Glenlossie Distillery: History, Owner, Range and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Glenlossie was built in 1876 by John Duff, a name that runs through Speyside history. Today it is a Diageo malt that almost all goes into blends, and it shares a site near Elgin with its younger neighbour Mannochmore. Here is its story, its owner and the facts of how it runs.
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Glenlossie at a glance
At a glance | Glenlossie Distillery |
|---|---|
Location | Thomshill near Elgin, Speyside |
Founded | 1876, John Duff and partners |
Owner | Diageo |
Character and heritage | Highly regarded blending malt and shared distilling estate with Mannochmore |
Regular public visitor access | Working production site; no public visitor centre. |
Bottle information | Some named official expressions, with availability dependent on market |
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The story, ownership and production of Glenlossie
Where is Glenlossie distillery?
Glenlossie is at Thomshill, about three miles south of Elgin in Moray, Speyside, and less than a mile from the River Lossie, which gave it its name. Water comes from the Bardon Burn, which it shares with Mannochmore next door.
Glenlossie history: from John Duff to Diageo
John Duff had managed GlenDronach before building Glenlossie. According to The Single Cask he went on to found Longmorn in 1894 and BenRiach in 1898. His Glenlossie partners included Alexander Grigor Allan, H. Mackay, John Hopkins, George Thomson and Charles Shirres.
1876: Glenlossie is founded by John Duff and partners.
1896: Duff leaves and the remaining partners form the Glenlossie-Glenlivet Distillery Company.
1919: the Distillers Company Limited buys the distillery. It moved from a waterwheel to steam power in the same year, per The Single Cask.
1929: a serious fire damages the distillery, which is rebuilt quickly.
1930: the distillery passes to Scottish Malt Distillers.
1962: the stillhouse grows from four stills to six.
1971: Mannochmore is built on the same site.
1990: Glenlossie 10 Year Old is launched in the Flora and Fauna series.
2019: two external stainless steel washbacks are added.
The 1929 fire was fought with a horse drawn Shand Mason steam fire engine built in 1862. It survives and is on display at Dallas Dhu distillery near Forres.
Who owns Glenlossie?
Glenlossie is owned by Diageo. It joined the Distillers Company Limited in 1919 and Scottish Malt Distillers in 1930, and reached Diageo through the mergers that followed.
How Glenlossie is made
The Single Cask's guide gives these details. Treat the numbers as approximate.
Stills: six, three wash and three spirit. The spirit stills are fitted with purifiers, which return heavier vapours to the still.
Washbacks: eight wooden washbacks plus two external stainless steel ones added in 2019, with fermentation typically quoted at around 75 hours.
Malt: unpeated, largely from Diageo's Burghead maltings near Elgin.
Capacity: typically quoted at around 3 million litres of pure alcohol a year, with recent output nearer 2 million.
Site: the Thomshill complex is one of Diageo's maturation hubs, with a cask population usually put at around 200,000, and has housed a dark grains plant.
Glenlossie and the blenders
In 1974 the blending industry drew up a private classification of Scottish malts, and The Single Cask says Glenlossie was one of only around a dozen to earn the top grade. Nearly everything it makes goes into blends, historically Haig Gold Label above all.
Glenlossie range
Diageo has never marketed Glenlossie heavily as a single malt. The Flora and Fauna 10 Year Old, launched in 1990, and the occasional Manager's Dram are the only regular official outlets named in the sources. Independent bottlers fill the gap. The Single Cask names Gordon and MacPhail, Signatory Vintage and Douglas Laing, and says the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has released Glenlossie more than 120 times. The Single Cask itself bottled four sister casks distilled in 2008, all now sold out.
Visiting Glenlossie
Glenlossie has no visitor centre. It is a working production and warehousing site. The 1862 fire engine can be seen at Dallas Dhu distillery near Forres, which is open to visitors.
Diageo Malts: malts.com
Glenlossie whisky bottles and key expressions
The comparison covers identifiable official bottles plus any explicitly labelled historic or special releases. Availability and exact cask details may vary by market and edition.
Whisky Clan records these documented expressions for comparison. A historic or special edition is not necessarily available to purchase today.
Bottle or expression | Age or release | ABV | Producer information |
|---|---|---|---|
Glenlossie 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna | 10 years | 43% | Official Diageo malt |
A closer look at Glenlossie 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna
Whisky flavour, casks and tasting notes
Highly regarded blending malt and shared distilling estate with Mannochmore. The precise aromas and flavours depend on the individual bottle, cask and age. These are distillery style observations, not original Whisky Clan bottle tasting scores. We only publish a personal rating once we have reviewed that whisky.
Where can you buy Glenlossie?
Check the individual source pages listed below and reputable whisky specialists or auctioneers for historic releases. Prices and distribution can differ across the UK, the US, Europe, Canada and Australia. Historic catalogue listings do not confirm current stock.
Visitor information
Working production site; no public visitor centre.
More distilleries in Speyside Scotland
Read about other distilleries in this whisky region.
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Frequently asked questions about Glenlossie
Where is Glenlossie distillery?
At Thomshill, about three miles south of Elgin, Speyside.
Who owns Glenlossie?
Diageo.
When was Glenlossie founded?
1876, by John Duff and partners.
Is Glenlossie peated?
No. The malt is unpeated.
How is Glenlossie related to Mannochmore?
Mannochmore was built in 1971 on the same site. The two share the Bardon Burn and warehousing.
Sources, references and photo credits
Official Diageo pages could not be loaded for this update, so ABVs and visitor details are not confirmed there. Cover photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Featured image: original Glenlossie distillery photograph from the Whisky Clan Wix media library. Attribution and correction requests are welcome.
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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