The distillery in Alness was the first distillery of the north to be lit by electricity in 1887. The founder Captain Hugh Munro of Teaninich intended to drive the illicit distillers out of the whisky trade. In 1817 the estate owner named the distillery after the Gaelic place name Taigh an Aonaich of which today Teaninich derives.

The bulk producer of 4.2 million litres of spirit has got no warehouses on site, its Belgian hammer mill and mash tun are unique in the whisky industry. A mash conversion vessel which is usually used in brewing  and a large Meura mash filter press are very special (see: www.briggsplc.co.uk/brochures.htm and www.meura.com/products-and-services/brewhouse/mash-filtration.htm).

The Asnong Hammer Mill grounds a very fine grist of 50 % flour (for further information see: www.asnong.com/uk/content_uk.aspx?page=30).

The water comes from Dairywell Spring, the malt is supplied by the Diageo‘s maltings in Glen Ord, Burghead and Roseisle. The barley variety is Optic and the spirit yield is between 415 to 420 l per tonne of malt (2011). Ten washbacks, the modern mash filter produce a very clear wort and the six pot stills produce an oily, grassy, green and not peaty spirit. The wash is preheated and distilled in steamheated pan stills, the spirit still is heated by coils and the low wines, foreshot and feints are not preheated. The spirit is tankered down South, the casks are filled in Glasgow into first and second fill Bourbon barrels. They mature in rack warehouses in Cambus near Alloa and Leven, Fife.

The character of the new make is fresh, grassy, oily and green, it is not sweet and has no fruitiness or peatiness. Teaninich Malt contributes largely to Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Diageo plans to built a new distillery on the site, news released in July, 2012.

Senior Site Manager: Kirsty Dagnan (2012)

Distillery Manager: Willie MacDougall (2011), retired 2013

There is no visitor centre and no access.

Teaninich was to change into Scotland‘s biggest malt production sight. The new distillery would have had 16 pot stills which could produce 13 million litres of pure alcohol each year. It would have been set next to the present Teaninich distillery. At the same time Diageo, also planned to invest £12million in expanding the existing Teaninich distillery to almost double its capacity.

See: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/diageo-rolls-out-plans-for-new-malt-distillery-1-2874271

Latest News in October 2014: Diageo stopped all extension plans due to turnover losses in 2013.

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