Tamnavulin Distillery: History, Owner, Range and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Tamnavulin was built in 1966 to supply blends, spent years mothballed, and was relaunched in 2016 as a single malt known for wine cask finishes. Here is its history, its owner and the facts of how it runs.
In this guide
Summarise this guide with AI
Tamnavulin at a glance
At a glance | Tamnavulin Distillery |
|---|---|
Location | Tomnavoulin, Glenlivet valley, Speyside |
Founded | 1966, Invergordon Distillers |
Owner | Whyte & Mackay / Emperador |
Character and heritage | Accessible single malts with multiple sherry and wine cask finishes |
Regular public visitor access | No standard distillery visitor tour programme verified. |
Bottle information | Some named official expressions, with availability dependent on market |
Share your Tamnavulin whisky experience
Have you tried Tamnavulin, explored its bottles or visited this area of Scotland? Expand the highlighted community poll below to answer four quick questions. The results help shape future Whisky Clan whisky reviews and distillery guides.
The story, ownership and production of Tamnavulin
Where is Tamnavulin distillery?
Tamnavulin is at Tomnavoulin in Glenlivet, Banffshire, on the banks of the River Livet below the Cairngorms. The name comes from the Gaelic for mill on the hill, after a wool carding mill that stood nearby from the 1560s, per The Single Cask.
Tamnavulin history: from 1966 to Whyte and Mackay
1966: the Tamnavulin-Glenlivet Distillery Co, a subsidiary of Invergordon Distillers, builds the distillery to supply blenders such as Whyte and Mackay, Crawfords and Mackinlay's.
1993: Whyte and Mackay buys Invergordon Distillers.
1995: Tamnavulin is mothballed in May. One source gives 1994.
Around 2000: a brief reopening, per The Single Cask.
2007: United Spirits buys Whyte and Mackay and the distillery restarts after a substantial renovation. It has run continuously since.
2014: Alliance Global, based in the Philippines, buys Whyte and Mackay from United Spirits for £430 million.
2016: Tamnavulin is relaunched as a single malt for the distillery's 50th anniversary.
Who owns Tamnavulin?
Tamnavulin is operated by Whyte and Mackay, which Alliance Global owns. The Single Cask names Emperador Inc, part of Alliance Global, as the buyer in 2014.
How Tamnavulin is made
Stills: six, three wash and three spirit.
Washbacks: nine.
Capacity: up to 4.3 million litres of pure alcohol a year.
Water: process water from natural underground springs, with cooling water from the River Livet.
With Invergordon distillery, Tamnavulin supplies whisky for Whyte and Mackay's blended Scotch brands.
Tamnavulin range
The 2016 relaunch centred on a Double Cask expression matured in bourbon and sherry casks. Wikipedia lists the wider range of cask finishes.
2019: a Sherry finish.
2020: three red wine cask finishes, French Cabernet Sauvignon, Spanish Grenache and German Pinot Noir.
A Tempranillo wine cask finish produced for Global Travel Retail.
2021: an American Cabernet Sauvignon cask finish.
2022: a white wine cask finish, Sauvignon Blanc.
The sources list no ABVs for the current range, so check the official site at tamnavulinwhisky.com.
Independent bottlings
The Single Cask names Gordon and MacPhail, Signatory Vintage, Wm Cadenhead's, Hunter Laing and Douglas Laing as bottlers of Tamnavulin, with casks distilled as far back as 1973.
Visiting Tamnavulin
Tamnavulin has no visitor centre and is closed to the public.
Tamnavulin: tamnavulinwhisky.com
Tamnavulin 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.
Named bottle / release | Age | ABV | Cask or release information |
|---|---|---|---|
Tamnavulin Double Cask | No age statement | 40% | American oak and sherry cask finishing |
Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition | No age statement | 40% | American oak barrels and a selection of sherry casks |
Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition | No age statement | 40% | American oak and red wine finishing |
Tamnavulin White Wine Cask Edition | No age statement | 40% | American oak and white wine cask finishing |
A closer look at Tamnavulin Double Cask
Whisky flavour, casks and tasting notes
Accessible single malts with multiple sherry and wine cask finishes. 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 Tamnavulin?
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
No standard distillery visitor tour programme verified.
More distilleries in Speyside Scotland
Read about other producers in this region.
Help us improve this distillery guide
Have a verified correction, a bottle release or a primary source to share? Use the form below to help improve Whisky Clan's distillery reference. Newsletter subscription is optional.
Frequently asked questions about Tamnavulin
Sources, image credits and official links
The official Tamnavulin and Whyte and Mackay pages could not be loaded for this update. Cover photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Featured image: original Tamnavulin 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. |
Comments