GlenAllachie 15 Year Old (Old Branding)
Going on two years since Billy Walker and his team took over the distillery, they now have a new dram to add to their impressive core range of malt...
View full detailsSpeyside represents the beating heart of Scotland’s whisky industry, playing host to some of its most recognisable whiskies in the form of Glenfiddich, the Glenlivet and the Macallan. The region...
Speyside represents the beating heart of Scotland’s whisky industry, playing host to some of its most recognisable whiskies in the form of Glenfiddich, the Glenlivet and the Macallan. The region is also a concentrated hotbed of distilleries, focused on supplying whisky for the majority of blended Scotches that dominate the international market.
Today there are over 50 distilleries stretching from Speyside near Kingussie to Inchgower in the Northeast. It’s a region that caters for great diversity but the majority of these distilleries produce spirit that is light, sweet, refined and layered with gentle characteristics that are prized by blenders. Whilst Speyside occupies a modest chunk of Scotland, its distilleries are amongst some of the oldest with many having roots in illicit distilling such as the Glenlivet, which occupies a site amidst a romantic windswept Scottish environment far removed from the powers of Westminster.
The area is dissected by the fast flowing River Spey that weaves its way across 107 miles of wilderness before reaching the Moray Firth. Water is a vital resource for whisky production and the River Spey is a fertile breeding ground for salmon. Nowadays it is the tributaries that connect to the Spey that are utilised for whisky including names such as the Rivers Fiddich, Livet and Lossie. Rain is tomorrow’s whisky and this network of lochs, rivers and mountains means that water shortages are rare unlike other distilleries that may only rely on a single isolated water source such as Talisker.
With the arrival of the Excise Act in 1823 and the ability to become a legal distillery for a license fee and tariff on each gallon produced, many illicit distillers or budding entrepreneurs established themselves as distillers. In total 16 took up the challenge and sought out a new opportunity with 9 of these fledgling distilleries still in operation today such as Cardhu. Moving from illicit stills towards farm distilleries or onto the edges of towns where natural resources were still at hand. A major factor was the arrival of the railway in the 1850’s that connected many distilleries to a network that reached south and removed the arduous trek across the Highlands. This explains the concentration of distilleries around the main towns of the region with the majority found within the triangle of Dufftown, Keith and Rothes. Within this area are names such as Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Glen Grant, Mortlach and Strathisla, making it a popular destination and whisky tourism being a major employer.
A journey through Speyside is very much an experience of Scotland’s whisky heritage. Turning off the A9 at Aviemore you’re about to follow the Malt Whisky Trail via the picturesque A95, passing by the epic splendour of Tormore distillery that sits on the edge of the region. As you edge closer to the heart of Speyside, Ballindalloch plays host to a promising new comer and a distillery to watch out for; whilst the historic Cragganmore awaits nearby. The town of Aberlour greets you with its distillery and Glenfarclas nearby. A central hub, it marks the entry point to a cluster of distillery signs pointing you in all directions across Speyside. Literally it feels as if around each corner there is another distillery to discover and visit.
With so many distilleries across the region, many are not open to the public. These tend to the faithful producing types that mainly go into blends and have very little if any single malt presence. Falling into this camp are names such as Allt-a-Bhainne, Dufftown, Knochando, Tamnavulin and many more besides. However annually the Spirit of Speyside Festival encourages such normally closed distilleries to throw open their doors with special tours and events held across the region. The event towards the end of April is a major tourist attraction and offers a combination of whisky, fine food, local crafts and plenty of enthusiasm.
A bountiful whisky history means that there are several famous closed distilleries across the region. Dallas Dhu is today operated by Historic Scotland for the nation and is preserved as it was from the 1980’s for you to explore, also fallen include Coleburn, Convalmore and the demolished Imperial. Benromach owned by Gordon & MacPhail is a revived distillery with a passion for producing an older style of whisky. The town of Elgin harbours a clutch of distilleries including the rarely seen Miltonduff, the affordable and varied Glen Moray and the overlooked Glenlossie. Other distilleries worth experiencing via the independent bottlers include the prized Aultmore and the forever impressive Glentauchers. These mainly go into blends but single cask releases can be wonderful. It’s a momentous challenge to write an introduction to Speyside as it offers so much variety and a consistent emphasis on quality. It’s a region that offers diversity, distilling heritage, a passion for whisky and the Scottish perfection of its national drink.
Going on two years since Billy Walker and his team took over the distillery, they now have a new dram to add to their impressive core range of malt...
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The multi-award winning 10 year old expression from Benromach distillery, crafted from first fill bourbon and sherry casks. Benromach Distillery is...
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We've slowed things down a little, with the third release in our 15th Anniversary series bottled exclusively by Berry Bros & Rudd. This 2008 vi...
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A UK exclusive from GlenAllachie distillery, initially matured in 1st and 2nd fill American oak barrels then re-racked into Oloroso sherry butts an...
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Released as part of the third batch in the Virgin Oak Series, this limited release of single malt GlenAllachie was initially matured in ex-bourbon ...
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Crafted from 10 first fill hogsheads, this 2011 vintage single malt has been matured for 10 years in cask, then bottled in 2021 as part of the firs...
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Distilled April 2009 at a Secret distillery in Speyside then matured for 13 years in bourbon hogsheads. This latest bottling was released by Signat...
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Said to be one of the first single malts produced in Hungarian virgin oak (Quercus Petraea) this exciting new expression from Billy Walker has been...
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A 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky from Speyside, released as part of the third batch in the Virgin Oak Series from Glenallachie distillery. I...
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Expertly crafted by Master Blender, Rachel Barrie from a combination of peated and unpeated Speyside spirit, 'The Smoky Twelve' has been matured in...
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The third bottling of the popular Cigar Malt limited edition release from Tamdhu distillery. This rare Speyside malt has been carefully crafted fro...
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The second edition in the Quercus Alba Distinction series from Tamdhu distillery, created to celebrate the influence and unmistakable characteristi...
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Benromach Cara Gold Malt, a new limited release crafted from a combination of Cara Gold malted barley and the standard lighted peated malt used at ...
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Gold Medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits competition 2020, this beautifully presented 12 year old Speymalt malt has been fully matured ...
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Another exquisite small batch release from independent Scotch whisky bottlers, Signatory. Distilled in 2010 at the Benrinnes distillery and matured...
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This exquisite small batch release was distilled at the Linkwood distillery in April 2012 and bottled from 1st fill Oloroso sherry butts after 10 y...
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Distilled in 2011, this small batch release of single malt Glenrothes was bottled by independent Scotch whisky bottlers, Signatory. Matured for 12 ...
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Released as part of an exciting new series from GlenAllachie distillery, Meikle Tòir - 'The Chinquapin One' is a peat Speyside malt, matured in spe...
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An independent single malt Glenlossie bottled by Scotch whisky bottlers, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers for the Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited range....
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This delightful Scotch whisky from Speyside captures the steadfast commitment by Billy Walker in acquiring the finest of Sherry casks to mature the...
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This luxurious Scotch whisky from Speyside was meticulously crafted over the course of 18 years in the finest of oak casks. Matured in the GlenAlla...
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Distilled in the town of Rothes at the Glen Spey distillery, this single cask release from indie bottler Murray McDavid was released as part of the...
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One of two limited edition releases from Benromach distillery, released under the excellent 'Contrasts' series. This released was distilled in 2012...
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Distilled in 2012, this limited release from Benromach distillery has been matured in kiln dried virgin oak casks for 10 years. Bottled in 2023, th...
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