassmaker will, however, continue to work with Macallan: ‘The partnership… is as strong as ever,’ says Denz.

Beyond the distillery and visitor centre, Lalique is acquiring more than one million litres of maturing Glenturret whisky, the oldest dating back to 1987, as well as 2,400 cases of bottled whiskies.

What will the company do with it? Single malt bottlings from Glenturret have been relatively rare, although there was an abortive attempt to create a three-strong core range (Sherry, Triple Wood and Peated) in late 2015.

The new Glenturret range is set to hit the market in 2020, but its exact form remains unclear, with Lalique only saying that stocks ‘will allow for the blending of high-end single malts with ages ranging from 10 to 40 years, including various special editions and “The Master Blender’s Choice” limited editions’.

Old ways: Glenturret uses traditional production methods, such as hand-mashing

Glenturret is a small, self-styled ‘farmhouse’ distillery that has made great play of its traditional production methods, such as hand-mashing, fermentation times of up to 100 hours and the slow running of its stills. But Lalique believes the plant can work harder.

‘The Glenturret distillery has the capacity to considerably expand its current production level of around 170,000 litres [of pure alcohol] per year without the need for significant investments,’ the company has said.

‘Over time, it is planned that production will treble to approximately 500,000 litres per year, with increased volumes becoming available for blending in around 2026/7, allowing time for the whisky ageing process. The output forecast for 2019 is 205,000 litres.’

Increased production will be phased in quite rapidly, Denz adds, but without the need to expand the distillery. ‘Glenturret will be able to increase annual production over the next three years to around 500,000 litres per year with its existing stills, mashing and fermentation capacity,’ he says.

Glenturret has also been home to The Famous Grouse Experience tourist facility since 2002 but, with Edrington holding onto Grouse, that will have to change. As a relatively accessible Highland distillery – an hour or two’s drive from both Edinburgh and Glasgow – Glenturret currently attracts about 70,000 visitors a year.

Lalique says it will continue to run the visitor centre, café and restaurant, but with a difference. ‘There are plans to renovate the visitor centre in the spirit of Lalique,’ says Denz, ‘with a Lalique shop-in-shop due to open in the course of 2020.’

New bosses: Lalique chairman Sylvio Denz (left) and CEO Roger von der Weid (right)

He also indicates that Glenturret will get together with ‘other renowned Scottish brands, particularly in the gastronomy and hospitality sector’. No further details yet, but it is worth bearing in mind that the Gleneagles Hotel is about 10 miles away. Lalique already runs a few high-end hotels, including a recently opened example at the Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey estate in Sauternes.

At the moment, Glenturret employs 25 people; as it cuts the Edrington apron strings and becomes self-sufficient, that figure is likely to expand to 30. The distillery will continue to produce peated spirit intermittently – known as Ruadh Mhor and previously mostly blended into The Famous Grouse Smoky Black.

Lalique is not buying a cash cow. In a buoyant market for single malt, Glenturret’s net profit was a wafer-thin £200,000 in 2018, but Lalique believes that’s misleading, thanks to the fact that there were ‘significant’ discounted sales of its whisky to other parts of the Edrington empire.

It expects ‘significantly higher’ profits following the ‘moderate’ spending planned for 2019 and 2020, and Denz says Glenturret remains ‘a rare investment and business opportunity’.

The truth of that statement remains to be seen. Lalique has considerable expertise in the luxury goods market, and global distribution to match – but this is the company’s first venture into Scotch whisky and, says Denz, there are no plans for further acquisitions.

Can some of the Macallan magic rub off on this relatively unheralded distillery, so far remembered more for tourism, feline killing machines and contentious historical claims? Time alone will tell.

GLENTURRET PHOTO RECALLS FAMILY HISTORY

January 2017

A family photograph brought to Scotland by a Canadian visitor has recalled a moment in the history of the Glenturret distillery from the beginning of the last century.

The Stormont family emigrated to Canada a few years after the picture was taken

The image, taken outside what may have been the distillery manager’s house in about 1902, shows Glenturret brewer John Stormont with his wife Mary and their three children: baby Mary (in her mother’s arms), George and Jane.

The family emigrated to Canada just a few years after the picture was taken, in 1905, and only the two little girls were to survive beyond the end of the First World War.

George, who served with the Canadian Exemplary Force in the war, was wounded and died at the age of 23 in France in August 1918, just three months before the Armistice.

Meanwhile, his parents John and Mary died of influenza in the same year. Sisters Mary and Jane lived out their lives in Canada, with Jane marrying an ex-British police officer.

The sad family saga came to light when Jean Brown, Jane’s daughter, who lives in Blind Bay, Canada, retraced her grandfather’s footsteps last year and visited Glenturret.

She got in touch with staff at the distillery in Crieff to add his history – and this photograph – to its archive of former employees.

‘Jean’s photograph is a valuable addition to our employee archive, enabling us to illustrate the importance of the people who make our whisky,’ said Glenturret general manager Stuart Cassells.

‘Our former stillmen and brewmasters will have used exactly the same techniques and, in some cases, equipment, as we continue to use today at Glenturret.

‘It binds them all together across the centuries and, in this case, continents too.’

GLENTURRET NAMES WHISKY AFTER GERARD BUTLER

June 2016

Glenturret distillery has named the latest whisky cask in its ‘Bottle Your Own’ series after teetotal Hollywood actor, Gerard Butler.

Glenturret has named a whisky cask after Gerard Butler, despite the Hollywood actor abstaining from alcohol

The Paisley-born Scotsman – known for his roles in films such as 300, PS I Love You and Law Abiding Citizen – follows in the footsteps of tennis player Andy Murray and actor Ewan McGregor, who have both been featured in the Bottle Your Own series.

The Gerard Butler limited edition whisky has been aged for 12 years in American oak ex-Sherry casks and bottled at 57% abv.

It was hand-selected by The Famous Grouse master blender Kirsteen Campbell, who took over from former master blender Gordon Motion earlier this year, and forms part of Glenturret distillery’s The Famous Grouse Experience.

The expression is available to purchase from the Glenturret distillery shop or online via the brand’s UK and global sites at an RRP of £75 per 700ml bottle.

‘Our Bottle Your Own experience has proven to be immensely popular,’ commented Stuart Cassells, general manager at The Famous Grouse Experience.

‘[Butler] may be a teetotaller, but he has a great appreciation for his home country. As such he will take his place in distillery history alongside the other Bottle Your Own "celebrities".’

In addition, £2 from every Gerard Butler bottle sold will be donated to a charitable cause.

Glenturret relaunches with new core whisky range

September, 2020

The Glenturret has unveiled a new core range as it plans to launch in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand next month.

A joint venture between luxury crystal maker Lalique and Swiss entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss, Lalique’s second-largest shareholder, purchased the distillery from Edrington in 2019.

Glenturret previously housed The Famous Grouse Experience visitor centre and welcomed tens of thousands of visitors each year. The whisky produced at the distillery was mainly used for blends, although it did release some bottlings under the Glenturret brand.

It has now been reinvented as a producer of malt whisky under the ownership of Lalique chairman Silvio Denz and Wyss.

The old range has been discontinued, and it will relaunch with a four-strong core range into key markets next month. The range comprises Triple Wood, 10-year-old Peat Smoked, 12 Year Old and 15 Year Old. There are also two limited-edition whiskies: a 25 Year Old and 30 Year Old.

Denz and Wyss set up a joint venture called Glenturret Holdings to purchase the distillery in a deal that valued it at £31 million.

They secured the services of whisky maker Bob Dalgarno, who previously spent 30 years at Macallan, and he has spent the past year creating the new range.

Dalgarno immediately disappeared into the warehouse and spent three months analysing the aged stocks the new owners had inherited from Edrington in the deal.

He described it as “meeting the family”. Dalgarno said: “The warehouse is full of casks, but full of characters. It’s very much alive. I looked at the warehouse, the stock we had, to try to understand the picture of how things fitted, what we could create, and it took some time and thought to build that. It all goes back to the new make spirit. This was the start of the Glenturret journey for me.

“The real challenge was starting off again from the bottom up. Glenturret gives me a different challenge. The wood make up is different, but there is also a great freedom to go and express ourselves here.”

The Triple Wood has an abv of 43% and it has naturally been aged in three different casks – sherry, American and bourbon. The rrp is £47.

Glenturret has a long history of producing peated whisky, with much of it going into The Black Grouse. It is overhauling the process to create peated malts with bolder flavours. The Glenturret 10 Year Old Peat Smoked (rrp £52) is bottled at 50% abv and has notes of sea salt and heather.

The 12 Year Old (46% abv) retails at £60 and the 15 Year Old (55% abv) retails at £110.

“The 15 Year Old encompasses everything that goes on at the distillery,” said Dalgarno. “It’s subtle, yet bold, it’s understated, but it makes a statement at the same time.”

There are just 204 bottles of the 25 Year Old, which has an rrp of £980, while there are 750 bottles of 30 Year Old retailing at £1,600.

We caught up with Dalgarno, distillery manager Ian Renwick and managing director John Laurie to learn more about the relaunch.

“It has been a journey and we are very excited to show it to the world,” said Laurie. “Our ambition is to have the Glenturret as that single malt you have at a special occasion – a wedding or a graduation.

“We will be launching in the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand in November with Asia and USA to follow in early 2021.

“Key accounts will be HORECA [on-trade] and boutique bottle shops. Our first two years will be crucial to brand growth so making sure our consumers can discover the brand through the trusted advice of their bar tender or bottle shop will be the key to opening their minds to the Glenturret. We understand that on-trade has been badly hit recently and we are keen to support them as much as we can.”

Glenturret has always had a dubious claim to be Scotland’s oldest working distillery. It was previously touted as dating from 1775, although licensed distilling only started in 1818. The new labels proudly proclaim it to be “Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery – Since 1763”.

“We have been known as 1775 for many years, and arguably the oldest working distillery in Scotland,” said Laurie. “One of the first things we did was bring in an historian, who looked back and found a rental document, paying rent to the then Scottish Money Clan, the founding family, for the distillery.

“It did say that we were in existence prior to 1763, but as 1763 is now the date that we have evidential proof, that is the date we will use and be comfortable as the oldest working distillery in Scotland.”

The distillery currently produces around 200,000 litres of new make spirit per year and there are eventually plans to increase it to 500,000. “We have plans to increase that in the coming years, but we will never sacrifice quality for quantity,” said Renwick. “We are a very traditional distillery, and that means being true to the past. We’ve got no computer, no flow meters and no automated systems. We have a very small batch process, which makes us very nimble.

“When I heard Bob was coming I was excited, but a little bit anxious as well, thinking how is Bob going to fit into the team. I know he has done some wondrous things in the past, and I’ve been lucky enough to taste quite a few of his whiskies, and I knew he could do a fantastic job, but would he want to change things away from our way of being.

“The first thing Bob did was he disappeared into the warehouse basically for six months. He was opening casks, getting used to the environment, working out how the maturation worked at our distillery compared to what he had done before.”

Dalgarno added: “It was hugely important that I went to the warehouse. It’s meeting the family. We inherited stock, and the first thing for any whisky maker is to understand the stock we have. Could we sustain it in the way it was? Quite simply, no. The make-up of the whisky wasn’t there. We had to change it. That’s always a challenge, getting something in the same style, but let’s be reflective of where we think the distillery is going.”

Laurie has a clear commercial for the brand as it launches in several markets next month. The “Glenturret is a small batch distillery so true scarcity is the main point to convey,” he said. “We manufacture using traditional methods and nothing leaves our doors until we are proud to present it. We would love to be seen as a brand that has honesty in its values, it is how we communicate in the distillery and hope that is conveyed when we reach our consumers.

“Having a whisky maker like Bob Dalgarno, teaming up with the significant experience of our distiller Ian Renwick is a real example of high performance team work. They communicate frequently, they analyse the spirit character and work tirelessly to get the very best from our new make spirit.”

The renovated visitor centre is also due to reopen in December.

> Hello Willem: Your Wormtub site is excellent. I toured Glenturret on 19 September 2021:

> Heat Source: Steam heat and hot water from its central boiler.

> Malt Source: Concerto spring barley malt from Simpsons Maltings of Berwick.

> Malt Spec (Phenols): Standard is 0-ppm for the single malt (Unpeated) and 80-ppm for Ruadh Maor blending malt (Heavily Peated).

> Gristmill: 1 Porteus Malt Mill (4-roller) Mash Tun: 1 s/s

> traditional 'open' top mash tun (1-ton) with hand-turned wooden and steel rousers (spades) producing 5,000L of wort. The iron mash tun is dressed in wood.

> Washbacks: 8 Douglas fir washbacks (charged @ 6,250L).

> Yeast: Kerry Quest M dry distillers yeast

> Yeast Pitch: 17°C as the WBs don't have switchers, this low temp is used to avoid over-flow by delayed fermentation.

> Fermentation: 48-hours & 100-hours (to for secondary (malolactic) fermentation.

> *2 Pot Stills: Wash @ 12,600L (charged @ 12,500L), Spirit @ 9,000L (charged @ 6,600L).

> Condensers: 2 shell-and-tube condensers; To reduce its cooling water requirement, the condensers are positioned outside its stillhouse.

> Cask: Sherry butts and Bourbon hogsheads (refill); separate spirit receivers are used for Glenturret and Ruadh Maor.

> Warehouse: 6 on-site WHs (10,500 casks)

> Blending/Bottling: An indie bottling hall in Glasgow

> *Capacity: 340,000-Lpa per year

> Current Output: 200,000-Lpa (2021); 5 FTE's (Manager and 4 production staff)

> Tours/Visitor Center: Yes

> Owner: Glenturret Holding, a 50:50 joint venture between Lalique Group S.A. and Swiss entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss, Lalique’s second-largest shareholder. Lalique Group S.A.‘s largesr shareholder is Silvio Denz, its CEO. Each JV partner contributed £15.5m for £31 capitalization. The purchase price was not revealed.

> (If partners provided £10m for working capital net of the acquisition costs, perhaps they paid circa £20m for the distillery real estate, equipment, on-hand supplies and the existing whisky inventory.

> A guess based on my experience as a commercial banker who financed a

> lot of auto dealership purchase transactions.)

‘This is an exciting time!’ How Scotland’s whisky industry went from bust to boom

A glass of whisky on a mossy rock by a fast-flowing beck.

‘You can’t replace single malt scotch; it’s the gold standard.’

New distilleries are popping up, while old ones are reopening and modernising; some vintages fetch £10,000 a bottle. It’s a new golden age for scotch

On the eighth floor of the Port of Leith distillery, the latest chapter of the boom-and-bust story of Scottish whisky is under construction. This week, lifts are being installed in what will soon be the UK’s only vertical whisky distillery. The copper stills were supposed to have arrived from Elgin but this is a team as accustomed to delays as whisky distillers are to waiting for their spirit to mature. “No one has built a building like this before,” says Port of Leith co-owner Ian Stirling.

Port of Leith distillery under construction.

If you’re looking for a symbol of the rise of the Scottish whisky industry, this bold black column soaring 40 metres into the skies over north Edinburgh’s historic port is it. It has taken four years and £13.5m to build the distillery, all of which has come from individual private investors. Meanwhile, Britain has left the EU (home to many of Scottish whisky’s biggest export destinations), and we’ve seen a pandemic, the worst cost-of-living crisis for a generation and an energy crisis that’s hitting the UK harder than anywhere in western Europe. And it takes huge amounts of energy to make whisky. Yet still the spirit flows. “As Britain’s economy stumbles,” ran a recent New York Times headline, “one sector is booming: whisky.”

“This is a really exciting time,” says Stirling. “We see ourselves as part of a new wave.” In 2012, when he and his flatmate (and now Port of Leith co-owner) Paddy Fletcher started “messing about with a little copper still” in their back garden, there hadn’t been a whisky distillery in Edinburgh for almost a century. Now Port of Leith is the third.

For the moment, like many new-wave distillers in Scotland, Port of Leith is making gin. So far, it has exported to 24 countries including Germany, China, the US, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. “But my goodness,” says Stirling, “everyone is dying for our whisky. Once Brexit happened, we couldn’t get our bottles into the country, then we couldn’t get them out. It was a total nightmare but, on balance, the weak pound is almost compensating for these losses. We had droves of Americans coming this summer.”

A staffer leans over one in a line of casks waiting to be filled at the Glenturret distillery.

Casks waiting to be filled at the Glenturret distillery. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

About 60 miles to the north-west in Perthshire is Glenturret, Scotland’s oldest working distillery, dating back to 1763. In 2019, it was acquired by French glassmaker Lalique and the Swiss entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss. On this lovely old site, crystal chandeliers and blackened casks now abound, along with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Here, overlooking the river from where the water for the whisky comes, the revamped Glenturret – now housed in 70cl art deco Lalique glass bottles – is sprinkled all over the 15-course menu like the finest mist of Parisian parfum.

Lalique: Silvio Denz baut sein Luxus-Imperium um

LALIQUE

Im Luxus-Mischkonzern Lalique gab es bemerkenswerte Umbauten. Was hinter diesen Massnahmen steckt.

Silvio Denz gibt Vollgas.

Bei Lalique tut sich was. Hauptaktionär und Mastermind Silvio Denz soll daran arbeiten, die Werthaltigkeit der Sparten seiner Gruppe stärker herauszuarbeiten. Auch sollen die Teilbereiche vermehrt einzeln darauf hinarbeiten, Mehrwert zu generieren – bisher arbeiten sie sich stark gegenseitig zu: In Hotellerie und Gastronomie stehen Möbel mit Lalique-Intarsien, werden Spirituosen in Lalique-Flaschen oder Weine von Denz’ Weingütern verkauft, wo Weine in Fässern aus der Whiskydestillerie Glenturret gelagert werden, die zu Denz’ Reich gehört, die wiederum ihren Whisky auch in Rotweinfässern reifen lässt. Offensichtlich ist nun unternehmerisches Streamlining angesagt, das Ganze, so ein Insider, mit dem Plan, dass Teile der Gruppe verkaufsfähig gemacht werden – auch wenn Denz bisher Angebote, die ihm bereits gemacht worden seien, stets abgelehnt hat. Offenbar auch, um die Glasmanufaktur Lalique in Wingen im Elsass, die er aufgepäppelt hat, vor der Filetierung zu schützen.

In Lafaurie-Peyraguey zieren zwei Sterne die Küche. Eigner Silvio Denz hat Gebäude und Weinberg an seine Gruppe Lalique verkauft.

Dass Silvio Denz nun seinen 75-Prozent-Anteil am Top-Weingut Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey an Lalique verkaufte (Viertel-Eigentümer Michael Pieper bleibt an Bord), ist Teil dieses Streamlinings: Hotel und Restaurant in Lafaurie waren bereits bei Lalique, die Gruppe zahlte ihm Miete. Nun gesellen sich die beiden zu Hotel und Restaurant am Lalique-Stammsitz in Wingen im Elsass und zum Restaurant im schottischen Glenturret – der Chefkoch dort hat nun auch, wie seine beiden Kollegen, den zweiten «Michelin»-Stern erhalten. Das lockt nicht nur Gäste in die Häuser und die jeweils integrierten Lalique-Shops, sondern fördert die Konkurrenz: «Die drei wetteifern jetzt, wer als Erster den dritten Stern bekommt», sagt ein Lalique-Kader. Im Zürcher Hotel Florhof, das Denz gerade mit Peter Spuhler umbaut, dürfte ebenfalls ein Sternträger einziehen.

Dass etwas geht, zeigt auch die Aufstockung des Lalique-Pakets von Erwin Müller, den Denz seit Jahrzehnten aus dem Parfumgeschäft kennt: Müller gilt als nimmermüder Unternehmer, der stets neue Chancen sucht. Und die neue Lalique-CEO Nina Müller soll mit ihrer Retailkompetenz unter anderem neue Märkte bespielen: Die edle Sonnenschutzmarke Ultrasun, zur Gruppe gehörig, gewann gerade einen Markenstreit und tritt bald in den USA an.

Der Luxus wird agiler

Lalique: Die Gründe für den Rückzug von der Börse

Lalique

Der Luxus wird agiler

Haupteigentümer Silvio Denz hat seine Luxus-Markengruppe von der Börse genommen – was hinter diesem ungewöhnlichen Schritt steckt.

Partner Silvio Denz (l.) hält seine Grossaktionäre Erwin Müller (oben l.) und Hansjörg Wyss an Bord.

Quelle: Gian Marco Castelberg / HO

Dirk Ruschmann

am 26.09.2024 - 10:00 Uhr

Nicht gerade heimlich, aber ohne schrille Begleitmusik hat Silvio Denz seine Lalique-Gruppe dekotiert. Seit 4. September ist das Luxus-Multimarken-Reich nicht mehr via Börse, sondern direkt in den Händen der bisherigen Grossaktionäre, die alle an Bord geblieben sind: Drogerie-König Erwin Müller mit 25 Prozent, die indische DS Group mit 11,5 Prozent und der Berner Hansjörg Wyss, Milliardär und Mäzen, mit 5,9 Prozent.

Weil nach Müllers Einstieg Ende 2023 der Free Float der Lalique-Aktie nur noch bei 7,5 Prozent lag, machte der Verbleib an der SIX wenig Sinn. Für eine Listung im Index SPI war Lalique zu klein, die Kosten für den Verbleib an der Börse betrugen gemäss Insidern jedoch jährlich rund eine Million Franken. Also lancierte Denz im Frühling 2024 ein Übernahmeangebot mit satter Prämie, das fast alle Kleinaktionäre akzeptierten. Er selbst sammelte die Aktien ein, sodass sein Anteil von 50,1 auf heute 57 Prozent stieg.

Laut Nahestehenden sieht Denz die Börsenkotierung seiner Gruppe von 2007, damals hiess sie noch Art & Fragrance, bis 2024 als Erfolg an: Dank der strengen Berichtspflichten, also der zusätzlichen Vertrauensbildung für Investoren und Geschäftspartner, habe er 2008 die Luxusfirma Lalique übernehmen können, dazu Schottlands älteste Whiskybrennerei Glenturret und das Bordeaux-Weingut Lafaurie-Peyraguey, und weitere Parfum-Lizenzen, etwa von Brioni, akquirieren können. Die verbleibenden Grossaktionäre sind alle Partner: Wyss ist mit 50 Prozent an Glenturret beteiligt, Müller vertreibt die Parfums und Pflegeprodukte von Denz’ Gruppe in zahlreichen seiner 900 Drogeriemärkte, und mit der DS Group habe Denz ein Joint Venture für die Erschliessung Indiens gegründet. Zu den Produktmarken der Lalique-Gruppe gehören neben der gleichnamigen Kristallmanufaktur zahlreiche Parfums, die Pflegemarke Ultrasun sowie Weine und Spirituosen.

Denz will dem Vernehmen nach nun wieder zügiger agieren und reagieren können – als Börsenfirma dauerten ihm etwa Kapitalmassnahmen aufgrund der Vorschriften zu lange. Mittelfristig wolle er auch seine Position wieder auf 50,1 Prozent abbauen und womöglich mit den damit frei werdenden sieben Prozent noch einen strategischen Partner ins Boot holen.

Ausstehend, heisst es, sind nur noch 0,3 Prozent der Anteile, also rund 30'000 Aktien mit einem Marktwert von einer Million Franken. Ob Denz einen Squeeze-out anstrebt oder ein zweites Angebot lanciert, ist derzeit in Abklärung