Aultmore Distillery

Alexander Edward founded Aultmore in 1895, originally powering the distillery by waterwheel before switching to a steam engine that would run for seven decades. In 1898 the distillery was expanded and production doubled. In 1899, following a brief period under Pattisons Ltd — a company that went spectacularly bankrupt the same year in the "Pattison Crash" that shook the entire Scotch whisky industry — the distillery briefly closed. It reopened around 1904, only to close again during World War I owing to barley shortages.

In 1923 John Dewar & Sons acquired Aultmore for £20,000. In 1925 it passed to The Distillers Company Limited and in 1930 to Scottish Malt Distillers. In the 1950s Aultmore was among the first distilleries in Scotland to use draff (the spent grain byproduct of distillation) as animal feed. Malting floors closed in 1968. The distillery was completely rebuilt and expanded with two additional stills in 1970–71. In 1998 Bacardi acquired John Dewar & Sons (including Aultmore) from Diageo. The first official 12-year-old bottling was released in 2004. The aultmore.com website redirects to Bacardi corporate pages rather than a dedicated distillery site.

Water is drawn from the Auchinderran burn, which drains the moorland and hill country around Keith. The distillery runs two wash stills and two spirit stills, with an annual capacity of 2.1 million litres of pure alcohol. Aultmore uses unpeated malt and a production regime deliberately managed to deliver a clean, light spirit. Maturation is primarily in ex-bourbon American oak casks. The historic steam engine — the original power source used for seventy years — is preserved on site.

Aultmore is exceptionally clean and light in character, with prominent notes of fresh-mown hay, green apple, lemon grass, and floral citrus. The spirit is deliberately managed to achieve this grassy, floral profile — unusual even within the diverse Speyside spectrum. With age, gentle vanilla, pear drop, and honeyed cereal develop. A dry, slightly herbal finish is characteristic. The 12 Year Old is the accessible introduction; the 18 Year Old shows more developed oak and spice; the 25 Year Old is a rare premium expression.

Not open to regular public visits. No dedicated visitor centre. The distillery may participate in the Spirit of Speyside Festival (held annually in May). Check with the festival organisers for access opportunities.