🥃 Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in the town of Aberfeldy, Perthshire. It was built by the Dewar family in the 1890s. For a long time all of its whisky went into Dewar's blends, so for many it is the "heart" of that brand. Today the distillery belongs to John Dewar & Sons, part of Bacardi.

History. According to Whiskypedia, John Dewar & Sons began building the distillery in 1896 on the site of a former brewery; other sources give 1898 as the start of production. In 1917 it was shut for two years to save barley for food. In 1925 Dewar's joined DCL, and in 1998 Bacardi became the owner. A private railway once linked the distillery with Dewar's headquarters in Perth.

How it is made. Two wash stills and two spirit stills with onion-shaped bodies; according to Whiskypedia, a rebuild in 1973 doubled the capacity. The water comes from the Pitilie Burn. The malt is unpeated, fermentation lasts 65–85 hours, and the casks are mostly ex-bourbon, sometimes sherry.

Range. Until 1999 all the whisky was reserved for Dewar's. Then Aberfeldy 12 Year Old was released — the first single malt of its own; 16 and 21 years followed, and in 2014 repackaging introduced a permanent five-step range.

Why this matters to you. Aberfeldy is a single malt from one distillery, while Dewar's is a blend in which it plays a large part. These are different products, so read the name on the label. The age refers to the youngest whisky. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.