Name: Aberlour 1989
SKU: 0250348
Price: 30.5 GBP
Availability: InStock

Distilled in 1989 Dunnage matured, Bottled for the Millennium celebration and was released just before New Year’s Eve 2000. One of a limited number from a reserved Hogshead.

May 2026

June 2026

July 2026

As you’re reading this blog and are possibly a customer of Just Whisky Auctions, it’s a fair assumption that you’ve visited more than a few distilleries and taken their tour.

That being the case, your guide almost certainly paused to point out the malt mill. More often than not, it’s a Porteus mill, though you might see the occasional Boby and even the odd Buhler mill.

But if it’s painted in a distinctive, unshowy shade of dark red then what you looked at was a Porteus mill (we’ll come back to the Boby mills shortly).  They’re sturdy little things, standing four-square in the mill room, ready to receive another load of malt, quiet occupants of an unobtrusive corner of the distillery that just get on with their job in a modest and understated way.

If the guide didn’t pause and point it out, a Porteus mill would never shout or draw attention to itself, you feel; happy to do an honest day’s work and then await the next consignment of malt to be turned to grist.

At this point, your guide quite probably explained that the mill was quite old and that the Porteus firm had gone out of business, outlived by the durability and simple excellence of a product so good and so enduring that it broke the company.

So well made that they required relatively little maintenance and with little or no demand for new machines both Porteus and Boby closed down many years ago.  They were outlived by their equipment and undone by the slump in whisky production of the 1970s and 80s and the ruthless consolidation of the brewing industry, meaning fewer and fewer small independent breweries.  Sadly, quite a few mills will have been scrapped which, until recently, hasn’t been a problem.

But it’s worth taking a closer look at these tough and functional looking machines and, if you do, there’s a good chance you’ll see a modest plaque somewhere on the side carrying a telephone number and the name Ronnie Lee.

Some years ago I noticed this on Jura and then, shortly afterwards, at Tobermory distillery and then again at a number of Speyside distilleries. So I began asking various guides ‘Who is this Ronnie Lee?’  No one knew – but as soon as I asked some real production people (as opposed to the friendly guides who for the most part are essentially a PR front and equipped with a marketing script) the pieces of a fascinating story fell quickly into place.

Well it turns out that, in a world of tattooed, bearded Brand Ambassadors with their hipster tweed caps, and rock-star Distillery Managers who jet from whisky show to whisky show, Ronnie Lee is a quiet hero. Yet he doesn’t give master classes, doesn’t blog and he’s definitely not part of the fashionable crowd that increasingly follow whisky these days.  But he – together, these days with son Gareth - are the men who mends the mills.  And, if you think about it, without their expertise there would be no whisky.

Working from their modest base near Chepstow, they run Euro Mechanical Engineering working as freelance millwrights.  As such, they spend most of their working days life in maintaining, servicing and, on occasion, restoring Porteus and Boby mills for the brewing and distilling industry.

Their surroundings are as far removed from whisky’s new image of sophistication, glamour and luxury as you might conceivably imagine, yet they carry out vital work as one of an elite group of engineers who keep these vintage machines in working order. Unsung and unheralded, they are essential to the smooth and effective operation of much of the distilling industry, here and internationally.

In fact, they work for Diageo, Chivas Brothers, Glenmorangie, Highland Distillers and Ian MacLeod Distillers, as well as a number of independent breweries and distilleries as far flung as Sweden, Italy and even the USA. If you want a vintage malt mill, or need one restored, Ronnie Lee is the man you call.

And that brings us to a fascinating twist in the story.  Some years ago, Ronnie acquired all the plans for the Boby mill when that firm closed down. With access to that unique archive, it was Euro Mechanical Engineering’s proud boast that, in theory, they could build a brand new Boby-style mill from scratch based on the original blueprints but updated for greater efficiency and cleaner running.

But why would you, when the originals have a working life of a century or more? Well, basically, they are desperately hard to find and with new distilleries and small breweries being built at an unprecedented pace, there’s a need for equipment of established high quality with a proven heritage.  Even the shiniest of new state-of-the-art distilleries may be discreetly supplied by a 50 or 60 year old machine which, come to think of it, is something quite amazingly heart-warming. But there just aren’t enough to go around.

And so it has come to pass that a new Boby mill has indeed been built and is now heading off to its eventual home in a soon-to-be-opened whisky distillery (which is another story, which we’ll come to in a moment).

The mill, of 4-5 tons capacity, is the product of 12 month’s work by Ronnie and Gareth Lee. The original design has been improved, Gareth telling me that while the exterior closely resembles an old-style Boby, the gears have been done away with, the roller bearings switched to a spherical shape and a double-edged synchronized belt fitted. If, like me, that’s double Dutch to you, I’m assured it means cleaner running (no oil), greater energy efficiency and potentially faster running speeds if desired by the operator. Everything has been built from the ground up with a local foundry providing custom-made castings for the bearings, which were then hand finished by Gareth.

But who has commissioned this work and where is this marvel of skillfully modernized vintage engineering to be found? Let’s hear it for the new owners, the family-owned and independent Ian Macleod Distillers, well-known for their Glengoyne and Tamdhu single malts, the imaginative reopening of Rosebank and their Edinburgh Gin brand.  They are also partners in the proposed Laggan Bay project which, if everything goes to plan, will be Islay’s twelfth distillery.

So the Boby is destined for a Hebridean home? Well, no. In fact, it is travelling around 4,000 miles to Una, a town in the southwestern Himachal Pradesh state in northern India where Macleod Distillers are currently building on a greenfield site.  The distillery, expected to be operational later this year, is designed to produce around 1.0m litres of spirit annually of Indian whisky.

Beyond that, Ian Macleod were tight-lipped though my own lengthy on-line research turned up an Environmental Impact report from the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board.  From that very comprehensive document we learn that “The project proposes to produce Malt Spirit, part of it matured for at least 2 years and above years for supplies to IMFL [that’s Indian-Made Foreign Liquor] industry for blending in various proportions and part of the matured malt spirit will be matured for more than 3 years to be called as Whisky under International norms and bottled as Indian Single Malt whisky for the Indian and export market”.   Indian Single Malt Whisky from Ian Macleod Distillers – that’s something not yet widely reported and quite a feather in the cap of relatively small independent Scottish distillers.

According to the report, the total cost is approximately £5m – quite the bargain by UK standards. 
Naturally I enquired as to the price of the mill and naturally, and quite correctly, Gareth Lee would not be drawn into the specifics. But he did hint that if you wanted one for your project you could expect to wait some 12 months or so (they’re busy) and expect to write a cheque for rather more than  £100,000.

So this is a mill that grinds slowly but is exceeding fine; evidently a labour of love and a source of great pride – and why not, because as Gareth assured me, “it will be working long after I’m in the ground.”  I wonder if in fifty or more years curious visitors will be regaled with the story – I certainly hope so.

Their surroundings are as far removed from whisky’s new image of sophistication, glamour and luxury as you might conceivably imagine

In our inaugural Blog entry, Guest writer Ian Buxton explores the seemingly unglamorous distillery mill. The unsung hero of whisky distilleries.

The Distillery Mill

Historical

We're excited to partner with Rothes Sports Development Group this month to raise money for a great cause. The charity was formed in 2025 to enchance local health, welfare and sporting opportunities in and around Rothes, Moray.

Rothes Sports Development Charity Auction

Charity Auction

In this intriguing piece, Gavin D. Smith delves into the relationship between taxes and the Scotch Whisky industry.

1823 EXCISE ACT

Useful Info

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Raising money for Rothes Sports Development Group to enhance community health and social opportunities through sport in Rothes, Moray. Registered Scottish Charity (SC054211)

Charity Auction Now Live!

caperdonich_50_years_old_1972_murray_mcdavid_ultra_2802185_948211.webp

70 cl

47.1%

Murray McDavid Ultra

Caperdonich 50 Years Old 1972

caperdonich_50_years_old_1972_murray_mcdavid_ultra_2802186_038746.webp

caperdonich_50_years_old_1972_murray_mcdavid_ultra_2802187_732162.webp

caperdonich_50_years_old_1972_murray_mcdavid_ultra_2802188_990209.webp

caperdonich_50_years_old_1972_murray_mcdavid_ultra_2802189_626602.webp

ballindalloch_experience_fill_your_own_px_hogshead_cask_2802221_396771.webp

Not present

63.5%

Fill-Your-Own PX Hogshead Cask

Ballindalloch Experience

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ballindalloch_experience_fill_your_own_px_hogshead_cask_2802133_189351.webp

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ballindalloch_experience_fill_your_own_px_hogshead_cask_2802137_050503.webp

ballindalloch_experience_fill_your_own_px_hogshead_cask_2802138_608758.webp

glenfiddich_29_years_old_grand_yozakura.jpg

45.1%

Grand Yozakura

Glenfiddich 29 Years Old

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glenfiddich_29_years_old_grand_yozakura_2795985_104637.webp

glenfiddich_29_years_old_grand_yozakura_2795986_567593.webp

glen_grant_30_years_old_1994_gm_130th_anniversary_elgin_exclusive_connoisseurs_choice_2796752_783077.webp

46.8%

G&M 130th Anniversary Elgin Exclusive | Connoisseurs Choice

Glen Grant 30 Years Old 1994

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Aberlour 1989 Millennium Celebrations

Official

Hogshead

The current incarnation is around a mile from the original Aberlour distillery site, founded in 1826 by the Grants who would eventually leave to establish Glen Grant in Rothes. James Fleming rebuilt the distillery in 1879, where it remains on the outskirts of the town. Its history is one of fires, rebuilds and extensions. This explains the assortment of buildings that now form the distillery, owned by Pernod Ricard.

With the number of stills doubled to 4 in 1973 to meet demand, Pernod Ricard moved to purchase Aberlour the year after given its popularity in France. Forever associated with sherry casks, Aberlour continues to be popular thanks to its robust sherry drams and new releases such as the A’bunadh Alba showcasing a new twist for this classic Speyside distillery.

Aberlour

Speyside

Full Size

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Millennium Celebrations

Aberlour 1989

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December 2015

macallan_71_years_old_the_red_collection.jpg

700ml

41.6%

2020 The Red Collection

Macallan 71 Years Old

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Minor marks to transit box

mortlach_75_years_old_gm_generations_323185_229163_283298_103165.webp

44.4%

Gordon & MacPhail Generations

Mortlach 75 Years Old

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Minor damage to box, refer to images

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Folio 1

Macallan The Archival Series

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macallan_the_archival_series_folio_1_2787689_325011.webp

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Mexico Edition

Macallan Distil Your World

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macallan_distil_your_world_mexico_edition_2795487_654823.webp

macallan_masters_of_photography_annie_leibovitz_skyline_cask_no10019.jpg

59.6%

The Library Cask No.14007

Macallan Masters of Photography | Annie Leibovitz

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macallan_masters_of_photography_annie_leibovitz_the_library_cask_no14007_2795094_834067.webp

glendronach_43_years_old_1972_single_cask_no706.jpg

51.1%

Single Cask No.706

Glendronach 43 Years Old 1972

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glendronach_43_years_old_1972_single_cask_no706_2795011_483215.webp

macallan_masters_of_photography_steven_klein_el_celler_de_can_roca.jpg

53.5%

El Celler De Can Roca

Macallan Masters of Photography | Steven Klein

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No outer brown cardboard box

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2023 Release

Macallan 30 Years Old Sherry Oak

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macallan_30_years_old_sherry_oak_2023_release_2797520_139771.webp

macallan_2005_exceptional_cask_esh_1180205_2025_release_sherry_hogshead_2794956_367635.webp

57.1% vol

2025 Estate Single Cask ESH-11802/05

Macallan 20 Years Old 2005

macallan_2005_exceptional_cask_esh_1180205_2025_release_sherry_hogshead_2794957_251874.webp

balvenie_35_years_old_1981_dcs_compendium_chapter_3_801607_209687.webp

43.8%

DCS Compendium Chapter 3

Balvenie 35 Years Old 1981

balvenie_35_years_old_1981_dcs_compendium_chapter_3_2789991_351807.webp

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macallan_easter_elchies_2013.jpg

55.3%

Easter Elchies 2013 Release (Blue Ribbon)

Macallan 17 Years Old 1996

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2019 Release

Macallan 30 Years Old  Sherry Oak

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Not Stated

Circa 1930-1940s

Glendronach Finest Highland Malt

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Minor wax marks to box

bowmore_39_years_old_2022_white_tiger_of_the_west_mythical_guardians_series_807702.webp

49.9%

2022 White Tiger of the West - Mythical Guardians Series

Bowmore 39 Years Old

bowmore_39_years_old_2022_white_tiger_of_the_west_mythical_guardians_series_2792737_512560.webp

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Foxing to labels

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26⅔  fl.Ozs

80° Proof

Campbell, Hope & King (80° Proof)

Macallan 1958

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macallan_1958_campbell_hope_king_80_proof_2795394_734820.webp

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Anniversary Malt

Macallan Over 25 Years Old

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longmorn_40_years_old_smws_755.jpg

54.9%

SMWS 7.55 | Liquid Heaven

Longmorn 40 Years Old 1968

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longmorn_40_years_old_1968_smws_755_2794402_835280.webp

bowmore_36_years_old_2023_frank_quitely_lovers_transformed_3rd_release_2793703_513433.webp

45.2%

2023 Frank Quitely | Lovers Transformed (3rd Release)

Bowmore 36 Years Old

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bowmore_34_years_old_2024_frank_quitely_dragons_prey_4th_release_2793696_792880.webp

46.7% vol

2024 Frank Quitely | Dragon's Prey (4th Release)

Bowmore 34 Years Old

bowmore_34_years_old_2024_frank_quitely_dragons_prey_4th_release_2793697_330647.webp

macallan_genesis_2018_release.jpg

45.5%

2018 Release

Macallan Genesis

Aberlour 1989

Millennium Celebrations

Aberlour 1989

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