Distillery profiles: Dallas Dhu.

Construction started in 1898 when the Glaswegian blenders Wright & Greig were granted a site at Dallas near Forres in Moray adjacent to the Highland Railway line on its route to Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore and afterwards Perth. The land was part of distiller and entrepreneur Alexander Edwards’s Sanquhar estate. In this year Edwards also formed Oban & Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd, having built Aultmore in 1897, he also commissioned Benromach in 1898.

In Roderick Dhu Wright & Greig had a successful blend and as demand for the brand rose the company had to source more spirit, Highland Park had apparently been a major component. The name of the blend is taken from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s then popular Lady of the Lake. The distillery was originally going to be called Dallasmore but by November 1899, 7 months after the completion of the buildings, it was referred to as Dallas Dhu.

During construction the boggy nature of the land meant strengthening ties were required to prevent some parts of the distillery from sinking. As there was not originally a siding at the distillery goods in and out were initially transported to Forres station by horse and cart. Wright & Greig went in to voluntary liquidation in 1919 unable to survive 2 decades of downturn in the industry and ownership of the distillery was passed to J. P. O’Brien & Co. Ltd, again of Glasgow who also had control over Caol Ila.

Dallas Dhu Distillery- (Rotorworx / S. Gardiner)

In 1920 Benmore Distilleries Ltd. took over Campbeltown distilleries Benmore and Lochead as well as Lochindal on Islay and Dallas Dhu in 1921. The company was made up of brewers and merchants including several based in England. Benmore Distilleriies were taken over in January 1929 by DCL who then transferred it to its subsidiary, Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD) the following year. After a period of closure in the early 1930s the distillery reopened in 1936 but a fire on the 9th of April 1939 destroyed the still room. It was said that had there been stronger winds and if the fire brigade not been so prompt to attend the fire may have spread and the whole distillery could have been lost. Although malting took place in the remainder of the 1939 season distillation did not restart until 1947 as the war years prevented barley being supplied for production.

Due to a limit on the water supply Dallas Dhu was not expanded in the post war boom of the 1950s and 60s although it was modernised with electric power being introduced relatively late in 1950. In common with other SMD sites 1963 saw the introduction of mechanical stoking of the coal fired stills. Subsequently along with other actions production increased by 25% the following year. As at its neighbour, Benromach, hand malting of barley was discontinued in 1968 with the opening of Burghead maltings. Internal steam heating was introduced in 1971 meaning a water wheel powered rummaged was retired. The rummager had been powered by overflow from the worm tubs.

After a peak in demand in 1979 there was a falling off in popularity for whisky and DCL decided to close some of its older and smaller units. After a period of operating at 50% of capacity the last cask was filled on 16.3.1983. The licence to distil was finally cancelled in 1992. The copper domed mash tun was made of cast iron, there were 6 45KL larch washbacks, 2 stills, the wash at 6,377L was heated by kettles whilst the spirit was heated by coiled pipes and has a 5,623L capacity, both have similarly descending lyne arm leading to worm tubs. Maximum output was 0.75ML. The distillery was selected to be preserved as an industrial museum having many original features retained as examples of historic practices and equipment.

Asides.

In 1843 Dallas, Texas was renamed after American vice-president George M. Dalllas who was a descendant of William de Ripley who was granted the lands around which the distillery was eventually built. De Ripley changed his name to de Dallas.

Between 1894 and 1899 19 distilleries were built in Speyside and Banffshire. Dallas Dhu was the last facility to be constructed in the 19th century.

Mark Davidson, aka The Jolly Toper Profile