GlenAllachie, originally built in 1967 during the whisky boom, was primarily used for blending, particularly by Chivas Brothers. The distillery is known for its light profile, typical of many 1960s distilleries, with malty undertones and delicate fruitiness. However, under the ownership of The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, led by Billy Walker, the whisky’s character has evolved. The new team extended fermentation times, which enhanced the fruitiness and added a more muscular quality to the spirit.
One significant shift in production is the introduction of peated runs, which now account for 20% of the distillery’s output, though peated GlenAllachie expressions will not appear on shelves for several years.
The distillery was designed by William Delmé-Evans, who also created Macduff, Tullibardine, and Jura. Over the years, GlenAllachie went through various ownership changes. Initially built by Mackinlays, it was acquired by Invergordon Distillers in 1985, and later sold to Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard. It was rarely seen as a single malt bottling, with notable exceptions in Chivas Brothers’ Cask Strength series.
In 2017, GlenAllachie was sold to The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, which set about rebranding the distillery and positioning it as a producer of “big,” fruity malts. The distillery launched its first core range of single malts in 2018, following the release of six single cask bottlings earlier that year.
