This Scottish Distillery Spent Decades in the Shadows, Then Everything Changed

Some well-known Scottish distilleries have been around for centuries. Others have only existed for a fraction of that time, yet boast a reputation that commands respect. One of those whisky makers is The GlenAllachie. Join us as we delve into the past of this relatively young distillery.

For The GlenAllachie story, we don’t have to travel far back in time. We head to the foot of Ben Rinnes, near Aberlour in Scotland’s Speyside. There, in 1967, right in the middle of the whisky boom: the foundation stone was laid for a brand-new distillery: The Glenallachie (with a lowercase “a,” at the time).

It would be a new distillery for Mackinlay McPherson & Co, part of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries. The company urgently needed extra nectar of the gods, as the stuff was flying off the shelves in those days.

Architect William Delmé-Evans was commissioned to design both the buildings and the production concept for the distillery, something he had ample experience with. He had previously designed Jura and Tullibardine.

Delmé-Evans set out to create an efficient distillery. Gravity would be the main driving force on site, alongside water and fire. This forward-thinking approach made the distillery ahead of its time, enabling energy-efficient distillation when the first spirit flowed from the stills in 1968.

Demand for The Glenallachie’s spirit was immense. Capacity quickly proved too low, prompting swift action. In no time the distillery was expanded with additional stills to ramp up production, moving from two stills to four.

Then the market suddenly shifted, and what had been a whisky boom turned into a whisky loch. The global economic downturn hit whisky hard and The Glenallachie along with it.

Mackinlay McPherson was absorbed by Invergordon Distillers, and the new owner promptly decided to switch off The Glenallachie’s stills. The lights stayed on for two more years, but after that The Glenallachie was officially mothballed.

In 1989 Campbell Distillers stepped in and took over the site. The dust was cleared away and production resumed, though the distillery remained largely invisible to the public. Most of the whisky made there disappeared into blends, aside from the occasional spontaneous single malt release.

Production at the distillery remained traditional and craft-driven, with water from the Ben Rinnes dams playing a vital role. The distillery also maintained a fermentation time of around 160 hours, quite long by any standard.

The Glenallachie kept working in the shadows until the next takeover changed everything. In 2017, Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson arrived with Billy Walker. They acquired the distillery and chose a new course.

With the acquisition of The GlenAllachie, Walker gained something most whisky makers only dream of: the distillery’s entire history, resting in liquid form in the warehouses. Those warehouses held casks dating back to the 1970s.

Walker introduced a new brand identity, with a subtle change to the name. He shifted The Glenallachie to The GlenAllachie. As for the distillation process, much at The GlenAllachie stayed the same. The clear, soft water flowing from Ben Rinnes is still used, and the malted barley is still milled by the 1967 Porteus mill.

The 16-hour fermentation that yields a fruity, ester-rich spirit also remains. Even so, not everything stayed unchanged, Walker implemented a number of thoughtful refinements.

Walker is renowned for his eye for cask quality, a skill he immediately put to use at The GlenAllachie. He began by analyzing the maturing whisky and the influence of wood on the spirit.

He frequently reracks whisky into different casks and with good reason. In doing so, Walker consistently crafts balanced, multi-layered profiles for his whiskies.

In July 2018 the distillery unveiled a new core range featuring 10-, 12-, 18-, and 25-year-old single malts. A 15-year-old and a 30-year-old edition later joined the line-up. It was an immediately impressive showing for a distillery that had previously focused mainly on blend stock.

As the distillery settled into its new direction, its reputation soared. The GlenAllachie became one of Scotland’s most standout independent distilleries.

The long fermentation, traditional production methods, meticulous distillation, and above all the driven wood policy are attracting attention worldwide. Walker’s influence extends far beyond the distillery and his earlier projects he’s now making waves across the entire industry.

In 2021, he is inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame.

In 2023, The GlenAllachie unveils the fruits of a new venture: a peated whisky from The GlenAllachie distillery. The whisky goes by the name Meikle Tòir, Gaelic for “great mission” or “grand quest.”

The whisky is crafted with malt peated using St. Fergus peat, lending a floral, sweet smoke. Combined with the distillery’s long fermentation, Walker delivers a strikingly well-balanced whisky, even with the use of peat.

Smoke dances in and out alongside fruity and floral notes, complemented by the distillery’s signature honeyed character.

While whisky lovers are spoiled with this brand-new discovery, the distillery is hard at work on further innovations.

The visitor centre is getting an overhaul, including a whisky bar, a brand-new lounge, and an outdoor terrace. Tours and tastings were already available, but after the renovation there will be plenty of new experiences to discover.

The distillery did give up a workshop to make room, but now a hundred guests can enjoy a range of tastings without joining a tour. In summer, the outdoor area offers a delightful spot to savour a dram while gazing out at Ben Rinnes.

Innovation isn’t limited to the visitor centre. With a sustainability grant, the distillery is quietly staging a revolution.

The GlenAllachie is building a Mechanical Vapour Recompression system. A bit of a mouthful, but in short it’s a way to distil even more efficiently by using steam and vapour. It delivers energy savings of over 90%.

The system will be unveiled in 2025, together with the announcement that The GlenAllachie will no longer need gas. The new setup, combined with solar panels, will keep the distillery running.

The GlenAllachie has gone from a quiet contributor to blends to a distillery that’s impossible to ignore. If you ever find yourself in Speyside, this young yet iconic distillery is well worth a visit.

For more information about The GlenAllachie whisky and available tours, you can visit the distillery’s website.