Aberfeldy Distillery
Encyclopedia
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
that distills Aberfeldy 12 and Aberfeldy 21 single malt Scotch Whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
.
History
Aberfeldy Distillery, founded by the John Dewar & Sons, Ltd., was built in 1896 and opened in 1898. It was constructed at the beginning of the Dewar's worldwide expansion.However, with demand for barley rising in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
for use as a basic foodstuff, the distillery closed from 1917 to 1919. The Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
also caused barley supplies to be cut, and the distillery was again forced to shut down for some of this period. Supply to final markets was kept up by reducing the period whisky was laid up from 7 years to 3.
In 1972 the distillery was enlarged. In 1999, an Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Single Malt brand was introduced. In 2000, the Earl of Elgin
Earl of Elgin
The title Earl of Elgin was created on June 21, 1633 in the Peerage of Scotland for Thomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Kinloss. He was later created Baron Bruce of Whorlton in the Peerage of England on July 30, 1641. His son, Robert, succeeded him, and was also created Earl of Ailesbury in the Peerage of...
opened "Dewar's World of Whisky" at the Aberfeldy Distillery: this is a centre for marketing the products and educating the public about the process of distillation and history of the Dewar's brand.
Aberfeldy is the largest malt whisky component of Dewar's Blended Whisky.
The Distillery
Aberfeldy is situated in the centre of Scotland, some five miles east of Loch Tay and the town of Kenmore and about eight miles south of Loch Tummel. Aberfeldy relies on the fresh water stream Pitilie Burn, which runs alongside the distillery. Aberfeldy is the only distillery in Scotland to use these waters. Aberfeldy uses only Scottish barley, yeast and water.As well as being a premium setting for producing single malt Scotch whisky, the area is speckled with historical landmarks, such as Kenmore Bridge. This was built by the 3rd Earl in 1774 and the view from it was the inspiration for Robert Burns's
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
poem on the chimney piece of the Kenmore Inn.
Reviews and Accolades
International Spirit ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
organizations and liquor review bodies generally have had divergent reactions to Aberfeldy whiskies. The San Francisco World spirits competition has awarded the Aberfeldy 12- and 21-year whiskies a series of impressive medals, with the 12-year winning two golds and two silvers between 2007 and 2010 and the 21-year winning two golds, a double gold, and a bronze over the same time frame. By contrast, Wine Enthusiast rated both offerings in its 85-89 range, a relatively modest score, in 2008.