Strathisla distillery

Strathisla distillery

Region: Speyside
Location	Keith, Moray, Scotland
Owner	Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard)
Founded	1786
Status	Operational
Water source	The Broomhill Spring.
No. of stills	2 wash stills 2 spirit stills
Capacity	2,400,000 litres per annum
Strathisla
Type	Single malt
Age(s)	12 Years, 14 Years, 19 Years, 25 Years
Cask type(s)	American White Oak, Ex-Bourbon Casks (Main)
ABV	40% - 43%

Strathisla distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Keith, Moray. Is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

History

Strathisla distillery was founded as the Milltown distillery by George Taylor and Alexander Milne in 1786 as an alternative to the waning of the flax dressing industry. They leased the land from the Earl of Seafield. The name "Strathisla" comes from the Strathisla River, which flows nearby, as well as the Gaelic "Strath" (meaning valley) and "Isla," the name of the river. ^[2]

By the mid-1800s, Strathisla's ownership changed several times .In 1879, the distillery suffered terribly from a fire, but was rebuilt with a bottling plant. it was later acquired in 1950 by. During the 19th century, the distillery was modernized, and production was streamlined. ^[3]

In 1950 James Barclay bought Strathisla for £71,000 at auction in behalf of Seagram Company. ^[5] Seagram subsidiary Chivas Brothers began using it as the cornerstone of their Chivas Regal blended whisky. During this time the distillery undergo significant modernization, as Strathisla upgraded its facilities and expanded its production capacity. ^[1]

In 2001, Seagram’s whisky operations, including Chivas Brothers and Strathisla, were acquired by Pernod Ricard, a global spirits company. ^[6]

Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail

The Malt Whisky Trail Map

Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail is a tourism initiative featuring seven working Speyside distilleries including Strathisla, a historic distillery (Dallas Dhu, now a museum) and the Speyside Cooperage. According to a BBC article, visitors can tour the "traditional warehouse where the single malts that make up the premium and super premium blends are stored ... [and try the] distinctive mellow honey flavour, offering a full, nutty, balanced whisky". ^[7]

• 
  Stills
• 
  Warehouse

See also

• List of distilleries in Scotland
• List of historic whisky distilleries

References

1. "The Chivas Story - Chivas Regal Whisky". Explore the Chivas Story. Chivas. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
2. ANDRE DE ALMEIDA (3 May 2017). "The World's Oldest Scotch Whisky Distillery". Inside The Cask. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
3. "Distilleries". Meldrum House. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
4. Pearson, Lynn (2016). Victorian and Edwardian British Industrial Architecture. Crowood Press. p. 95. ISBN   978-1-78500-189-5. OCLC   959428302.
5. MacLean, Charles (2013). Malt Whisky: The Complete Guide. Lomond Books. p. 158. ISBN   978-1842043424.
6. "Pernod Ricard India set to take over Seagram's local operations this week". The Financial Express. 12 February 2002.
7. Shatzman, Celia (30 April 2012). "Exploring Scotland's historic whisky trail". BBC. Retrieved 4 September 2021.

Further reading

• McBai, C. (1986). Strathisla: 200 Years of Distilling Tradition. Keith: Strathisla Distillery. ISBN   978-1-87012-500-0.

57°32′47″N2°57′15″W / 57.54649°N 2.95427°W / 57.54649; -2.95427