Fettercairn distillery information
Fettercairn distillery (also having used the name Nethermill at some point) was established in the Highland town of the same name in 1824, by Sir Alexander Ramsay, who owned Fasque estate on which the distillery was built. The building used for the distillery had previously been in use as a corn mill. The distillery was initially managed by James Durie, but the license was made out to James Stewart & Co. In 1830, Sir Alexander Ramsay sold Fasque estate, including the distillery to Sir John Gladstone. The distillery is run by Gibb, Durie & Co. between 1837 until 1852, when James obtained sole ownership. He did not get to enjoy it too long, though as he died in 1854, leaving the distillery in the hands of his son David, who ran it until a fire destroyed most of the distillery in 1887.
Fettercairn was rebuilt, and in 1890, a joint stock company called Fettercairn Distillery Co., led by Sir John Gladstone, was established to handle the business. Sir John Gladstone passed away in 1890, with his relatives taking over. It remained in the Gladstone family until 1923, when it is sold to Holders and Ross & Coulter. It went silent a few years later, in 1926, and remained closed until 1939, when it was snagged up by Associated Scottish Distilleries Ltd. (part of Train & McIntyre Ltd. who in turn were owned by National Distillers of America).
The 1960s was a period with all kind of changes for Fettercairn. In 1960, the malting floors at the distillery were closed. In 1966, two additional stills were fitted, doubling the amount from two to four, and in 1967, the stills switched to steam heating. In 1971, the distillery was bought by Tomintoul-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd. (W. & S. Strong & Co. and Hay & MacLeod & Co.), who earlier established the Tomintoul distillery in the Speyside region. Two years later, Tomintoul-Glenlivet was bought by Scottish & Universal Investment Trust, who purchased Whyte & Mackay in the same year, and continued operating Fettercairn under the name of Whyte & Mackay Distillers Ltd.
They were bought by Lonrho in 1974, who sold the company on to Brent Walker Group Plc in 1988. In 1989, a visitor center was added to the distillery, and in 1990, American Brands bought Whyte & Mackay Distillers Ltd. In 1996, Jim Beam Brands merged with Whyte & Mackay Distillers Ltd to form Jim Beam Brands Worldwide. In 2001, Kyndal International Ltd. (formed by managers at Whyte & Mackay) bought Whyte & Mackay Distillers Ltd, and continue operation under the name Whyte & Mackay Ltd.
The spirit underwent a re-branding operation, establishing itself using the name Fettercairn 1824 (replacing “Old Fettercairn”). In 2007, United Spirits (an Indian company, run by Vijay Mallya) bought Whyte & Mackay. Whyte & Mackay was sold on to Emperador Inc., a Philippine spirits company, in 2014, and continues to own the distillery today.
In August 2018, Whyte & Mackay relaunched Fettercairn as a serious single malt, introducing a new age-stated range running from 12 to 50 years old.
Fettercairn Whiskies
What’s unique about the distillation process in Fettercairn is that water is directly running down the necks of its stills in order to ensure only the most volatile spirits make it down the lyne arms. The rest simply condenses and falls back into the still.
95% of the whisky distilled at Fettercairn is used in blending (primarily Whyte & Mackay).
Core Range:
- 12 Year Old
- 16 Year Old
- 22 Year Old
- 24 Year Old
Limited Releases:
- 18 Year Old (Scottish Oak Project — Fettercairn’s first single malt finished in casks made from their own locally sourced Scottish oak)
- Vanguard 1st Release
- Vanguard Rare 29 Year Old
Travel Exclusives:
- 14 Year Old
- 17 Year Old
- 25 Year Old
Rare and aged:
- 28 Year Old
- 40 Year Old
- 46 Year Old
- 50 Year Old
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Fettercairn |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1824 |
| Water source | Springs on Grampian Hills |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Emperador Inc. |
| Address |
Fettercairn Distillery |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.fettercairnwhisky.com |
| https://www.facebook.com/fettercairnwhisky | |
| https://www.instagram.com/fettercairnwhisky | |
| Community | The Fettercairn Fanclub |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 5 tonnes | 1 (cast iron) |
| Washback | 25,500 litres | 11 (Oregon pine) |
| Wash still | 17,272 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 1 * 11,800, 1 * 13,600 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,200,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Fettercairn was established in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay in the Highland town of the same name, on his Fasque estate, using a building that had previously served as a corn mill. It was initially managed by James Durie, though the license was held by James Stewart & Co. The distillery has also been known as Nethermill at points in its history.
Sir Alexander Ramsay sold Fasque estate, including the distillery, to Sir John Gladstone in 1830. Gibb, Durie & Co. ran the distillery from 1837 until James Durie obtained sole ownership in 1852. Durie died in 1854, leaving the distillery to his son David, who ran it until a fire destroyed most of the buildings in 1887. Fettercairn was rebuilt, and a joint stock company led by Sir John Gladstone was formed in 1890 to run it, remaining in the Gladstone family until 1923.
Yes. After being sold in 1923 to Holders and Ross & Coulter, Fettercairn went silent in 1926 and remained closed until 1939, when it was bought by Associated Scottish Distilleries Ltd, part of Train & McIntyre Ltd, itself owned by National Distillers of America.
Fettercairn was bought in 1971 by the Tomintoul-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd, which had earlier established the Tomintoul distillery in Speyside. Two years later, in 1973, the company was bought by Scottish & Universal Investment Trust, which also acquired Whyte & Mackay that same year and began operating Fettercairn under the Whyte & Mackay Distillers name.
Ownership passed through Lonrho (1974), Brent Walker Group Plc (1988), American Brands (1990), and a merger with Jim Beam Brands in 1996 to form Jim Beam Brands Worldwide. In 2001, Kyndal International Ltd, formed by former Whyte & Mackay managers, bought the company and renamed it Whyte & Mackay Ltd. United Spirits, an Indian company run by Vijay Mallya, acquired Whyte & Mackay in 2007. Whyte & Mackay was sold on to Emperador Inc., a Philippine spirits company, in 2014, and continues to own Fettercairn today.
Water runs directly down the necks of Fettercairn’s stills, cooling them so that only the most volatile spirits pass through the lyne arms. The rest condenses and falls back into the still, a technique that shapes the character of the final spirit.
Around 95% of the whisky distilled at Fettercairn goes into blends, primarily Whyte & Mackay. The remainder is bottled as single malt, rebranded from “Old Fettercairn” to “Fettercairn 1824” and relaunched in August 2018 with a new age-stated range. Today’s single malt lineup spans four collections, from the Signature Collection’s 12 Year Old up to the Rare and Aged 50 Year Old. See the full range above.
Yes. Fettercairn added a visitor centre in 1989.