About The Glenlivet Whisky Distillery
Distillery Owner
Chivas Brothers
Distillery Founded
1824
Distillery Status
Active
Distillery Capacity
5 800 000 litres
Distillery Address
Ballindalloch, Banffshire AB37 9DB
Distillery Number
01340 821720
Distillery Website
www.theglenlivet.com
1817
George Smith inherits the farm distillery Upper Drummin from his father Andrew Smith who has been distilling on the site since 1774.
1840
George Smith buys Delnabo farm near Tomintoul and leases Cairngorm Distillery. His son William takes over operations at Upper Drummin.
1845
George Smith leases three other farms, one of which is situated on the river Livet and is called Minmore.
1846
William Smith develops tuberculosis and his brother John Gordon moves back home to assist his father. Sales of Smith’s Glenlivet increases steadily and neither Upper Drummin nor Cairngorm Distillery can meet demand.
1864
George Smith cooperates with the whisky agent Andrew P. Usher and exports the whisky with great success.
1871
George Smith dies and his son John Gordon takes over.
1880
John Gordon Smith applies for and is granted sole rights to the name The Glenlivet. Only Glenlivet Distillery may thus use the name. All distilleries wishing to use Glenlivet in their names must from now hyphenate it with their brand names.
1890
A fire breaks out and some of the buildings are replaced.
1896
Another two stills are installed.
1901
John Gordon Smith dies.
1904
John Gordon’s nephew George Smith Grant takes over.
1921
Captain Bill Smith Grant, son of George Smith Grant, takes over.
1953
George & J. G. Smith Ltd merges with J. & J. Grant of Glen Grant Distillery and forms the company Glenlivet & Glen Grant Distillers Ltd.
1966
Floor maltings closes.
1970
Glenlivet & Glen Grant Distillers Ltd merges with Longmorn-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd and Hill Thomson & Co. Ltd to form The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd.
1978
Seagrams buys The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. A visitor centre opens.
1996
– The visitor centre is expanded, and a multimedia facility installed.
2000
French Oak 12 years and American Oak 12 years are launched
2001
Pernod Ricard and Diageo buy Seagram Spirits & Wine. Pernod Ricard thereby gain control of the Chivas group.
2004
This year sees a lavish relaunch of
2005
Two new duty-free versions are introduced – The Glenlivet 12 year old First Fill and Nadurra, a 16 year old non chill-filtered matured in first-fill bourbon casks. The 1972 Cellar Collection (2,015 bottles) is launched.
2006
Nadurra 16 year old cask strength and 1969 Cellar Collection are released. Glenlivet sells more than 500,000 cases for the first time in one year.
2007
Glenlivet XXV is released.
Reproduced from the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2009 with the kind permission of Mr Ingvar Ronde