Many happy returns as GlenAllachie marks birthday

A Scotch whisky firm is this week celebrating its first birthday since it was taken over by its current owners.

It’s now 12 months since Billy Walker, Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson signed the dotted line on the purchase of GlenAllachie Distillery.

The three directors, with over 100 years’ combined experience in the Scotch whisky industry, came together as the GlenAllachie Distillers Co. Limited to complete the acquisition.

They bought the GlenAllachie Distillery, MacNair’s and White Heather Blended Malts brands.

Speaking at the time, Billy said: ‘We have taken the decision to leave the big corporations to strike out on our own, independent, free from bureaucracy and financial constraints to simply focus on making great whisky and having fun.’

On 26 January this year, their own filling store was added to the distillery and the first casks were filled on site, and on 12 February added two dunnage warehouses, taking the total to 16.

Five days later, they were celebrating 50 years since the first day of production at The GlenAllachie. Master distiller Billy Walker selected six special single casks to be bottled to mark the occasion.

April saw the release of the first-ever peated spirit in The GlenAllachie’s 50 year history, while in July, they launched the first-ever GlenAllachie Core Range, comprising of 10yo Cask Strength Batch 1, 12yo, 18yo and 25yo.

MacNair’s Lum Reek

A distillery spokesman said said: ‘We have just completed our second bottling, which will be on its way to you soon. As well as our flagship 12yo, 18yo and 25yo, the 10yo Cask Strength is back by popular demand with Batch 2 (54.8%) ready to dram along with the others.

‘We’re adding a blended malt in to the mix with MacNair’s Lum Reek – a combination of peated Islay and Speyside malts, married together with older GlenAllachie then filled to specially selected casks. The casks are then matured on site at GlenAllachie until the final vatting is blended by Billy Walker.

‘We’re also excited to announce that we will soon be releasing the first batch of GlenAllachie Single Casks to markets around the world. We have a variety of ages and wood types that have all been hand selected, hand numbered and bottled at Cask Strength. Billy couldn’t wait to showcase more of the GlenAllachie spirit!’

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