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distilleries
Fettercairn Distillery
Fettercairn Distillery’s history ties in with the history of legal whisky production in Scotland, with founder Sir Alexander Ramsay amongst the landowners who campaigned to be able to license Scotch whisky distillation.
The distillery originated in a converted corn mill in 1824.The distillery’s location is awe-inspiring, sitting at the foothills of the Grampians in the Eastern Highlands and it’s not hard to imagine those early days of production there, when Alexander turned to illegal whisky producers to work for him.
In 1829, Alexander sold his estate to the family of future Prime Minister William Gladstone, who went on to play an important role in the whisky industry by abolishing the taxes on malt and the Angel’s Share. He also introduced legislation allowing Scotch to be sold in glass bottles for the first time.
Fettercairn’s part in whisky history doesn’t stop there either with the 1950s seeing the introduction of a cooling ring to create a purer expression of the spirit to continually douse the still with water, increasing the condensation inside so only the lightest vapours could rise for collection.
The whisky produced at Fettercairn has often been seen mostly as a contributor to blends but has also been bottled as a single malt and was given a push in this direction with the launch of a new range. In 2018, a range of single malts aged between 12 and 50 years old was also launched.
Fettercain’s single malts are generally aged in American White Oak Ex-Bourbon casks and have a rich spicy and fruity flavour profile.
