Glen Elgin Distillery
Glen Elgin’s association with White Horse is rather more recent compared with that of Lagavulin.
The distillery had a most infelicitous beginning being constructed in 1898 and ready for production just weeks before the infamous Pattison crash in January 1899. Production was somewhat uncertain and it is not clear how much whisky was in fact distilled during Glen Elgin’s first three decades of existence under various owners, prior to being acquired by DCL in 1936 at which point it became licensed to White Horse.
The distillery was completely rebuilt in 1964 and production trebled by increasing the stills from two to six. Further refurbishment took place from 1992 to 1995 and the existing stills replaced. Its association with White Horse did gain it some recognition, particularly in Japan (where the 12 years old was an “exclusive” for some years), beyond that which many of the DCL malt distilleries, whose product was used solely for blending, ever achieved. However, that association with White Horse seems no longer to be part of the marketing strategy for Glen Elgin as a single malt.
There is more about White Horse and its associated brands and distilleries under the White Horse Story.