Aberfeldy distillery

The original John Dewer was born on a croft near Aberfeldy in 1806 and started work in the wine trade by 22. Thereafter the family began blending whisky and eventually founded their own distillery at Aberfeldy in 1896. Then as now the distilleries main purpose was to supply malt for the Dewar’s blend, even today the distillery visitor centre is geared around the blend rather than the distilleries own single malt.

Aberfledy like so many other distilleries passed through the hands of Scottish Malt Distillers a DCL subsidiary before being sold to Bicardi where it remains today.

Aberfeldy factsheet

Name	Pronounced	AKA	Region	Country of Origin
Aberfeldy	ahburfell*dee	Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery	Highlands	Scotland
Status	Active	Whisky Type	Website	Tours Available
Active	1896 - Present	Malt	Aberfeldy	Tour Link
Manager	Distiller	Blender	Owned by	Parent Group
	Stephanie Macleod		John Dewar & Sons

Aberfeldy Timeline:

1896: The Distillery was built on a piece of land bought by Dewar’s from the Marquis of Breadalbane

1898: The distillery comes online in November

1899: Dewar’s White Label unveiled

1917: Distillery closes as grain is redirected towards food for the rest of the war

1919: Aberfeldy resumes production

1925: Dewar’s, Buchanan’s and Johnnie Walker’s amalgamate with Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL)

1927: Dewar’s produces the worlds first documentary on the production and blending of Scotch whisky.

1930: Transferred to DCL subsidiary Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD)

1942: The distillery closes due to wartime shortages of barley

1944: Aberfeldy resumes production

1972: The distillery is largely rebuilt increasing from four to eight wash backs, two to four stills. Floor maltings are stopped and a dark grains plant is established

1973: Stills are converted to steamheating

1998: Sold to John Dewar & Sons, a subsidiary of the Bacardi Corporation

2000: Opening of Visitor Centre "Dewar’s World of Whisky" in the old maltings