Linmill Distillery – Summary

History

• Linmill Distillery was opened by John Mill in or before 1820.

• According to the tax accounts from July 1821, the distillery had a wash-still of 238 gallons and a low wines-still of 159 gallons; in this accounting period (November 1820–February 1821) 3,854 gallons of spirits were produced.

• In the period from January 5, 1825 to January 5, 1826, Linmill was owned by James Mill Sr.; 1,122 gallons of spirits were produced that year, and in the following six months only 169 gallons.

• The next excise accounts (from 1827) show production of 789 gallons in the quarter up to October 10, 1826 and 3,092 gallons for the year to that date; 623 gallons were produced in the six months to April 5, 1827 – a marked decline compared with the 1821 figures.

• Around the Linn Mill site to the east, excavations were carried out by the Clackmannanshire Field Studies Society in 1974 and again in 1979. The investigations showed that the area was powered by hydropower from a dam at Black Devon, and that a building on the south side of the river could have housed a corn-drying kiln with base tiles dated to around 1790–1810. The building is thought to have been in use between roughly 1796 and 1840. A later development, around 1840, saw the construction of a sawmill, which was out of use again by 1898; the 1901 map shows later changes in the area.

• The excavation reports suggest that the site could have been the location of the distillery after having been used as a mill, but there is not yet definitive proof of a direct link.

Production Details

• Linmill Distillery is described as a small malt distillery in the Lowland region and played a brief role in the region's distilling history.

• Operating equipment sizes (early records): wash-still of 238 gallons and low wines-still of 159 gallons (July 1821 tax accounts).

• Annual production (recorded figures): 1,122 gallons in the 1825–1826 year; 169 gallons in the following six months; 789 gallons in the quarter to 10 October 1826; 3,092 gallons for the year to that date; 623 gallons in the six months to 5 April 1827.

• No specific production methods or unique techniques for Linmill are mentioned in the available texts beyond the noted operating sizes and historical records. The text focuses mainly on historical accounts and archaeological findings in the Linn Mill area rather than details of the distillery's technological production.

Events and News

• 1974 and 1979: The Clackmannanshire Field Studies Society carried out excavations and surveys of the Linn Mill area (marked as the Linn Mill sawmill area). The findings indicated hydropower from Black Devon and signs of a possible corn-drying kiln dating to around 1790–1810 in a south-side building, which may have been used between approximately 1796 and 1840.

• The CFSS excavation reports from 1974 and 1979 document the Linn Mill site and its connection to the distillery's history, as well as the potential link between an earlier mill and a distillery.

• The historical documentation confirms that Linmill was a short-lived distillery within the Lowland malt sector and provides context to the region's industrial history.

Company's Philosophy and Values

• Not mentioned in the provided texts. Therefore not included in the summary.
  Note: No specific current whiskies, tasting notes, or present-day company norms or visions are mentioned in the available text. The summary therefore focuses mainly on history, the available production information, and archaeological findings related to the Linmill Linn Mill area.