Ga naar de inhoud

Imperial

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > I
IMPERIAL  
10 years old
43%           
THE LEGENDARY
LAST  BOTTLE  AND  EMPTY
Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
Blackadder International,
Logie Green, Larkhall

Long, long ago, in days since hidden by the swirling mists of time, the trusted sword of Blackadder vanquished the dark forces of evil and justly ruled the lands of Northern Scotia.
Built in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the Imperial Distillery was sited at Carron Railway Station, Morayshire, in order to avoid the high cost of transpor¬tation. The distillery, which is owned by Allied Distillers Ltd, draws water from Ballin-tomb Burn whose source is springs in the Mannoch Hills.

IMPERIAL  
15 years old
43%           
JAMES MAC ARTHUR'S
FINE MALT SELECTION
James Macarthur & Co, Ltd, Edinburgh
EMPTY

IMPERIAL   
13 years old
40%               
Distilled: 1979
Bottled: 1992
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

The capacity was 1,6 million litres a year
Now the dunnage warehouses are empty
Also  known  as Crown Imperial for a long time, because it had a big Crown
on the top of the malt kiln, after rebuilding the distillery in 1955, the Crown
was taken down.
It was said the water had to much iron in it, therefore the distillery had been
closed.

IMPERIAL  
20 years old
40%               
CONNOISSEURS CHOICE
Distilled 1970
Bottled 1990
Proprietors:
Dailuaine - Talisker Distilleries Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

IMPERIAL  
10 years old
40 %                 
GORDON & MACPHAIL
PRIVATE COLLECTION
A Rare and Exclusive Bottling from
The Directors Private Collection
CALVADOS WOOD FINISH
Distilled 19/09/90
Bottled August 2000
Cask No. 97/403 1,2
3500 Genummerde flessen
Trademark of Proprietors:
Allied Distillers Ltd.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

IMPERIAL   
10 years old
40%                
GORDON & MACPHAIL
PRIVATE COLLECTION
A Rare and Exclusive Bottling from
The Directors Private Collection
COGNAC WOOD FINISH
Distilled 19/9/90
Bottled August 2000
Cask No. 97/304 1,2,3
4500 Genummerde flessen
Trademark of Proprietors:
Allied Distillers Ltd.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

IMPERIAL   
10 years old
40%           
GORDON & MACPHAIL
PRIVATE COLLECTION
A Rare and Exclusive Bottling from
The Directors Private Collection
CLARET WOOD FINISH
Distilled 19/9/90
Bottled August 2000
Cask No. 97/304 4,5,6
3100 Genummerde flessen
Trademark of Proprietors:
Allied Distillers Ltd.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

IMPERIAL  
12 years old
40 %              
Distilled 1991
Bottled 2003
Trademark of Proprietors:
Allied Distillers Ltd.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Built in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the Imperial Distillery stands majestically among the dark woods of Carron, in a fold of the hills which encompass the glittering Spey.

IMPERIAL  
12 years old
60,4 %            
GORDON & MACPHAIL RESERVE
Distilled 1991
Bottled 2003
Cask no. 8681
1 st fill Bourbon barrel
Limited Edition
243 bottles
Proprietors: Allied Distillers Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin.

IMPERIAL  
14 years old
43 %            
1989
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 2/11/89
Bottled 30/9/04
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask no. 410
Numbered Bottles
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L.

IMPERIAL   
15 years old
46 %             
SPECIAL DISTILLERY BOTTLING
Allied Distillers Ltd., Dumbarton

IMPERIAL       
Aged 17 years
55,7 %                                         
CASK  STRENGHT
RARE  AULD  SCOTCH  WHISKY
Region: Speyside Scotch Whisky
Unique Whiskies of Distinction
Fons et Origo
D T C
Date distilled: 01.1990
Cask Number: 352
Date Bottled: 04.2007
207 Numbered Bottles
No Chill Filtration or
Colourings of any kind
Duncan Taylor & Co, Ltd,
Huntly, Aberdeenshire

IMPERIAL  
Aged  13 years  
56.4 %
WHISKY  GALORE
Rare Aged Scotch Whisky
Speyside Region
Distilled 1997
Bottled 2010-10-18                  
Whisky Galore Ltd, Huntly, Aberdeenshire

IMPERIAL                  
1 9 9 1    
43 %                                      
19 years old
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled 1991
Bottled 2010
Specially Selected Produced and Bottled
by and under the responsibility  of
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

IMPERIAL
VINTAGE 1 9 9 5
17  years old  
46 %                        
THE  ULTIMATE  SINGLE  MALT
SCOTCH  WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 09/10/95
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask no: 503339
Bottled: 20/09/13
295 Numbered Bottles
Non Chill Filtered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company, NL

IMPERIAL
VINTAGE  1 9 9 5
Matured for
19 years
46 %                    
THE  ULTIMATE  SINGLE  MALT
SCOTCH  WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 21/08/95
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask No: 50159
Bottled: 19/11/14
312 Numbered Bottles
Bottle No: 114
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company NL

IMPERIAL
VINTAGE  1 9 9 5
19  years old
46 %                                       
THE  ULTIMATE  SINGLE  MALT
SCOTCH  WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 21/08/95
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask no: 50169
Bottled: 08/12/14
295 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chill Filtered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company. NL

IMPERIAL
19  years  
46 %                               
THE  ULTIMATE  SINGLE  MALT
SCOTCH  WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 18/09/95
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask no: 50208
Bottled: 19/08/15
290 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate
Whisky Company.NL

IMPERIAL
Matured for 20 years   
46 %    
THE  ULTIMATE  SINGLE  MALT
SCOTCH  WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 18/09/95
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask no: 50233
Bottled: 07/12/15
290 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company. NL  

IMPERIAL   DISTILLERY  /  PERNOD  RICARD  / CHIVAS  BROTHERS
16 April 2013

Chivas Brothers, the whisky arm of Pernod Ricard is planning to build the a new distillery
at the site of the mothballed Imperial Distillery, near Carron, Aberlour.

Imperial has been closed for 15 years.

The construction of the new distillery will result in an increase of 10 % in Pernod Ricard’s
malt whisky distilling capacity, this means a 5 million litres spirit a year.

The original distillery buildings have already been demolished.

IMPERIAL
Aged 18 years
43 %                                
HAMMERFALL
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Importer by Brands for Fans
Sweden AB. Stockholm
Distilled & Bottled in Scotland
William Lundie & Co, Speyside.

Pride. Strenght. Honour.
Being true to your Heritage, with a clear vision of your future.
Words that speak as true about The Noble Whisky you hold in
your hand as Hammerfall. Having spent 18 years in oak casks
fulfilling it’s potential, The Hammerfall Imperial is a complex.
smooth and layered whisky that offers an unrivalled depth of
character. Hammerfall have spent 18 years perfecting The
Music they can proudly claim their own.
Hammerfall Imperial Single Malt is a Tribute to the Dedication                                                                             
and hard work of The Knights of The 21st Century, whose
knowledge and craft have produced this 18 year old Single
Malt Scotch Whisky of pure Perfection.

IMPERIAL
1 9 9 5
56.9 %                                                   
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky                                                   
Distilled: 09 .10.1995                                                   
Matured in a Hogshead                                                    
Cask No: 50308                                                    
Bottled August 2011                                                    
for MANUFACTUM                                                   
Bottled by Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Co, Pitlochry

IMPERIAL
1 9 9 7
53,6 %                                                
14 years old                                                
GORDON  &  MACPAIL  RESERVE                                               
SCOTCH  WHISKY                                                
Speyside                                               
Distillation date: 17/11/1997                                                
Cask Number: 4968                                                
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead                                               
Bottling Month: August 2011                                                
60 Numbered Bottles                                               
Unchillfiltered                                               
Natural Colour                                               
Exclusively Bottled for Van Wees                                                
Specially Selected, Produced and Bottled by                                                
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin.

Colour: Dark Straw
Nose: Fresh and herbal – fresh mint notes with a defined toasted malt edge.
Hints of sweet Sherry lingers
Palate: Warming with a burst of cracked pepper. Some exotic fruit influences
emerges. With a toasted malt edge.
Finosh: Long and smooth.

                         

Speysi
de
IMPERIAL

Carron, Morayshire. Eigendom van Allied Distillers Ltd. De gedistilleerd groep van Allied Domecq.
Imperial werd gesticht in 1897, het jaar van het diamanten regerings jubileum van Koningin Victoria, dat het hoogtepunt van het Britse Imperium en van de Schotse whiskyindustrie markeerde.
Nieuwe distilleerderijen werden gebouwd, bestaande vergroot.
Architekt was Charles Doig.
Thomas Mackenzie, de stichter van Imperial was al deelgenoot in Dailuaine en Talisker.
Werden de distilleerderijen in de Hooglanden over het algemeen gebouwd van graniet, Imperial werd gebouwd van rode Aberdeen stenen.
De muren waren twee voet dik om tegen brand bestand te zijn, en al de deuren waren van ijzer.
Imperial staat naast het Carron spoorwegstation.
In 1898 was er een fusie tussen Dailuaine en Talisker, die zaken ging doen onder de naam van Dailuaine - Talisker Distilleries Ltd.
Imperial kwam ook onder de direktie van de groep. De produktie van Imperial startte in Juli 1898.
In 1899 was er het bankroet van de Pattison's en Mackenzie besloot dat Dailuaine en Talisker genoeg konden produceren en Imperial ging dicht.
Dit zou twintig jaar duren.
Van de 161 werkende distilleerderijen in 1899 waren er in 1910 nog maar 124 over ge-bleven.
Na de dood van Mackenzie in 1915 namen zijn belangrijkste afnemers, James Buchanan, John Walker, John Dewar en de Distillers Company Ltd (D.C.L.) de bedrijven over.
Imperial werd in 1919 weer opgestart om in 1925 weer te sluiten.
Gedurende dertig jaar werd er alleen nog maar gemout ten behoeve van andere distilleerderijen.

In 1955
werd Imperial weer opgestart.
In 1954 en 1955
werd Imperial gemoderniseerd,
aangesloten op het electriciteitsnet,
vier nieuwe ketels geinstalleerd die
werden gestookt met kolen.
In 1967
werd de vloermouterij vervangen
door het Saladin systeem.
In 1969
werden de kolengestookte ketels
vervangen door ketels verhit met stoom.
Imperial werd in 1985 gesloten.
In 1989
koopt Allied Domecq Imperial en
de distilleerderij wordt opgestart.
De gehele opbrengst ging altijd in de
Peter Dawson blends.
Het water komt van bronnen in de
Mannoch Hills.
In Mei 2000
wordt Imperial weer (tijdelijk ?) gesloten.
Het water kwam eerst van Ballintomb Burn,
tegenwoordig van Aldach Springs.
De Mash tun is 11.5 ton.
De zes Wash backs hebben elk een inhoud
van 56000 liter.
De vier ketels worden met stoom verhit.
De twee Wash stills zijn groot 20.500 liter,
de twee Spirit stills zijn elk 18.500 liter.
De Capaciteit is 2,5.000.000 liter spirit per jaar.


Imperial Distillery was established in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, which marked the apogee of the British Empire. Contingents from India, Canada and the Colonies joined the celebrations in London, and Joseph Chamberlain presided over the first Imperial Conference, attended by the Prime Ministers of fourteen overseas territories.
Thomas Mackenzie, who founded the distillery, had major interests in Dailuaine-Glenlivet Distillery Ltd. and in Talisker Distillery Ltd. The demand for their makes, in the 1890's, exceeded the supply; so Imperial was built to make good the shortfall. The two companies were combined in 1898 to form Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd., to which Imperial was transferred.
Imperial was sited at Carron Station to avoid the heavy cost of cartage from railhead suffered by distilleries built before the Railway Age. Its water was piped from the Ballintomb Burn, which flows from springs in the Mannoch Hills. This supply drove a turbine that provided the motive force for all the machinery. The Northern Scot commented,  possibly not without prompting,  but certainly notwithout justification, that the "internal arrangements" represented "the concentrated result of long experience in distillery construction". Charles Doig, the architect, built Imperial entirely of red Aberdeen bricks within a framework of iron beams and pillars, to resist damage by fire; all internal doors were made of iron, and some of the walls were two feet thick. When it was still being built, a local journalist noted that one of the malt kilns had been surmounted by an enormous imperial crown which, "once gilded, would flash and glitter in the sunlight like the crescent on a Turkish minaret ... among the dark pine woods of Carron and the brown hills which encircle the rushing Spey".
Mashing began at Imperial in the week ending 2 July 1898. That year marked the climax of a period when the output of distilleries had been greatly expanded and companies had been formed to build new ones. With the resounding failure of Pattisons Ltd., a Leith blending company, in 1898, investors lost interest in speculating in whisky and the boom turned into a recession. Imperial worked for the 1898-99 season and then closed for twenty years, because Dailuaine and Talisker could meet the reduced demand. The number of actively working Scotch distilleries, which reached a peak of 161 in 1899, fell to 124 in 1910. Malt whisky prices fell too.
Dailuaine-Talisker admitted in 1910 that it was trading at a loss. Negotiations to achieve a merger with another leading Highland distillery company ended in failure; and after Mackenzie's death in 1915, a consortium of customers -James Buchanan & Co. Ltd., John Dewar & Sons Ltd., John Walker & Sons Ltd., and The Distillers Company Limited - acquired a majority interest. When these companies merged in 1925, Dailuaine-Talisker became a subsidiary of the enlarged DCL.

Imperial Distillery restarted production in 1919. A visitor reported in 1925 that it had two of the largest pot stills in Scotland: a wash-still with the "tremendous capacity" of 0 gallons and a spirit still holding 0 gallons. The water turbine was still the main source of power, but a steam engine was used for the tun-room switchers and for pumping. In the same year, the company met insuperable difficulties in the disposal of effluent. So Imperial ceased distillation once again. For the next thirty years it was used as a makings, except during the second world war, when it was requisitioned by the Army authorities as a billet for troops and a military store. Some of the sol-diers enlivened the tedium of their leisure hours by throwing hand grenades in the dam, which has tended to leak ever since. It had been put to a harmless recreational purpose- in the previous decade, when the Caledonian Swimming Club of Aberdeen used it for their summer gala.
The makings began working again after the war ended. The premises were then lighted by gas, and the turbine drove all the machinery through a system of belts and pulleys. When it broke down, a farm tractor was borrowed to keep the plant working. All was changed in 1954, when electric power was obtained from the national grid. Experiments carried out in a pilot plant at Aultmore Distillery (and subsequently at Imperial) had been successful in developing a technique whereby the solid matter in the effluent of malt whisky distilleries could be evaporated, dried and recovered as a high-protein animal feedingstuff. There was now no obstacle to restarting distillation; and the company needed additional capacity.  The mash-house and stillhouse were therefore mod-ernised and refitted, and an effluent treatment plant was built, to enable the production of whisky to restart in 1955. No. 4 warehouse was also built, and the model of the imperial crown, which had rusted; was taken down.
The two pot stills were heated by coal-burning furnaces, fired by hand until 1960 when they were converted to mechanical stoking. Two additional stills were installed in 1964, and all four were converted to internal heating by steam five years later.
The drawing overleaf represents the appearance of the buildings before the floor maltings were demolished in 1967. The latter were replaced by a Saladin maltings, with new accommodation for storing barley, malt and peat.
Until 1967, a miniature steam locomotive had shunted incoming supplies of barley, coal and casks, and outgoing casks of whisky, on the private sidings that connected Imperial and Dailuaine Distilleries with Carron Station. As both distilleries are sited at the bottom of the Spey Valley, and are approached by narrow roads twisting down steep hillsides, there can be traffic problems in times of heavy snowfall.

The business of Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd. was wound up in 1982 and taken over by Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd., another Distillers Company subsidiary. S.M.D. now operates Imperial Distillery and owns 24 houses for occupation by employees. The entire output is sold to blenders. Peter Dawson Ltd., Glasgow, proprietors of Peter Dawson "Special" Scotch whisky, holds the licence.

Allied Distillers
Februari 2003
Dumbarton Distillery sluit. Het komplex waar ook het hoofdkantoor van Allied was gevestigd, herbergde ook de malt whiskies Lomond, waarvan slechts één botteling bekend is, uitgebracht door de Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh onder code nummer 98.1, en Inverleven.
De capaciteit van de Grain distilleerderij Strathclyde wordt vergroot tot 39 miljoen liter spirit per jaar, dat was 32 miljoen liter.
Het hoofdkantoor wordt gevestigd te Kilmalid.
Het enorme gebouwencomplex is verkocht aan twee projectont-wikkelaars

The capacity was 1,6 litres a year
Now the dunnage warehouses are empty

1897
First name Dailuaine 2  
Thomas Mackenzie, who already owns
Dailuaine and Talisker, founds the distillery
helped by architect Charles Doig.
The distillery's name hints at Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee this year
1898   
The distillery is inaugurated in the summer
and is administered by Thomas Mackenzie's
company Dailuaine - Talisker Distilleries Limited
1899   
The Pattison whisky crash forces Imperial
to close
1916   
Imperial is bought by Distillers Company Ltd
(D.C.L.) , Dewar's, Johnnie Walker and
W.P. Lowrie
1919   
Production restarts
1925   
Imperial becomes fully owned by D.C.L.
and closes again although the maltings
remain active
1955   
Imperial, now administered by
Scottish Malt Distillers (S.M.D.) reopens
1965   
The number of stills is doubled from
two to four and a Saladin box is installed
for malting
1985   
Imperial closes
1989  
Allied Distillers buys Imperial from
United Distillers and starts refurbishing
1991   
Imperial once again in operation
1998   
Imperial is mothballed  
2005   
Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard)
become new owners through the
acquisition
of Allied Domecq
2008
The owners received demolition permission for the buildings from Moray Council with
permission to build new housing in the grounds. Estate Agents Bell Ingram were tasked
with selling the premises before everything was put on hold in 2006
In over 100 years it has been out of production for 60 % of the time
Virtually all the distilling equipment is still in place which means one stainless steel
mash tun with traditional mixing gear, six washbacks made of larch and two pairs of
stills

Also  known  as Crown Imperial for a long time, because it had a big Crown
on the top of the malt kiln, after rebuilding the distillery in 1955, the Crown
was taken down.

It was said the water had to much iron in it, therefore the distillery had been
closed

IMPERIAL DISTILLERY  /  PERNOD  RICARD  / CHIVAS  BROTHERS

April 2013
Chivas Brothers, the whisky arm of Pernod Ricard is planning to build the a new distillery
at the site of the mothballed Imperial Distillery, near Carron, Aberlour.

Imperial has been closed for 15 years.

The construction of the new distillery will result in an increase of 10 % in Pernod Ricard's
malt whisky distilling capacity, this means a 5 million litres spirit a year.

The original distillery buildings have already been demolished.

Imperial's history is littered with periods of closure, until it was finally demolished to make way for the giant Dalmunach.

Imperial was dogged by poor timing. Its chequered history meant that it never had a chance to become established as a single malt brand. Too late for the very earliest wave, by the time the category was becoming popular in the 1970s it was already committed to supplying fillings. When the single malt market came of age in the early 1990s, Imperial was closed.

Bar one half-hearted Allied Distillers bottling, it has only ever been seen under independent bottlers and, for many years, was also somewhat ignored. Then, slowly, Imperial’s gentle, floral, American cream soda style began to win friends. While it has not reached the cult status of Brora or Port Ellen, its reputation continues to grow. Sadly, there isn’t much stock left. Bad timing again.

The Imperial plant was built by Thomas Mackenzie in 1897 – the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and, as the name suggests, the construction was a grand scale. The maltings even sported a gigantic cast iron crown at its apex. Mackenzie had already had considerable success in whisky – he owned his new distillery’s neighbour Dailuaine, itself a mighty plant, and then year after would merge the business with Talisker.

The market was however beginning to turn sour and while the two established distilleries survived – and prospered, when the downturn came in 1899 it was Imperial which was put into mothballs. It reopened in 1919 by now under a consortium of the major blending firms and DCL. When the Great Merger of the firms took place in 1925 Imperial joined DCL’s distilling arm Scottish Malt Distillers.

That didn’t help its fortunes as it was closed once again and this time lay silent for 30 years. When it reopened it was with new Saladin maltings. A decade later, with another whisky boom in full swing, it was expanded again with two new stills.

Two decades of production followed before it was mothballed once more in 1985 and then sold to Allied Distillers in 1989. Further refurbishment followed and spirit began to run once more in 1991. Sadly this was only for a short period and, once again, Imperial was mothballed, this time in 1998. It joined the Chivas Brothers portfolio after Pernod-Ricard bought Allied in 2005.

With another (apparent) boom starting around 2010 it seemed that Imperial’s time may have come again, but its new owners kept it silent. In 2013, the buildings were demolished to make way for the new Dalmunach distillery. The Empire strikes back

1897
Imperial distillery is built by
Thomas Mackenzie
1898
The distillery becomes part of
Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries
1899
Imperial distillery closes
1919
Following WWI the distillery
reopens
1925
Imperial joins DCL but is
mothballed
1955
The distillery reopens and is
fully modernised
1964
Imperial is expanded to four
stills and Saladin matings
1985
Imperial is mothballed once again
1989
The distillery is sold to
Allied Distillers
1991
Production restarts under its new owner
1998
Imperial is mothballed for the last time
2000
A 10-year old expression is released by
Allied
2005
Imperial is part of the Allied estate bought
by Pernod-Ricard/ Chivas Brothers
2013
The distillery is finally demolished
2015
Dalmunach distillery opens on the old
Imperial site

Pernod Ricard
2005 - present
Chivas Brothers
Allied Domecq
1994 - 2005
Allied Lyons
1989 - 1994
United Distillers
1986 - 1989
Distillers Company Limited
1925 - 1986
Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries
1898 - 1925
Thomas Mackenzie
1897 - 1898

Imperial's history is littered with periods of closure,
until it was finally demolished to make way for the
giant Dalmunach.

Imperial was dogged by poor timing. Its chequered history meant that it never had a chance to become established as a single malt brand. Too late for the very earliest wave, by the time the category was becoming popular in the 1970s it was already committed to supplying fillings. When the single malt market came of age in the early 1990s, Imperial was closed.

Bar one half-hearted Allied Distillers bottling, it has only ever been seen under independent bottlers and, for many years, was also somewhat ignored. Then, slowly, Imperial’s gentle, floral, American cream soda style began to win friends. While it has not reached the cult status of Brora or Port Ellen, its reputation continues to grow. Sadly, there isn’t much stock left. Bad timing again.

The Imperial plant was built by Thomas Mackenzie in 1897 – the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and, as the name suggests, the construction was a grand scale. The maltings even sported a gigantic cast iron crown at its apex. Mackenzie had already had considerable success in whisky – he owned his new distillery’s neighbour Dailuaine, itself a mighty plant, and then year after would merge the business with Talisker.

The market was however beginning to turn sour and while the two established distilleries survived – and prospered, when the downturn came in 1899 it was Imperial which was put into mothballs. It reopened in 1919 by now under a consortium of the major blending firms and DCL. When the Great Merger of the firms took place in 1925 Imperial joined DCL’s distilling arm Scottish Malt Distillers.

That didn’t help its fortunes as it was closed once again and this time lay silent for 30 years. When it reopened it was with new Saladin maltings. A decade later, with another whisky boom in full swing, it was expanded again with two new stills.

Two decades of production followed before it was mothballed once more in 1985 and then sold to Allied Distillers in 1989. Further refurbishment followed and spirit began to run once more in 1991. Sadly this was only for a short period and, once again, Imperial was mothballed, this time in 1998. It joined the Chivas Brothers portfolio after Pernod-Ricard bought Allied in 2005.

With another (apparent) boom starting around 2010 it seemed that Imperial’s time may have come again, but its new owners kept it silent. In 2013, the buildings were demolished to make way for the new Dalmunach distillery. The Empire strikes back?

Terug naar de inhoud