Royal Lochnagar distillery is a
single malt Scotch whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...
distillery based on the Abergeldie Estate, near
Balmoral Castle in
Royal Deeside
The River Dee ( gd, Uisge Dhè) is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside in ...
. It is close to the mountain
Lochnagar
Lochnagar or is a mountain in the Mounth, in the Grampians of Scotland. It is about south of the River Dee near Balmoral. It is a popular hill with hillwalkers, and is a noted venue for summer and winter climbing.
Names
The English nam ...
. The distillery is in the Highland whisky-producing area of Scotland. The distillery holds a
Royal Warrant.
History
The first Lochnagar distillery was built by James Robertson of Crathie in the early 19th century. However, it burnt down in suspicious circumstances in 1824. A second and third replacement distillery was built and respectively burnt down again in 1826 and then 1841, supposedly by illicit competitors. In 1845, John Begg founded and built the "new" Lochnagar distillery which is the basis of the distillery in operation today.
The distillery was awarded its
Royal Warrant in 1848 when John Begg invited
Prince Albert to visit the distillery from the nearby
Balmoral Castle, the Queen's residence in the Highlands. The next day the distillery was visited by Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their three eldest children. The distillery was then renamed as Royal Lochnagar three years following Queen Victoria's visit.
The distillery sold whisky under the name John Begg until the late 20th century (under the slogan 'Take a peg of John Begg'. The distillery remained in direct family ownership until 1902 when it became a private limited company. In 1916, the company was acquired by
DCL. Until 1963, waterwheels and a steam engine powered the site.
Today Royal Lochnagar is leased by
Diageo from the Abergeldie Estate and is the smallest whisky distillery in Diageo's holdings. The present site is largely incorporated in its original farm and steadings, composed of Aberdeenshire granite stone.
Products
The distillery produces a relatively small amount of whisky, most of which is used in
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Sc ...
black and blue label. As well as in use for blends by Diageo, the distillery produces a standard 12 year old single malt for public sale that is bottled at 40% abv.
In June 2022, the distillery released a special edition whisky, known as the 'Balmoral platinum edition' for the
Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the Platinum jubilee, 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952, the first British monarch to ever celebrate one.
In the Un ...
.
Managers
*Mike Nicolson (1998-2003)
*David Hardy (2003-06)
*Donald Renwick (2006-2011)
*Andrew Millsopp (2011-?)
*Sean Phillips
References
Bibliography
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{{Use dmy dates, date=February 2019
Scottish malt whisky
Diageo brands