Craigellachie

Craigellachie is, for many whisky enthusiasts, a synonym with sulphur. This distillery was built between 1890 and 1891 near the village of the same name. The location was chosen for its advantageous railway connections to the rest of the country. Architect Charles Doig was in charge of the project.

The distillery was built in order to produce a fruitier and lighter spirit than other distilleries in the area. The owners worked together for some 8 years and then departed ways. Co-founder Alexander Edward went on to build Dallas Dhu, Aultmore and Benromach distilleries. The distillery became a massive success given the huge popularity of blends containing its spirit in Australia and South Africa.

The distillery and its parent company were acquired by Distillers Company Limited (DCL) in 1927. DCL expanded production capacity at Craigellachie in 1964. After this expansion, very little happened apart from whisky production. In 1998 the distillery was sold to John Dewars and Son who used it to produce spirit for the Dewars' blend.

Today Craigellachie distillery's production ends up in the Dewars blends. A 13, 17 and 23 year old whiskies were released in 2014.

The character of the distillery is influenced heavily by the usage of worm tubs during distillation. Given that the spirit has less contact with copper than usual, the sulphuric notes are prevalent and come through as 'weight' or fruitiness as the whisky ages.