Auchroisk Distillery, Mulben: The J&B Heart at Dorie’s Well

Overview

Auchroisk (say “ath-rusk”) is a modern Speyside distillery near Mulben, built in 1972–74 by Justerini & Brooks to make malt for their J&B blend. The site was chosen for the water of Dorie’s Well. Before building, the company made a test batch at its Glen Spey distillery using the well’s water, and the result convinced them. Auchroisk is also the hub where J&B’s malts are vatted together. Its single malt is sold as The Singleton of Auchroisk.

Where it is

The distillery is beside the A95 at Mulben, about 5 miles west of Keith and 5 miles east of Rothes, next to the Burn of Mulben. Elgin is about 15 miles away. Glentauchers distillery is just along the road.

The full history

Dorie’s Well

Justerini & Brooks, the London wine merchants behind J&B, needed more malt as their blend boomed in America. They found a spring at Dorie’s Well near Mulben. To check the water, they made a test batch at Glen Spey using water carried from the well, and it was approved. Construction began in 1972, and production started in 1974.

The Singleton

Auchroisk made its first single malt in 1978. In 1986 it was renamed The Singleton, because the owners felt “Auchroisk” was too hard for drinkers outside Scotland to pronounce. In 2001 the name went back to Auchroisk for a 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna bottling. In 2008 it became The Singleton of Auchroisk, alongside Diageo’s other Singletons from Dufftown, Glendullan and Glen Ord.

J&B’s hub

Through IDV and its mergers, Auchroisk is now owned by Diageo. Besides distilling, it is where Auchroisk is vatted with the other Highland malts used in J&B before they are shipped south for marrying and bottling.

How it’s made

Auchroisk has four wash stills and four spirit stills, with a capacity of about 3.1 million litres a year. Water comes from Dorie’s Well. The spirit is fruity and nutty, ideal for J&B’s light style.

Clans & the land

• The Leslies, Earls of Rothes: the ruins of Rothes Castle, their medieval stronghold, stand on a hill above Rothes, 5 miles west.
• The Gordons held much of the country between Spey and Deveron. See Clan Gordon and the Battle of Glenlivet.
• The Grants held Strathspey to the south-west. See Clan Grant.

Lochs, gardens & stones

• Loch Park, near Drummuir, about 5 miles south: a long, narrow wooded loch at the source of the Isla. See our lochs guide.
• Glen Grant’s Victorian garden, Rothes: the garden laid out by Major James Grant, open to visitors with the distillery tour.
• Mortlach Kirk, Dufftown, about 10 miles south, with its Pictish Battle Stone. See our standing stones guide.

Rothes: the coppersmiths’ town

Rothes, 5 miles west, is a small town that matters to the whole whisky industry. It is the home of Forsyths, the coppersmiths and engineers who have built pot stills for distilleries across Scotland and around the world. Rothes also has four distilleries of its own: Glen Grant, Glen Spey, Speyburn and Glenrothes. A few miles north at Craigellachie, the Speyside Cooperage repairs and rebuilds thousands of casks a year. It has a visitor centre where you can watch the coopers at work. The Speyside Way long-distance path passes nearby on its way down the valley.

Visiting

Auchroisk is production only, with no visitor centre or tours. Nearby, Glen Grant in Rothes and Strathisla in Keith both welcome visitors.

Nearby distilleries

• Glentauchers (about 1 mile).
• Glen Spey, Glen Grant and Speyburn, Rothes (about 5 miles).
• Strathisla, Strathmill and Glen Keith, Keith (about 5 miles).
• Aultmore (about 7 miles).

The Speyside Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Auchroisk distillery — Wikipedia.
• Diageo / Malts.com.