John Haig & Co. created the distillery in 1971. The distillery was decommissioned from 1985 and 1989, after which it was restored and began producing a Mannochmore single malt in 1992. The black Loch Dhu single malt whisky, also known as 'Black Loch' in Scottish Gaelic, was first launched in 1996 and has since gained popularity despite (or perhaps precisely because of) its somewhat peculiar look and flavor. The distillery, which shares personnel with the neighbouring Glenlossie distillery and only produces for twelve months at a time after a temporary re-closure in 1995, alternates breaks of twelve months with Glenlossie. Even though the infamous Loch Dhu hasn't been produced since 1999, Mannochmore distillery has been run year-round by its own staff since 2008. The distillery's home location, Speyside, receives its water from Bardon Burn. Castle Head Maltings in Elgin is where the malt is bought. One mash tun (12 tonnes), eight washbacks (54,000 L), three washstills (14,400 L), and three spirit stills are all present in the distillery (17,000 L). Steam is used to operate the distillery.