Aberlour Distillery: 10 Facts
- Emma Gibbs
- Mar 25, 2024
- 2 min read
Aberlour Distillery. 🥃 Nestled in the heart of Speyside, this traditional distillery is known for its double-cask maturation and a world-renowned ‘sherry bomb’ with cult status.
Region: Speyside
Founded: In 1879 by James Fleming
Current owner:
Range
Aberlour currently produces 14 whiskies, FOUR of which are in the core range: 14-year-old, a batch-released double cask expression; Casg Annamh, a rich sherried expression, A’bunadh Alba, a cask-strength non-sherried expression and A’bunadh, a cask-strength deeply intense sherried expression (see sherry bomb below).
Double Cask Matured
Aberlour is unusual in that most of the whisky it produces is DOUBLE cask matured for a minimum of 12 years. The casks are filled and matured separately in first-fill American oak and Oloroso sherry butts, then expertly married together before bottling.
Sherry Bomb
A’bunadh is one of the most HEAVILY-SHERRIED whiskies on the market today and perhaps one of the most best-known, achieving a cult status since its debut in the mid-1990s.
Bottled at cask strength, this rich fruity expression presents notes of dried spice, orange, and black cherries. It’s made in small batches and matured in Oloroso sherry butts, each one personally hand-selected in Jerez by master distiller, Graeme Cruickshank.
Water
The distillery sources the water for its production from the Birkenbush Springs, which is fed from water that runs off of Ben Rinnes Mountain.
James Fleming
The distillery’s motto is ‘Let the Deed Show’ and founder James Fleming firmly lived by that motto until his death in 1895.
He was particularly generous with his money, anonymously paying for the community town hall before leaving a legacy in his will that paid for a local hospital and the Penny Bridge across the River Spey. Today, the distillery proudly maintains a close bond with the local community.
Distillery Expansion
Aberlour is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound expansion to the existing site which will see its production capacity DOUBLE to 7.8 million litres of whisky a year. The distillery, which will receive a new still house and a brand-new visitor centre, is set to be fully operational by mid-2025.
Fun Fact: Every year Aberlour Distillery pour a bottle of 12-year-old Aberlour into the River Spey to mark the beginning of the salmon fishing season in February, which is said to encourage a good fishing season for the locals. 🐟
Have you ever tried an Aberlour? Are you a fan of sherried whisky? Let me know in the comments.
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