Aberfeldy distillery

• Aberfeldy is a large yet pretty site, spread out and neatly organised – and modelled rather nicely in miniature form at the distillery.

It’s a popular destination for tourists no doubt due to the Dewar’s connection, and by 10am the carpark and reception are already buzzing with activity. Dewar’s [owned by Bacardi] have taken a lot of care and spent a lot of money on the visitor experience, like a lot of other distilleries in recent times. The atmosphere inside the visitors centre is more akin to a shopping mall than a distillery. The shop, bar and cafe are all connected by thoughtful open planning which creates a wonderful, vibrant public space for young & old, enthusiast & tourist in which to relax, eat, shop and mingle – just what the whisky world needs..

The standard tour gets you a taste of the Aberfeldy 12yo and a Dewar’s of your choice, but for an extra £7.50 a warehouse pour of a rather cracking 28yo single cask Aberfeldy is yours. Often the warehouse offering is a little lacklustre but this was decent stuff and at a very generous price.

Despite the ‘risk of explosion’ from my camera, i risked life & limb to bring you a picture of Aberfeldy’s beautiful stills.

Geek alert:

• 70 hour fermentation time
• 7.5 tonnes of barley produce 33,000 litres of spirit, filling 64 casks in a single run
• Eleven people are involved in the production of 2.5 million litres annually.
• A full [sherry cask] can weigh up to 300kg

Below, a fine demonstration of the evaporation levels over time in the cask. Left to right, after 12 years and 21 years respectively.

 

Thank you Gary for your time and commitment and for recognising the enthusiasts.