Dalmore Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 23 hours ago
The Dalmore is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Alness, about 20 miles north of Inverness. It sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle and is classed as a Highland distillery. It is operated by Whyte and Mackay, which Wikipedia says is owned by the Philippines-based Alliance Global.
In this guide
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Dalmore at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Alness, Highlands |
Region | Highlands, Scotland |
Founded / established | 1839 |
Owner | Whyte & Mackay / Emperador |
Bottles documented | 5 named expressions in Whisky Clan's bottle database |
Visiting | See visitor information in the original research below. Check official opening and booking details before travelling. |
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Dalmore history, people and production
The history of Dalmore
The distillery was established in 1839 by the entrepreneur Alexander Matheson. In 1867 it was sold to Andrew and Charles Mackenzie, who introduced the 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem. Operations ran fairly smoothly until 1917, when the Royal Navy began using the firth next to the distillery to produce deep-sea mines.
In 1920 much of the distillery was destroyed by an explosion and fire that followed a mine detonation. The legal battle between Andrew Mackenzie and the Royal Navy lasted more than half a decade and reached the House of Lords. The distillery remained family-owned until 1960, when one of its main customers, Whyte and Mackay, took control.
The Dalmore's official site says that for over 180 years the distillery has set the standard in multi-cask maturation, using hand-selected casks from bodegas and wineries around the world.
Owners over time
1839: Alexander Matheson
1867: Andrew and Charles Mackenzie
1960: Whyte and Mackay
Today: Whyte and Mackay, owned by Alliance Global per Wikipedia
People behind the whisky
Alexander Matheson, the founder
Andrew and Charles Mackenzie, who introduced the Royal Stag emblem
Richard Paterson, the master distiller who selects the sherry casks, according to Wikipedia. The Paterson Collection of 2013 was created in his honour
How Dalmore is made
Water is taken from the River Averon, which runs through Alness and flows from Loch Morie. The wash stills have flat tops and come in two sizes: three hold 13,000 litres and the fourth is double that. The spirit stills have water coolers around their necks to help reflux, and again one of the four is double size.
Because the spirit stills are charged when the low wines and feints receiver is full, the strength of each charge varies.
Condensing is also unusual. The spirit stills have horizontal external shell and tube condensers, which mirror the old worm pipe that lay in the burn outside the stillhouse.
Wikipedia says every Dalmore product is matured in two kinds of wooden casks: American white oak bourbon casks and aged sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass.
Notable releases and records
Principal Collection on the official site: The Dalmore 12, 12 Sherry Cask Select, Cigar Malt Reserve, Cigar Malt Signature Reserve aged 18 years, Port Wood Reserve, 14, 15, 17, 18 (2024 Edition), 21, 25 and King Alexander III
Cask Curation Series: The Madeira Cask Edition, finished in Madeira casks from Blandy's, limited to 150 sets worldwide
The Luminary Series 2025 Edition, the third in the series, made up of The Rare (aged 52 years) and The Collectible (aged 17 years)
Other official collections: Limited Editions, the Distillery Select Series, Rare and Prestige whiskies and Travel Exclusives
Record sales per Wikipedia: a 62 year old blended from five casks (1868, 1878, 1922, 1926 and 1939) sold for 32,000 pounds in 2005, with only 12 bottles produced. Dalmore Trinitas (three bottles) sold its first two bottles for 100,000 pounds each, and the last for 120,000 pounds at Harrods in 2011. The 12-bottle Paterson Collection went on sale at Harrods in 2013 for 987,500 pounds
Current core range and strengths
Wikipedia describes the core range as 12, 15, 18 and 25 year olds plus no-age-statement and luxury releases. The official site now lists the wider Principal Collection above. Strengths were not shown on the pages that loaded, so no ABVs are listed here.
Visiting Dalmore
The official site refers to a reimagined distillery home and invites visitors to reserve an experience, including private and bespoke ones. Opening hours, tour prices and the address details were not available from the pages that loaded, so check The Dalmore website before travelling.
Dalmore whisky bottle range and cask comparison
Here are named expressions documented from producer or specialist sources, including the available age and ABV. A missing strength is deliberately left as 'Check bottle' rather than estimated.
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
The Dalmore 12 Year Old | 12 years | 40% | American white oak and Oloroso sherry cask finish |
The Dalmore 15 Year Old | 15 years | Check bottle | Sherry-cask maturation and finishing |
The Dalmore 18 Year Old | 18 years | Check bottle | Ex-bourbon and mature sherry oak |
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve | NAS | Check bottle | Sherry, Cabernet Sauvignon and bourbon oak influences |
The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve | NAS | Check bottle | American white oak with tawny port pipe finishing |
Featured bottle: The Dalmore 12 Year Old
Regular and rare releases are distinguished in the Whisky Bottles database; a historical catalogue listing does not prove current availability.
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Frequently asked questions about Dalmore
Where is Dalmore distillery?
In Alness on the Cromarty Firth, about 20 miles north of Inverness.
Who owns Dalmore?
Whyte and Mackay, which took control in 1960 and is owned by Alliance Global.
When was Dalmore founded?
In 1839 by Alexander Matheson.
What is the stag on the bottle?
A 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem introduced by the Mackenzie family from 1867.
What happened in 1920?
An explosion and fire followed a Royal Navy mine detonation and destroyed much of the distillery.
Sources and photographic credits
Loaded and used: The Dalmore official site (home page and Principal Collection page), Wikipedia, Whisky Advocate home page (a new-release headline mentions a Dalmore 18 Cigar Malt, no distillery page). Attempted and not usable: The Single Cask Dalmore guide (404), scotchwhisky.com Whiskypedia (guessed page was a different distillery).
Whyte and Mackay corporate pages, Whiskybase and Whisky Magazine were not loaded for Dalmore.
Unverified: current ABVs, visitor hours and prices, and the current still count (Wikipedia describes four wash and four spirit stills). Wikipedia is the only source for history and ownership. Tasting notes are deliberately not included.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons.
Featured photograph: original credited image from the Whisky Clan distillery media library. If you own this image and would like the attribution updated, please contact Whisky Clan.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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