Glengyle
Encyclopedia
Glengyle is a distillery, founded in 1872 by William Mitchell
and completed in 1873. Mitchell had previously been involved with Springbank Distillery
but following a quarrel with his brother John, with whom he owned Springbank, he first joined his other brothers at Reichlachan distillery before venturing out on his own.
In 1919 the distillery was sold as a result of the post-war economic downturn which was badly affecting all the distilleries in the Campbeltown
Region. In 1924 the distillery changed hands again and by 1925 had ceased production with all remaining stock being sold off.
After being used as a rifle range, an attempt to reopen the distillery by Maurice Bloch
, who, with his brother, also owned the Glen Scotia distillery, failed due to Second World War as did a second attempt by Campbell Henderson Ltd. in the 1950s.
Over the next four years the buildings were repaired to an adequate standard, being restored in line with the local area and the buildings' listed building status (Protected by law). New still
s, malt mills, a mash tun and washbacks were installed along with all the related equipment. In reality much of this was not new, coming instead from other distilleries which had either ceased production or had surplus equipment, but it also not the original Glengyle fittings.
as well as the even newer Blackwood
distillery in Shetland and Islay
's newest distillery, Kilchoman.
The whisky from the new Glengyle distillery will not be called Glengyle, rather it will be bottled under the name Kilkerran. This is both to avoid confusion with the vatted malt
of the same name and also because traditionally, Campbeltown malts are not named after a Glen. The name Kilkerran comes from the ("head of the lake of Saint Kieran's cell"), the name of a settlement where Saint Kieran is believed to have had a religious cell and where modern Campbeltown stands today.
William Mitchell
-People:* W. O. Mitchell , Canadian writer* William A. Mitchell , corporate chemist responsible for Tang and Pop Rocks* William B. Mitchell , former Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court...
and completed in 1873. Mitchell had previously been involved with Springbank Distillery
Springbank Distillery
Springbank Distillery is one of the last surviving producers of Campbeltown Single Malts. The distillery, located on the southern Kintyre peninsula, produces three distinct types of single malt Scotch whisky.-Brands:...
but following a quarrel with his brother John, with whom he owned Springbank, he first joined his other brothers at Reichlachan distillery before venturing out on his own.
In 1919 the distillery was sold as a result of the post-war economic downturn which was badly affecting all the distilleries in the Campbeltown
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667...
Region. In 1924 the distillery changed hands again and by 1925 had ceased production with all remaining stock being sold off.
After being used as a rifle range, an attempt to reopen the distillery by Maurice Bloch
Maurice Bloch
Maurice Bloch is a British anthropologist.He attended the Lycée Carnot in Paris and the Perse School in Cambridge, moving to Britain at the age of eleven. His move to the UK was because his father had been killed by the Nazis when in the French Army and his mother, a marine biologist, had...
, who, with his brother, also owned the Glen Scotia distillery, failed due to Second World War as did a second attempt by Campbell Henderson Ltd. in the 1950s.
Renovation
In late 2000 the company of Mitchell's Glengyle Ltd. was formed with the express purpose of renovating and rebuilding the Glengyle distillery. Mitchell's are associated with the Springbank Distillery and both operations come under the guidance of Mr. Hedley Wright, a descendant of the Mitchell Family, the original owners of both businesses.Over the next four years the buildings were repaired to an adequate standard, being restored in line with the local area and the buildings' listed building status (Protected by law). New still
Still
A still is a permanent apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor...
s, malt mills, a mash tun and washbacks were installed along with all the related equipment. In reality much of this was not new, coming instead from other distilleries which had either ceased production or had surplus equipment, but it also not the original Glengyle fittings.
Production
Production at the new Glengyle distillery began in 2004 with the first spirit expected to be ready by 2014. Glengyle is the first new distillery of the millennium and is part of a trend in new distilleries which include ArranIsle of Arran
Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
as well as the even newer Blackwood
Blackwood (whisky distillery)
Blackwood is a Scottish distiller founded in July 2002 with the aim of building Shetland's first Scotch whisky distillery. In May 2008, the company went into administration, but a new company, Catfirth Ltd, was established to continue the business....
distillery in Shetland and Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
's newest distillery, Kilchoman.
The whisky from the new Glengyle distillery will not be called Glengyle, rather it will be bottled under the name Kilkerran. This is both to avoid confusion with the vatted malt
Vatted malt
A blended malt, formerly called a vatted malt, or pure malt, is a blend of different single malt whiskies from different distilleries. These terms are most commonly used in reference to Scotch whisky....
of the same name and also because traditionally, Campbeltown malts are not named after a Glen. The name Kilkerran comes from the ("head of the lake of Saint Kieran's cell"), the name of a settlement where Saint Kieran is believed to have had a religious cell and where modern Campbeltown stands today.