Aberfeldy Distillery

The foundation stone was laid in 1896 by John Alexander and Tommy Dewar, sons of John Dewar, on the southern bank of the River Tay near the town of Aberfeldy. The distillery was designed by leading distillery architect Charles Doig and began production in 1898. Like many Scottish distilleries it closed twice during the twentieth century due to wartime barley shortages — first from 1917 to 1919 during the First World War, and again during portions of the Second World War.

In 1925 Dewar's was absorbed into The Distillers Company Ltd (DCL), and Aberfeldy passed with it. Ownership transferred to Grand Metropolitan and then to Diageo when Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness to form Diageo in 1997. The following year, 1998, Bacardi acquired John Dewar & Sons — including Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Royal Brackla, and Macduff — from Diageo for £1.15 billion. In 1972 the distillery was enlarged with four new steam-heated stills; it now operates two wash stills (16,500 L each) and two spirit stills (15,000 L each). The Dewar's World of Whisky visitor centre opened at the site in 2000 at a cost of £3 million.

Water is sourced exclusively from the Pitilie Burn, which Wikipedia notes is used by no other Scottish distillery. The distillery runs two pairs of stills: two wash stills at 16,500 litres each and two spirit stills at 15,000 litres each, giving an annual capacity of 3.5 million litres of pure alcohol. Aberfeldy uses unpeated malt. Maturation is predominantly in ex-bourbon American oak casks, supplemented by sherry cask finishing for certain expressions. Casks mature in traditional dunnage warehouses on site.

The house style at Aberfeldy is honeyed and malty, often described as "The Golden Dram" for its warm amber colour and rounded sweetness. Heather honey is the dominant note — persistent, gently waxy, and backed by ripe barley. With age, the spirit develops vanilla cream, stewed pear, and a characteristic light spiciness from oak. The 12 Year Old is the accessible entry point; the 21 Year Old shows significantly more depth and a nutty, almost beeswax richness. Aberfeldy avoids peat entirely, making it approachable for drinkers who prefer clean, sweet Highland character.

The Dewar's World of Whisky visitor centre opened in 2000 and is the primary draw for visitors to Aberfeldy. The experience is branded as "Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery" and includes a comprehensive museum on the Dewar family's history, guided tours of the working distillery, and tutored tastings. An on-site shop stocks the full Aberfeldy and Dewar's range. An online shop is also available at shop.dewars.com. Current tour schedules and booking details are available at the official website.