Travel Distilled’s guide to visiting The GlenAllachie Distillery on Speyside, with a brief history of the brand and what to expect from a distillery tour.

The GlenAllachie Distillery is a renowned Scotch whisky distillery located in the heart of Speyside, Scotland. Established in 1967, it is one of the younger distilleries in Scotland but has quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality single malt whisky.

The distillery was built by Mackinlay McPherson, a subsidiary of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, and was designed by William Delmé-Evans, a prominent distillery architect of the time. The GlenAllachie was initially established to supply malt whisky for blends, but in recent years, it has gained recognition for its single malt offerings.

Where is The GlenAllachie?

The distillery is situated in Aberlour, Banffshire, near the Ben Rinnes mountain, which provides the pure water source used in its whisky production. The GlenAllachie’s location in Speyside, a region famous for its rich and fruity whiskies, contributes to the distinctive character of its spirits. The distillery operates two wash stills and two spirit stills, which are carefully managed to produce a robust and complex spirit.

What’s in a Name?

The name of the distillery and brand is The GlenAllachie. While people often refer to it simply as “Glenallachie” (or occasionally “Glenellachie,” which is a common misspelling of the actual name), the official branding and the name used by the distillery is The GlenAllachie.

The official company is The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, and their website and products consistently use the “The” prefix and capitalize the ‘A’ in GlenAllachie.

Purchase by Billy Walker

In 2017, The GlenAllachie underwent a significant change when it was purchased by Billy Walker, a legendary figure in the whisky industry, along with his partners Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson. Walker, known for his expertise in whisky blending and maturation, has since revitalized the distillery, focusing on quality over quantity.

Under his leadership, The GlenAllachie has released a range of single malt whiskies, including core expressions and limited editions, which have been highly praised by critics.

Core Expressions

The key expressions in their core single malt collection typically include:

• The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old: The most recent addition, offering a balance of Speyside honey and butterscotch notes with spice and sherry complexity.
• The GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Cask Strength: A regular batch release that is highly celebrated, bottled at natural cask strength, and showcases the distillery’s intense, sherried profile.
• The GlenAllachie 12 Year Old: Often considered the flagship of their core range, known for its notes of butterscotch, honey, and mocha, matured in a combination of Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso sherry, and virgin oak casks.
• The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old: A more sherried expression, fully matured in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso puncheons and hogsheads, delivering notes of dark chocolate and dried fruit.
• The GlenAllachie 18 Year Old: A rich, full-bodied single malt with their signature heather honey and butterscotch charm.

• The GlenAllachie 21 Year Old (Cask Strength, small batch release) and 30 Year Old (Cask Strength, small batch release) are also often listed as part of their more premium core age-statement offerings.

These whiskies are generally bottled at a high strength (often 46% ABV or cask strength), are non-chill filtered, and have natural colour, which are characteristics championed by Billy Walker.

Visiting The GlenAllachie

The GlenAllachie Distillery welcomes visitors for tours, offering a chance to explore its production process, warehouses, and tasting rooms. Tours typically include a walkthrough of the distillery, where visitors can learn about the mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation processes. The experience concludes with a tasting of The GlenAllachie’s single malt whiskies, showcasing the distillery’s craftsmanship.

Tours and Experiences

The GlenAllachie offers a variety of tour options, from standard distillery tours to more exclusive experiences, such as warehouse tastings and masterclasses led by Billy Walker himself. These tours provide an in-depth look at the distillery’s operations and the opportunity to sample rare and aged expressions.

Visiting The GlenAllachie: Contact Information

Address: The GlenAllachie Distillery, Aberlour, Banffshire, AB38 9LR, Scotland
Phone Number: +44 (0)1340 872300 
Website: theGlenAllachie.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheGlenAllachie
X: x.com/TheGlenAllachie

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