Glen Moray Distillery: History, Owner, Range and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Glen Moray sits on the banks of the River Lossie in Elgin, and began life as a brewery. Here is its history, ownership, production and visitor information.
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Glen Moray at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified information |
|---|---|
Location | Elgin, beside the River Lossie, Speyside |
Established | 1897; converted from West Brewery |
Owner | La Martiniquaise-Bardinet |
Region | Speyside, Scotland |
Principal single malt range | Glen Moray Classic Single Malt; Glen Moray 12 Year Old; Glen Moray 15 Year Old; Glen Moray 18 Year Old |
Visiting | Working distillery with organised visits and tastings; check directly before travelling |
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Glen Moray history, people and production
Where is Glen Moray distillery?
Glen Moray is in Elgin, Moray, on the banks of the River Lossie, in the Speyside region of Scotland.
Glen Moray history
Glen Moray started life as West Brewery in Elgin, run by Robert Thorne and Sons, and was converted to a distillery with two stills in 1897. Production started in September 1897. After a fire and a big rebuilding programme at their Aberlour distillery, the company focused on Aberlour and let Glen Moray run down. It closed in 1910.
1920s: the owners of Glenmorangie, the MacDonald and Muir families, bought the distillery at some point during the decade.
1958: two additional stills were added.
2004: the MacDonald and Muir families sold Glen Moray and Glenmorangie to LVMH.
2008: LVMH sold Glen Moray to La Martiniquaise.
Who owns Glen Moray?
Glen Moray is owned by La Martiniquaise, which bought it in 2008. La Martiniquaise uses part of the production in its blended whiskies Cutty Sark and Label 5, along with its Starlaw distillery in West Lothian.
Production and capacity
2012: the distillery was expanded to produce 3,300,000 litres a year from three wash stills and three spirit stills.
2016: further expansion took output to around 5,500,000 litres a year.
As of 2023 upgrades: annual capacity of 8,500,000 litres from four wash stills and six spirit stills.
Glen Moray awards
World Whiskies Awards 2018: Glen Moray 1994 Sherry Cask Finish, Best Scotch Speyside Single Cask Single Malt in the 21 and over category.
World Whiskies Awards 2024: Glen Moray Phoenix Rising, Best Scotch Speyside Single Malt.
Glen Moray whisky expressions compared
These distillery expressions have been documented in producer catalogues or specialist sources. Limited editions, vintages and market strengths are not interchangeable. Whisky Clan has not independently tasted or rated every bottle in this table.
Named whisky expression | Age | Listed ABV | Maturation / release |
|---|---|---|---|
Glen Moray Classic Single Malt | NAS | 40% | American oak ex-bourbon barrels |
Glen Moray 12 Year Old | 12 years | 40% | American oak maturation |
Glen Moray 15 Year Old | 15 years | 40% | American oak and sherry oak maturation |
Glen Moray 18 Year Old | 18 years | 47.2% | First-fill American oak and selected cask maturation |
Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish | NAS | 40% | American oak maturation followed by port cask finishing |
Glen Moray featured whisky bottle
An example of a named distillery bottling. Label and packaging can change between releases and markets.
How does Glen Moray whisky taste?
The distillery's reported character is influenced by its stills, fermentation, oak and age. Exact nose, palate and finish notes depend on the named bottle, age and cask; consult the official source for the release before treating a style description as an individual tasting review.
Limited bottles, awards and collector information
Limited editions, festival bottlings and older single casks can appear under the same distillery name. The bottle table distinguishes established expressions from historic or less widely available releases. Award claims should always be tied to a named expression, competition and year; none are implied for the entire range here.
Where to buy Glen Moray whisky
Availability, pricing, bottle formats and distribution vary between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Europe. The official catalogue linked below is the best starting point for identifying a whisky, but no live retailer stock is guaranteed.
Visiting Glen Moray Distillery
Working distillery with organised visits and tastings; check directly before travelling.
More Speyside distillery guides
Explore the styles and histories of other distilleries we've covered at Whisky Clan.
Glenfiddich: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Balvenie: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Mortlach: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Glendullan: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Dufftown: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
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Glen Moray 16 Year Old (historic bottling) bottle photo
Authentic Glen Moray Speyside 16 Year Old bottle photographed in March 2008. This is historical packaging and does not mean the same 16 Year Old is in the present core range.
Pictured: Glen Moray Elgin Classic single malt whisky. Presentation and availability may vary by market.
More distilleries in Speyside Scotland
Discover other producers in this whisky region.
Frequently asked questions about Glen Moray
Who owns Glen Moray Distillery?
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet.
Where is Glen Moray located?
Elgin, beside the River Lossie, Speyside.
When was Glen Moray founded?
1897; converted from West Brewery.
Can visitors tour Glen Moray?
Working distillery with organised visits and tastings; check directly before travelling.
What whisky expressions does Glen Moray produce?
Its documented bottlings and release details are listed in this guide. They may vary by market.
Sources and image credits
Featured photograph: existing Glen Moray distillery photograph from Whisky Clan's original site media. Please contact Whisky Clan with any additional attribution details or corrections.
Photo source and licence: Glen Moray 16 Year Old (historic bottling)
Photograph by P. Brundel (Look Sharp!) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Archive photo reproduced without alteration of its subject.
Featured photograph: Glen Moray Distillery, Elgin, photographed in 2008 by Zenit. CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped for the article header.
Bottle image: Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits Scandinavia product photograph. Used for expression identification.
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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