Aberlour distillery information
The Aberlour distillery is located in the village of Aberlour in the heart of the Speyside whisky region. The name Aberlour is Gaelic for “The mouth of the chattering burn” (the latter being the Lour stream making its way down from the mountains to the river Spey). The original distillery carrying the name was started in 1826, by Peter Weir and James Gordon, several miles from the location of the current distillery. However, a fire in 1879 laid waste to that distillery.
The current distillery was founded in the same year by James Fleming, son of a local farmer, who himself made a living as a supplier of grain to distilleries (some say as a banker). This allowed him to get by fine, but his real dream was to establish a distillery of his own, using the pure local waters to create “the finest dram of all”. He personally oversaw the design and creation of the distillery, which was exceptionally modern for its time, though rather than steam, it used a waterwheel powered by the Lour. Fleming was convinced that the quality of his whisky would improve by ensuring his craftsmen would do well, and he invested heavily in the local community. Modest as he was, though, he lived by his family’s motto “Let the deed show”.
In 1892, the distillery was sold off to Robert Thorne & Sons Ltd, who expanded its capacity. In 1897, the distillery is once again hit by a fire that largely destroys it. An architect is called in to help design the new facilities. The distillery was sold to W. H. Holt & Sons, brewers from Manchester, in 1921. In 1945, it again changed hands. This time the new owners were S. Campbell & Sonds. A renovation was undertaken in 1973, and the amount of stills is doubled from 2 to 4.
In 1975, Pernod Ricard acquired Campbell Distilleries, and they continue running the distillery today. 1975 was also the year in which, when new stills were being installed, a time capsule was discovered containing a bottle of Aberlour that was distilled in 1898. The spirit in it was recreated with modern methods, and is now sold as “Aberlour A’bunadh” (Gaelic for “The original”).
Aberlour Whiskies
Aberlour whisky is typically double cask matured in a combination of Oloroso Sherry butts and 1st Fill Bourbon casks. The core range consists of:
- 12 Years Old
- 12 Years Old, Sherry Cask matured. Travel retail only
- 15 Years Old. Double matured, and then finished in a Sherry cask. Travel retail only
- 16 Years Old
- 18 Years Old
- A’Bunadh, matured in Oloroso Sherry butts, and bottled at Cask Strength. Released in limited batch runs.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Aberlour |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Water source | Springs from Ben Rinnes |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Pernod Ricard |
| Address |
Aberlour Distillery |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | http://www.aberlour.com/ |
| https://twitter.com/AberlourVC | |
| https://www.facebook.com/aberloursinglemaltwhisky | |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 12.12 tonnes | 1 (Stainless Steel, Semi-Lauter) |
| Washback | 70,000 litres | 6 (Stainless Steel) |
| Wash still | 21,300 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 15,000 / 20,000 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,500,000 |
Images courtesy of Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard
Frequently Asked Questions
Aberlour is Gaelic for “the mouth of the chattering burn,” referring to the Lour, the stream that runs down from the mountains to join the River Spey at the distillery’s location.
The current Aberlour Distillery was founded in 1879 by James Fleming, on the site of an earlier distillery of the same name that had started in 1826 under Peter Weir and James Gordon before being destroyed by fire.
Aberlour has been owned by Pernod Ricard since 1975, when the company acquired Campbell Distilleries, which had owned the distillery since 1945.
The distillery uses spring water sourced from Ben Rinnes.
Aberlour whisky is typically double cask matured, combining Oloroso Sherry butts with first-fill Bourbon casks.
Aberlour A’bunadh (“the original” in Gaelic) is a cask-strength expression matured in Oloroso Sherry butts, released in limited batches. It was inspired by a bottle of Aberlour distilled in 1898 that was discovered in a time capsule in 1975 during still installation work, and whose spirit was recreated using modern methods.
The core range includes the 12 Years Old (standard and a Sherry Cask variant, the latter travel retail only), 15 Years Old (travel retail only), 16 Years Old, 18 Years Old, and the cask-strength A’bunadh.
Yes, Aberlour Distillery has a visitor centre.
Aberlour Distillery is located in the village of Aberlour, in Banffshire, in the heart of the Speyside whisky region in Scotland (postcode AB38 9PJ).