Dalwhinnie

Founded at the end of the 19th century (established in 1897, production began in 1898), the site originally opened as Strathspey Distillery. Throughout the 20th century it passed through several owners; from the DCL/United Distillers era it is now part of the Diageo group. Dalwhinnie entered the 'Classic Malts' selection in the late 1980s and, in addition to production, has operated a visitor centre since the early 1990s.

Production focused on a gentle, approachable single malt, emphasizing the purity of local spring water and traditional methods to achieve a soft aromatic profile with notes of honey, heather and a touch of light smoke.

Village of Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands (Cairngorms / Drumochter Pass). The site is at high elevation; for geographic reasons the distillery is sometimes also associated with the Speyside region.

Dalwhinnie and its expressions (notably the Distillers Edition and the 15 Years) have received international recognition at competitions such as the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Wine & Spirit Competition (see sources for specific dates and details).

Traditional single malt process: externally malted barley, fermentation and double distillation in pot stills. Use of local spring water (Allt an T’Sluic) and maturation in oak casks; some expressions undergo double maturation/finishing (Distillers Edition). The distillery is noted for its traditional worm tubs and its dedicated wash still and spirit still setup.

Traditional pot still distillation: wash still and spirit still; condensation using worm tubs (a traditional element still in use).

Maturation in oak casks (mainly ex-bourbon/refill American oak & European oak); some expressions are double-matured/finished in Oloroso sherry casks (Distillers Edition).