🥃 Strathisla
Distillery and single malt brand in Keith (Moray, Speyside); licensed in 1786; four small stills; the heart of Chivas Regal; owned by Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard).
Strathisla is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in the town of Keith, in Moray, Speyside. It was licensed in 1786, and Whiskypedia calls it the oldest registered distillery in Scotland. The owner is Chivas Brothers, a division of Pernod Ricard, and most of the whisky goes into the Chivas Regal blend.
History. The distillery, then called Milltown, was licensed in 1786 by Alexander Milne and George Taylor; according to Whiskypedia, it began as a brewery for a local monastery. The name Milton was changed to Strathisla in 1951, and the source gives conflicting years for the change from Milltown to Milton. In 1950 the distillery was bought at auction by Seagram, and since 2001 it has belonged to Pernod Ricard.
How it is made. There are four stills: two for the first distillation and two for the second. The first are 13,500 litres and lantern-shaped, the second 11,900 litres with a "ball" neck; Whiskypedia links the character of the whisky to the small stills. The malt is unpeated, the water comes from the Broomhill and Cossburn springs, and capacity is 2.4 million litres of pure alcohol a year.
Range. There are few official single malt releases. The peated Craigduff line has been made in batches since 1970, and independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail is the main source of bottles carrying the distillery's name.
Why this matters to you. The name Strathisla on a bottle may mean an official release or an independent bottling, so check who bottled it. By law, Single Malt is whisky from a single distillery made from water and malted barley and aged for at least 3 years. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | licensed 1786 (Milltown; Alexander Milne and George Taylor); Strathisla from 1951 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Speyside) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | unpeated barley malt (Bairds); water from Broomhill and Cossburn Springs |
| Distillation method | twice, 4 copper stills (2 + 2), 13,500 and 11,900 litres; 2.4 million litres of alcohol a year |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV by law |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Strathisla → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Pernod Ricard
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak 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
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Chivas Regal, 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, 🥃 Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Gold Signature, 🥃 Chivas Regal 25 Year Old, 🥃 Chivas Regal Extra 13, 🥃 Springbank, 🥃 Springbank, 🥃 Bowmore
Frequently asked questions
Is Strathisla really the oldest distillery in Scotland?
Whiskypedia calls it the oldest registered one, licensed in 1786; The Glenlivet's page also writes about the oldest operating one. Glen Garioch is sometimes named too, so "oldest" depends on what you count.
Who owns Strathisla?
Chivas Brothers, a division of Pernod Ricard, since 2001. Before that, from 1950, it was owned by Seagram.
How are Strathisla and Chivas Regal connected?
According to Whiskypedia, Strathisla is one of the main sources of whisky for Chivas Regal.
How many stills are there at the distillery?
Four: two for the first distillation of 13,500 litres each and two for the second of 11,900 litres each.
When was the name changed to Strathisla?
In 1951. Before that it was called Milltown and then Milton.
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
🥃 Allt-a-Bhainne · 🥃 Scapa · 🥃 Glen Elgin · 🥃 Glengyle · 🥃 Knockdhu · 🥃 Glenfarclas
⚠️ 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
- 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)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Strathisla (Keith, licensed 1786 as Milltown, renamed Strathisla 1951, Seagram 1950-2001, four stills, Broomhill/Cossburn water, 2.4 mlpa, Craigduff)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): The Glenlivet (page lists Strathisla as the oldest operating distillery; Chivas Brothers)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)