In the 19th century, the term ‘Glenlivet’ was used to describe the whiskies of what we now know as Speyside. Its ubiquity also resulted in distilleries appending the name to their own. The irony of this is that until 1965 there was only one distillery in the glen of the River Livet - The Glenlivet. Tamnavulin was the second.
This is a large plant whose sign rather baldly states ‘NO VISITORS’ rather than ‘WELCOME’. This is not unfriendliness, simply a manifestation of the reality of the whisky business. In fact, there used to be a visitor facility nearby. The majority of distilleries are there to make spirit for blends, not to entertain tourists.
Its half dozen stills are large, the fermentation short and the make is light and cereal accented.
Tamnavulin was one of the distilleries built in the whisky boom of the early 1960s when demand was so far outstripping supply that new facilities had to be constructed. It was built by Invergordon Distillers (whose portfolio also included a grain distillery, Bruichladdich, Tullibardine and Jura). It had six stills and, for a period, Saladin maltings.
Invergordon was in turn bought by Whyte & Mackay. In 1995, with the whisky market in steady decline, it was mothballed, only reopening in 2007 when Whyte & Mackay was purchased by Indian giant United Spirits. Its function as a supplier of fillings however hasn’t altered. It changed hands once again in 2014 when Whyte & Mackay was sold to Philippine-based Emperador.
About Dram Mor
Dràm Mòr is an independent spirits bottler established in 2019 by husband and wife team Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald. The company started as an export agency for Scottish brands, but as demand for independent, high-quality spirits increased, we decided it was time to venture into the world of independent bottling. They provide bespoke single cask spirits to 14 countries worldwide and they're delighted to grow the business portfolio to include a range of spirits along with carefully selected whiskies. Today, their products can be found in specialty spirits retailers, Michelin Star restaurants, and bespoke wine and gourmet outlets worldwide. Viktorija and Kenny both have backgrounds working for Whisky companies and are the co-founders of the Mòr Whisky Club held at Oran Mòr, Glasgow.
