Craigellachie Distillery is in the heart of the Speyside region, just outside the tiny hamlet of Craigellachie. Anyone who’s driven through the area has surely passed the famously open windows of the Craigellachie still house and taken note of the four shiny copper stills, as well as the red lettering of John Dewar & Sons at the top of the building.

Like many of the Speyside distilleries, Craigellachie can trace its roots to the Victorian-era whisky boom. Its location was chosen by founders Peter Mackie and Alexander Edward, both from prominent whisky families of the time, for its proximity to the Strathspey Railroad. This made receiving ingredients on site and shipping final products easier and far more economical.

Plans for the distillery were laid out by famed architect Charles Doig, with construction commencing in 1891 and production beginning several years later. Business continued to flourish, and the famed Craigellachie Hotel was built in 1893 to support whisky tourism and railway travel to the area. At the turn of the century, however, the whisky boom faded, and difficult times followed for many distilleries. 

As shrewd businessmen, Mackie and Edward kept Craigellachie operational, despite many neighboring distilleries shuttering. In 1915, Mackie purchased Edward’s share in Craigellachie and formed White Horse Distillers. Several ownership changes followed over the years, most recently with the sale of Craigellachie and other United Distillers brands to Bacardi in 1998.

Through it all, Craigellachie’s character has remained remarkably consistent, known for its distinctive fruity and waxy spirit profile. Production methods remain notably traditional, including the continued use of wooden washbacks and worm tubs, techniques that contribute to the distillery’s signature texture and depth.

Sadly, there is no visitor center at Craigellachie, but Aberfeldy Distillery, also owned by Bacardi, is open to the public and offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the brand’s whisky portfolio and sample the Craigellachie single malt range.

While Craigellachie releases official single malts across several age statements, independent bottlings provide an exciting alternative, allowing whisky lovers to discover the distillery’s fruity, waxy spirit through unique casks and age statements beyond the core range.