The Dalmore distillery is located west of the town of Alness at the mouth of the Averon of Alness. The name comes from Gaelic and means "the big meadowland", translated as "the big meadow". This refers to the Black Isle, the peninsula that the distillery overlooks. Time, different barrel types, barrel sizes and storage conditions in the warehouses can all influence the maturation of a single malt. Alexander Matheson built a distillery called Dalmore in 1839. In 1956 Dalmore switched to mechanical malting. Maturation in barrels is a bit slower at Dalmore, as the climate is colder here. In the taste you can recognize the influence of the soft water, the slightly peaty malted barley and the sea. The distillery was bought by the Mackenzie family in 1886. This family introduced their clan's coat of arms, the "Twelve Pointer Stag". This weapon is still bottle-fed to this day. The tenants of Dalmore were doing well until the closure of 1910. After a major renovation in 1921, the distillery reopened. The stillhouse of The Dalmore distillery contains four wash stills and four spirit stills, all heated with steam. The wash stills have a flat top, in which the heavier alcohols condense and flow back into the still. The lighter alcohols are discharged to the condensers through a pipe attached to the side, just below the flat top. Both sherry and bourbon barrels are used at Dalmore. The Dalmore distillery is still run by a handful of local families. This collaboration of professionals with the love and pride for their profession guarantees the unique character of this classic Higland malt whiskey.
