Glen Moray distillery started as a brewery named West Brewery in 1828. The site was chosen given its proximity to the river Lossie where the brewery got its power and water. The site tends to flood during the winter but this hasn't stopped the distillery from producing a single malt that is revered by blenders for its versatility.
The West Brewery was transformed into a distillery in 1897 by the owners of Aberlour distillery. Following a fire at Aberlour and a general lack of demand for whisky after the Pattison crisis, Glen Moray closed down in 1910. For thirteen years the distillery was left abandoned until 1923 when the owners of Glenmorangie distillery acquired it. The distillery remained under the ownership of that company and in 1958 its production capacity was doubled. On that year a Saladin box was installed at the distillery.
As the whisky industry consolidated, the Saladin box was decommissioned in 1978. It was under the ownership of Glenmorangie that Glen Moray started to be sold at very low prices. Some whisky pundits argue that doing so was detrimental for the Glen Moray brand. In 2008 French firm La Martiniquaise bought the distillery. Soon enough the new owners increased production capacity once again.
A medium long fermentation period, clear wort and its microclimate, shaped by the distillery's proximity to the river Lossie, create a delicate spirit. This spirit is mostly aged in first-fill bourbon barrels.