Aberfeldy distillery information
Aberfeldy distillery sits on the southern bank of the River Tay in the middle of the Highlands, just east of the village of Aberfeldy from which it takes its name, within Scotland’s Highland Whisky region. Construction started in 1896 and lasted until 1898, funded by Perth-based blenders John Dewar & Sons Ltd, specifically John Dewar’s sons John Alexander and Tommy Dewar, who needed a steady supply of malt whisky for the family’s Dewar’s blend. They bought the land from the Marquis of Breadalbane.
The site was earlier home to the Pitilie Brewery and Distillery, closed in 1867. Aberfeldy wasn’t the name’s first use in whisky either: an earlier, unrelated distillery operated under the same name in Perthshire between 1830 and 1849. The new distillery was built next to a railway line, easing the movement of barley and coal in and finished spirit out to the Dewar blending and bottling plant in Perth. Architect Charles Doig, who designed distilleries across Scotland, drew up the buildings, and the distillery draws its process water from the Pitilie Burn, long associated with traces of alluvial gold, a detail tied to Aberfeldy’s earlier “Golden Dram” marketing. The distillery no longer runs gold-panning for visitors.
Production started in 1898 and has continued since, aside from a few silent periods: 1917-1919 and 1942-1944, both due to wartime government restrictions on barley for distilling, plus a brief stretch in the early 1930s. In 1923, Dewar bought the Aultmore, Glen Ord, Parkmore, and Old Pulteney distilleries to secure more whisky. The Distillers Company Limited (DCL) purchased John Dewar & Sons Ltd in 1925. In 1927, a documentary on producing and blending Scotch whisky was filmed in part at Aberfeldy. In 1930, the distillery transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD).
Dewar’s has held a Royal Warrant since Queen Victoria granted one in 1893, and which was renewed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1955. In the 1960s, the stills were replaced with new coal-heated stills, and the railway line was closed by government order. Between 1972 and 1973, the distillery was expanded, the still house and tun room were rebuilt using the original stone, and the malting floor closed.
In 1986, DCL and Guinness merged into United Distillers & Vintners (UDV), later renamed Diageo. In 1998, Diageo sold John Dewar & Sons Ltd to Bacardi, a sale the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) required on competition grounds. In spring 2000, a visitor centre opened in the old malting hall.
Aberfeldy Whiskies
Since the 1980s, more of Aberfeldy’s output has gone toward its own single malt than into Dewar’s blends, and that liquid now makes up the majority.
Current core range:
- 12 Year Old (released in 1999)
- 16 Year Old, added in the 2014 relaunch of the permanent range
- 21 Year Old
- 25 Year Old (released in 2000 to mark the opening of the visitor centre)
Other releases:
- Flora and Fauna (1991)
- Exceptional Cask Series, single-cask and small-batch releases at varying ages (20, 24, 25, 26, and 28 have appeared), often finished in wine casks
- Gold Bar, a gift-box presentation of the Aberfeldy 12 Year Old in Dewar’s gold-bar-shaped packaging
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Aberfeldy |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Water source | Pitilie Burn |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | John Dewar & Sons (Bacardi) |
| Address |
Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.aberfeldy.com/ |
| https://www.instagram.com/aberfeldy/ | |
| YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb4ZDAx61sOETWgG_5up7jQ |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 7.6 tonnes | 1 (Stainless steel, Full-Lauter) |
| Washback | 33,000 litres | 11 (6 Siberian Larch, 2 Douglas Fir, 3 stainless steel) |
| Wash still | 16,500 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 15,000 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,200,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Aberfeldy sits on the southern bank of the River Tay in the middle of the Highlands, just east of the village of Aberfeldy from which it takes its name.
Aberfeldy was built between 1896 and 1898, funded by Perth-based blenders John Dewar & Sons Ltd, specifically John Dewar’s sons John Alexander and Tommy Dewar, who needed a steady supply of malt whisky for the family’s Dewar’s blend.
No. An earlier, unrelated distillery operated under the same name in Perthshire between 1830 and 1849. The current site was also previously home to the Pitilie Brewery and Distillery, which closed in 1867.
Architect Charles Doig, who designed distilleries across Scotland, drew up the buildings.
Aberfeldy draws its process water from the Pitilie Burn, long associated with traces of alluvial gold, a detail tied to the distillery’s earlier “Golden Dram” marketing. Visitor gold-panning isn’t part of the current tour.
Production has continued since 1898, aside from a few silent periods: 1917-1919 and 1942-1944, both due to wartime government restrictions on barley for distilling, plus a brief stretch in the early 1930s.
Aberfeldy is owned by John Dewar & Sons, which Diageo sold to Bacardi in 1998, a sale required by the Federal Trade Commission on competition grounds.
In 1923, Dewar & Sons also bought Aultmore, Glen Ord, Parkmore, and Old Pulteney to secure more whisky, though only Aultmore remains under Dewar’s ownership today; Glen Ord later passed to Diageo, Old Pulteney to Inver House Distillers, and Parkmore closed in 1931.
Since the 1980s, an increasing share of Aberfeldy’s output has gone into its own single malt rather than Dewar’s blends, and single malt now accounts for the majority. Official bottlings include a Flora and Fauna release in 1991, along with the 12, 16, 21 and 25 Year Old expressions.
Yes. A visitor centre opened in spring 2000 in the distillery’s old malting hall.