Sir Alexander Ramsey, one of the pioneering campaigners for licensing in Scotch Whisky distillation – founded the Fettercairn Distillery in the year 1824, under the Grampian foothills in the Howe of Mearns. Even though one of the first to receive a legal permit to distil the spirit, Ramsey exclusively recruited illicit stillmen, having recognised only they had the knowledge required to make the best of malts.
However, the entire Fettercairn estate was soon sold off to the Gladstone family; who’s descendant William Gladstone was a four-term British Prime Minister, known for abolishing taxes on malt and Angel’s Share, and introducing legislation allowing sale of Scotch in glass bottles for the first time. Innovation stormed the whisky industry again in the later 20th century, when Fettercairn stillmen fashioned a copper tube around the top of the still to continually douse it with water – an ingenious and practical solution which remains unique in Scotch whisky-making to this day.
The distillery today offers a number of exceptional expressions, ranging from a 12-Year-Old to an extremely rare 50-Year-Old, still in pursuit of great whisky.
Region: Highland
Area: Aberdeenshire
Current Owner: Whyte and Mackay Group (Emperador Distillers Inc)
Founded : 1824
Founder : Sir Alexander Ramsay
No. of wash stills: 2
No. of spirit stills: 2
Capacity (litres): 2,200,000.00
Website: www.fettercairnwhisky.com
English