🥃 Craigellachie
Distillery and single malt whisky brand in Speyside between Rothes and Dufftown, built in 1890; production from 1891; worm tubs; owned by Bacardi (John Dewar & Sons).
Craigellachie is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in Banffshire, in the heart of Speyside, between Rothes and Dufftown. It stands on the rock of Craigellachie, overlooking the point where the rivers Fiddich and Spey meet. According to the producer, the distillery was designed by the Victorian architect Charles Doig and built in 1890 by a consortium led by Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie; production began in 1891.
Ownership. According to the producer, Diageo sold the distillery to Bacardi in 1998, together with John Dewar & Sons, which now controls it. It is one of the five single malt distilleries of Dewar's.
How it is made. The producer says the water comes from the Allacholl Burn and that spirit vapour is condensed in old-fashioned worm tubs: a long copper pipe coils through a tank of cold water outside the still house. In the producer's words this costs more to maintain than modern condensers but gives a meatier character.
The range. In 2014 John Dewar & Sons released the first portfolio of Craigellachie single malts: 13, 17, 19 (travel retail) and 23 years. The producer's site now shows 13, 17 and 23 years and a 13-year-old finished in Bas Armagnac casks, bottled at 46% ABV.
Why this matters to you. Check the age and the cask on the label, because they are different whiskies. Single malt Scotch is made at one distillery from water and malted barley in pot stills, matured for at least 3 years in oak casks of up to 700 litres and bottled at 40% vol. or more. The WHO states that there is no safe amount of alcohol for health.
Facts
| Year founded | built 1890 by a consortium led by Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie (architect Charles Doig); production from 1891; Banffshire, Speyside |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
| Raw material | water from the Allacholl Burn, according to the producer |
| Distillation method | spirit vapour condensed in worm tubs (copper pipe in a cold-water tank) |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak casks by law; current range 13–23 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 46% vol. (producer's label); at least 40% vol. by law |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Craigellachie → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Bacardi Limited
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Speyside whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 White Horse, 🥃 Dewar's
Frequently asked questions
Who built Craigellachie and when?
According to the producer, it was designed by Charles Doig and built in 1890 by a consortium led by Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie; production began in 1891.
Who owns Craigellachie?
Bacardi: the producer says Diageo sold the distillery to Bacardi in 1998, together with John Dewar & Sons, which now controls it.
What are worm tubs?
Old-fashioned condensers: a long copper pipe coils through a tank of cold water outside the still house. The producer says they give a meatier character.
Where does Craigellachie's water come from?
From the Allacholl Burn, according to the producer.
Which Craigellachie versions are sold?
The producer's site shows 13, 17 and 23 years and a 13-year-old Bas Armagnac cask, at 46% ABV.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Glen Elgin · 🥃 Auchroisk · 🥃 Macduff · 🥃 Aultmore · 🥃 Benrinnes · 🥃 Dailuaine
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Craigellachie (producer): FAQ (Banffshire, Speyside, between Rothes and Dufftown; designed by Charles Doig, built 1890 by a consortium led by Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie, production from 1891; Bacardi bought it in 1998 with John Dewar & Sons; worm tubs; Allacholl Burn; 46% ABV)
- Craigellachie (producer): Our malts (13, 13 Bas Armagnac cask, 17, 23 years; all bottled at 46% ABV)
- Bacardi Limited: John Dewar & Sons launches Last Great Malts collection (press release, 24.09.2014: first Craigellachie single malt portfolio 13, 17, 19 travel retail, 23 years; worm tubs)
- Dewar's: FAQ (Aultmore and Craigellachie are two of the five single malt distilleries of Dewar's)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV; single malt: one distillery, water and malted barley, pot stills)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)