It’s hard to imagine a time when whisky was treated like n illegal drug. Its making was considered a violation of English laws and Scotch whisky was an underground business. However, King George IV was a notorious whisky fan.
During a tour of Scotland, he was impressed by its whisky distillers and introduced the Excise Act in 1823. It set licensing fees for stills, defined duty levels, and allowed warehouses to store whisky. These six distilleries all received their licenses that year – The Glenlivet, The Macallan, Fettercairn, Miltonduff, Cardhu, and Balmenach. This year, 2024, they are celebrating 200 years.
Miltonduff – Oldest Blended Scotch Whisky
Speyside-based distillery Miltonduff, known for being part of many great blended Scotches, including Ballantine’s, has released its oldest single malt to celebrate its bicentennial year – a 41-year-old whisky matured in Sherry oak casks.
According to a report published in the BBC, Pernod Ricard made a substantial investment in Miltonduff to increase its production capacity. “Miltonduff’s expansion will consist of a new “sustainable distillery” built next to the existing facility. The distillery, which will include a bio plant and evaporator, will add 10 million liters of alcohol per year to total production capacity.”
In 2005, Pernod Ricard bought the distillery and it is now operated under their subsidiary Chivas Brothers.
Cardhu – Scotch Whisky By Women
Cardhu celebrated both its bicentennial year and International Women’s Day this year with a limited edition 12-year-old single malt.
A first for the distillery, this expression was aged exclusively in ex-wine casks, which evoke fresh berry notes and blackcurrants on the nose, as well as cinnamon spices, demerara sugar, and dark chocolate on the palate.
Helen and Elizabeth Cumming were Cardhu’s ‘original female pioneers’. The bottle’s packaging depicts Helen with a red flag, which she allegedly waved to alert nearby distillers to hide their illicit stills.
Cardhu distillery manager Roselyn Burnett said: “Cardhu has a history of pioneering women at its forefront, something unheard of when the distillery began 200 years ago. It took innovation and courage to go against the grain in the way the Cumming family did, and with this in our heritage it was only right we did something bold to celebrate such an anniversary.”
Balmenach – The Best Is Yet to Come
As the last distillery on our list to celebrate its bicentennial, Balmenach hasn’t announced any events or special releases, but after all, it isn’t the end of the year yet. The welcome note on their About Us page may explain why.
“We don’t do things like other gin makers. Since 2009, Caorunn Gin has been handcrafted in small batches at Balmenach Distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Our unique blend of 5 handpicked Celtic botanicals & 6 classic gin botanicals are distilled in the world’s only working Copper Berry Chamber to extract maximum flavour.“That’s not just ingenious, that’s Gin Genius. If you ever needed another excuse to visit the beautiful Speyside region of the Scottish Highlands, this is it. Not only is our home Balmenach Distillery set in a spectacular backdrop, but our guided tour takes you on a journey to learn firsthand how our Copper Berry Chamber distillation process sets us apart from the rest.”
With the Speyside producer being one of the region’s ‘most traditional’ distilleries, it employs small stills and worm tub condensers, yielding a heavier, ‘meatier’ character that is valued in blends.
Earlier this year, owner International Beverage Holdings completed a ‘ambitious’ £5.25 million upgrade of the distillery, making it the world’s most sustainable whisky distillery.
