GlenAllachie, a 50 year secret

The right blend of experience at this Speyside distillery is creating a stir in the world of single malt.

Nestled at the foot of Ben Rinnes lies one of the best-kept secrets in Speyside: GlenAllachie Distillery. Established in 1967, the story truly began in 2017 when the distillery was acquired from Pernod Ricard by industry legend Billy Walker and his two partners; Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson. The acquisition included not only GlenAllachie distillery and a fantastic range of aged stock, but also two historic Scotch Whisky brands; MacNair’s and White Heather. 100% Scottish owned and managed, GlenAllachie are one of the few truly independent Scotch whisky companies.

Previously used exclusively in some outstanding blended whiskies, it’s no surprise that people may not have heard of GlenAllachie as a single malt. However, with over 100 years’ whisky experience between the three partners, they knew exactly what they were doing when they embarked on this venture. What they saw was a golden opportunity; a blank canvas just waiting for the right artist.

Billy Walker is one of the most recognised characters and respected Master Blenders in the Scotch whisky industry. During his 40 year career, he has been responsible for the creation of numerous award winning whiskies, and has been involved in the acquisition and resurrection of several single malt whisky distilleries. After selling the BenRiach Distillery Company back in 2016, Billy wasn’t quite ready to retire and wasted no time in assembling a team of passionate and dedicated whisky enthusiasts to start a new journey as The GlenAllachie Distillers

Company Limited.

Company Growth

Since purchasing the distillery back in October 2017, the GlenAllachie team has grown from 7 to 19 and have been on a mission to nurture and showcase the fantastic spirit that lies deep within the 50,000 casks across the 16 warehouses. From adding a filling store and two dunnage warehouses, to the successful launch of GlenAllachie Single Malt core range and MacNair’s Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – both with a wide range of age statements - the team have been busy bringing this hidden gem back to life. The most recent accomplishment is the launch of the GlenAllachie Visitor Centre. This consists of a shop with a selection of branded merchandise and a range of whiskies, including exclusive single cask bottlings available only at the distillery. There are two types of tours available, depending on how much of the distillery visitors wish to discover: The Wee Allachie Tour (£15) and the Connoisseurs Tour (£50), which will take guests into the depths of the warehouse and includes a tutored tasting. There is also a unique opportunity to hand-fill a bottle straight from a cask.

With an exceptional range of stock readily available and a dedicated team of people with extensive experience, the future is looking very promising for GlenAllachie. This year will see the GlenAllachie range grow with the addition of a 15 year old to the core range and a limited number of Wood Finishes, as well as the revival of White Heather as a 21 year old premium blend.

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Billy Walker is one of the most recognised characters and respected Master Blenders in the Scotch whisky industry