Cambus
Translation: -
Region: Lowlands
Everything went well for 100 years ...
Cambus is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. As early as 1806 John Mowbray is said to have begun to convert an old mill on the River Devon to a distillery. In 1813, the first Grain whiskey flowed from the tubular Coffey stills. For a long time everything was going remarkably well. Under John's grandson Robert Mowbray, Cambus became Scotland's largest grain distillery. In 1877 Cambus was one of the five founding members of Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL), which has shaped the whiskey world for many decades. The crisis between 1900 and 1914, triggered by the crash of the large whiskey trader Pattison, survived largely unscathed.
In 1914, however, the catastrophe: A heavy fire destroyed the distillery almost completely. It was not until 1938 that the business could be resumed. Cambus has meanwhile almost returned to its old strength - but was decommissioned in 1993. Today, only the warehouses are still used. Reopening? Probably not. Pity about an important chapter in whiskey history.
A little history
The Grain Distillery was founded in 1813 by John Mowbray, who rebuilt an old flour mill near Tullibody on the River Devon. Cambus was one of the first (legal) distilleries in Scotland and at times the country's largest grain distillery. In 1877 Cambus was one of the founding members of Distiller Company Ltd. (DCL). In 1906, they launched their first bottling: a seven year old single grain whiskey. In 1914, a large fire destroyed the production buildings. The operation could not be resumed until 1938. In 1966, the Scottish Grain took over Distillers Cambus, which ultimately brought the distillery into the possession of Diageo. In 1993, the distillery was shut down. Since then, Diageo has been using Cambus warehouses to fill and store barrels from other distilleries.
What do I actually have in the glass?
Also for Cambus applies as for all Grain distilleries: There is little or no original bottlings as a single grain. Because the grain whiskey produced here should serve as a "filler" for the blended whiskeys. The individual cask bottlings of the independents naturally differ quite clearly depending on the barrel and age. A long-matured Cambus can be wonderfully soft and round, with distinct hints of vanilla, biscuits, toffee and fine sweetness.
3 reasons to love Cambus
1) Because the whiskey world owes a lot to this distillery.
2) Because an old Cambus Single Grain does not have to hide behind a malt.
3) Because Grain Whiskey and the Lowlands are much more exciting than you might think.
The one drama for the lonely island
The 18-year-old from 1991/2010 from Signatorys Cask Strength Collection adds interesting influences from the refine Sherry Butt to the grains-typical vanilla and toffee notes. A complex pleasure!
numbers and facts
Address: (former) Station Road, Cambus, Alloa, Clackmannanshire FK 10 2NY
Founded: 1813 by John Mowbray
Status: shut down
Owner: Diageo
Capacity: (formerly) 2 Coffey stills
Water: (formerly) Lossburn Reservoir
Visitor Center: -
Telephone: -
Website: -
