Convalmore Distillery

About the distillery

Convalmore is located in Speyside in Dufftown and is today a closed distillery with a strong collector profile. Most of the buildings still stand and are used as warehouses, making the site a visible remnant of the classic Dufftown tradition. For whisky lovers, Convalmore is especially interesting because the distillery was almost always a blend supplier, yet it left behind a few sought-after single malt releases.

History

Convalmore was founded in 1894 by Convalmore-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd. and built by the local architect Donald Mackay. The distillery changed hands several times: in 1904 it was sold to W.&P. Lowrie & Co. Ltd., and the following year James Buchanan & Co. Ltd. took over. A fire in 1909 destroyed large parts of the premises, but Convalmore was rebuilt as a more experimental distillery. In that period, they experimented with continuous distillation for malt whisky using a column still along with the traditional pot stills, but the attempt was abandoned in 1916. In 1925 the distillery came under Distillers Company Limited, and then followed a quieter period with modernizations in 1962 and 1975. Production stopped in 1985, and the buildings were later sold to Wm. Grant & Sons in 1990. The license for the name Convalmore remains with Diageo.

Raw materials and production

Convalmore was a classic pot still distillery, but it stands out for having been used as an experimental facility after the 1909 fire. Here, they tried for a period to produce malt whisky with continuous distillation, which is unusual for single malt production. The distillery underwent several technical changes during its operating years. In 1962, the old coal-fired pot stills were replaced with steam-heated boilers, and in 1964 the wash still and spirit still were doubled to a total of four pot stills. In 1975, the distillery got a new mash house, where the old cast-iron mashtun was replaced by a modern model in stainless steel. Fermentation, the water source, and other details are not described in any further detail, but the picture is of an installation that followed the industry’s changing production conditions closely and was not afraid to change its technique.

Maturation and cask types

The specific maturation details are sparse, but an independent bottling is mentioned from a sherry cask, and the distillery’s own buildings and warehouses were continued to be used for whisky storage after the closure. Today, Glenfiddich and Balvenie whisky lie maturing in the old warehouses. That gives Convalmore a continuing role in the Speyside landscape, albeit without its own production.

Whiskies

Convalmore’s official whisky history is very limited. There are only three documented official single malt releases: a Rare Malt Edition in 2003, as well as two special releases from the 1977 vintage, issued in 2005 as a 28-year-old and in 2013 as a 36-year-old. In addition, there are a few independent bottlings that show why the name still sparks interest. The range is therefore not broad, but focused on a handful of rare bottles with high collector value.

The style and taste profile of the whiskies

Convalmore is described as sweet, fruity, and slightly spiced. In the independent Cadenhead’s bottling, oranges and gooseberries come through, while the flavor also develops spices. The overall profile therefore leans toward clear fruitiness, subdued sweetness, and a discreet spicy edge.

Visit the distillery

Convalmore is not a visitor distillery, and there is no visitor center. The old buildings still stand, but they are used as warehouses and are not set up for public tours, tastings, or other guest experiences. It is therefore a place you primarily encounter through the bottles and through the trail the distillery has left in Dufftown’s whisky history.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Convalmore shows a practical and experimental approach to whisky making. The distillery stuck with the classic pot still tradition, but it also tried to solve the industry’s challenges with new methods, including continuous distillation after the 1909 fire. The modernizations in the 1960s and 1970s show a willingness to adapt production when the technology and time demanded it.