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THE BEGINNING
Alongside other legal distilleries founded in the wake of the Excise Act, Mortlach is officially founded on the site of an older illicit distillery – becoming the first legal distillery in Dufftown, now one of the epicentres of Speyside whisky distilling.
GEORGE COWIE
After John Gordon takes sole ownership of the distillery the previous year, George Cowie joins under his helm. Previous to this George was an engineer, working through the Golden Age of Victorian Engineering. With his pioneering mind, audacious spirit and true determination George was a leader within the new distillery workforce.
THE ART
OF BUILDING
Like his father the art of building was in Alexander's
blood and he set about continuing the Cowie dynasty.
Working alongside the famous distillery engineer
Charles Doig - inventor of the Doig Ventilator (aka
the Pagoda Rooftop) - the distillery was doubled in
size and a railway siding - known as the "Strathspey
Line" was added.
Calling on his scientific
education and analytical mind and inspired by the
great works of achievement around him, Alexander
created the very unique, very intricate 2.81
distillation process that is still in place at the
distillery today. Solely used at Mortlach distillery,
this process - combined with traditional Worm Tub
condensers - creates the thick, rich, bold spirit
character that Mortlach is famed for.
In order to satisfy blender demand for Mortlach, sections of the distillery’s apparatus are renewed and buildings are altered and added to. The rest of Alexander Cowie’s distillery and pattern of operation is left untouched however - including the outside wooden worm tubs used to cool and condense the spirit, which are now found at only a handful of distilleries.
1823
1853
1897
1964
2021