Knockando

Knockando is situated in the village of the same name in the heart of Speyside. It's name comes from the gaelic for little black hill 'Cnoc-an-dhu'. The distillery was founded during the whisky boom in 1898, but the owners were left bankrupt when the Pattison Crisis hit the whisky industry. Fortunately W&A Gilbey were able to buy the distillery at a knock down price and Knockando has enjoyed a comparatively stable life since 1904. The distillery has always had close ties with Justerini and Brooks and their name appears on official bottlings despite both companies being owned by Diageo. Needless to say it is also an important component in the J&B Rare blend, and only around 8% of Knockando is bottled as single malt. There are four stills (two wash, two spirit) and the distillery makes up to 1,500,000 litres per year.