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Deep in colour, rich in flavour.

Nestled in the Valley of Forgue, deep in the East Highland Hills, is The GlenDronach Distillery, one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. We have been dedicated to creating the finest, richly-sherried Single Malts for almost 200 years.

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The hallmark of our craft is the marriage of robust Highland spirit with the finest Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía in Spain.

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Glendronach Distillery

Take a look around one of Scotland's oldest working distilleries and discover the history and traditions of single malt whisky.

From its home in the Highlands, The GlenDronach Distillery has been creating the finest richly sherried malts for nearly 200 years. When visiting the distillery, a truly memorable experience is guaranteed, as is the warmth of a real highland welcome.

Take part in a tasting experience or enjoy a dram from the distillery tasting bar, exploring the Glendronach archives or sample a curated whisky flight of latest releases. 

Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.30 until 4.30

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Glendronach Distillery

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The Glendronach Distillery is about one of the oldest you can see in Scotland. This Aberdeenshire distillery is situated in an environment full of the artistic beauty of nature; gardens, castles as well as the beautifully erected visitors’ centre.

For almost 2 centuries, this highland distillery has produced sherried malt whisky and given its visitors the experience of a lifetime – exposing them to the warmth of the highland and the processes involved in the making of the so much loved malts.

So, do you want to learn about the history of this great place? Book a tour and let one of the experienced and knowledgeable tour guides give you value for your money.

The site is open to visitors all year.

• Listing categories Amateur / Connoisseur
• Location / Region Highlands
• Website https://www.glendronachdistillery.com

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On The Scotch Whisky Trail: Glendronach, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh

I’m going to bring you something so quintessentially Scottish today.  It’s branching out a bit for me (as I’ve been squarely in the winery and brewery world), but today we’re going to talk scotch.  Specifically, visiting distilleries in Scotland.  Whether you like scotch or not (I’m kind of “eh”), I think at least one scotch distillery is an itinerary must!

I’d spent 10 days exploring Scotland’s Highlands and islands previously, but that trip had completely missed this corner of the country, so I was excited to see what Aberdeenshire had to offer.  And my main reason for visiting (due to work) was to experience a few single-malt whisky distilleries in Scotland.

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Full disclosure, I work for Brown-Forman, who owns these three scotch distilleries, which is why I was in Scotland and had the opportunity to visit them.  However, there’s no relationship between the distilleries and this blog, and they don’t endorse me or the blog in any way.  All opinions are, as always, completely my own!

Scotch distilleries to visit in the Aberdeenshire area

I was visiting Glendronach , BenRiach , and Glenglassaugh on this trip.  Those were for work, and all three together gives you great diversity in scenery, taste, and experience.  Note, as of 2024 I’m not sure Glenglassaugh is allowing tours any more.

I had a handful of other options on my to-do list, depending on time.  Unfortunately I ran out of time, but if you are able you should definitely check out Macallan’s new, massive, state-of-the-art distillery—people rave about it.  Both Glenfiddich and Glenlivet also get great reviews, and the Speyside Cooperage would be a unique visit if you haven’t been to a working cooperage before.

I’ve plotted them on a map to give you an idea of where they are in relation to each other.  This would be 3-4 days to do it all well, and that’s if you weren’t going to other tourist spots.

For renting a car, I always search in a few different places and compare both the prices and specific offerings/benefits.  My go-to’s are  DiscoverCars ,  RentalCars.com , and  AutoEurope as well.

Other Scottish adventures from this trip:

What to Do with a Day in Aberdeen

Visiting Scotch Whisky Distilleries:  Glendronach, BenRiach, & Glenglassaugh

Discovering a Secret Scottish Castle Ruin on a Sea Cliff

Beautiful Bow Fiddle Rock On Scotland’s Aberdeenshire Coast

19 Of The Best Places To Visit In Scotland

…and  how to plan an epic 10-day Scotland road trip  itinerary!

Glendronach Distillery

After a rainy and chilly evening in Aberdeen, I awoke to…a rainy and chilly morning as I headed out to Glendronach for the first of my scotch distillery visits.

It’s an easy drive, about 45 minutes to an hour, and I rolled up just in time for my tour.  Yvonne was my guide for the morning, and we started out braving the rain and chill for about a half hour.

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This distillery dates back to 1826, and had quite a few ups and downs in its early years (and more recently, like in the 1990s).  Some of the buildings are really cool and old, and I got to do my tasting in one of them.

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Glendronach is considered a Highland single malt, and is known for its sherry cask maturation process.  As someone new to scotch and who is struggling to adjust my palate to it (I’m more of a bourbon girl), Glendronach’s sherried whisky is a little more up my alley than strong peated ones from, say, Islay.

Pro tip:   I’ve learned this through my work, but pairing certain strong cheese with these particular whiskies can really help someone who’s not a huge scotch fan get a little more comfortable with it.  Think a blue cheese, a manchego, etc.

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Benriach Distillery

I sneakily changed into more appropriate clothing and footwear in the car, then hit the road again to get to Benriach.  I stopped at Dean’s (of shortbread fame) for some warm and creamy cullen skink (fish soup), fish and chips, and a Victoria sandwich cake.

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Benriach doesn’t do regular walk-up tours, but because interest is so high they’ve begun offering a special tour on Tuesdays and Thursdays (but you do need to book ahead).

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One of the coolest things to see at BenRiach is the malting floor.  It’s one of only two scotch distilleries with working floor maltings in the Speyside region.  I think once a year if you time it right you’d be able to actually see the malting in action (but I’m not positive they let tours see it…you’d have to confirm).

BenRiach has some really interesting single malts, and often makes both a peated and unpeated version of each age statement.  What’s nice is that the peated whiskies here are SO different than the crazy smoky ones from Islay.

The Speyside peat is a lot mellower (and doesn’t have that sea brine-y flavor), so it makes the resulting whisky much more palatable to a newbie like me who doesn’t really like peat.

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Glenglassaugh Distillery

I spent a lovely night at the Craigellachie hotel near Benriach (more on that later), and then woke up to a gorgeous blue-skied morning.  Such a change from the cold and drippy day before!

I’d carved out time to go see Elgin Cathedral and Bow Fiddle Rock beforehand, and then got to Glenglassaugh for a 11:00am tour.

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What’s so unique about Glenglassaugh is its coastal location…right overlooking this gorgeous bay at Sandend.  The location is not only stunning, but provides unique flavors to the coastal single malts—very unique for distilleries in Scotland!

Is this not the prettiest distillery view you can imagine?!

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I got to chat with the lovely Mike, who was filling barrels and rolling them with INSANE accuracy out the door (blind) to a moving forklift who came along and caught it.  It was like a crazy choreographed dance.

Then I went inside for my tasting and got to try a few older ones as well.  Jill was my tour guide for both my scotch distillery tours at Benriach and Glenglassaugh, and she’s incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.  She also recommended a wonderful nearby lunch spot, which made my day.

So there’s my real intro to scotch single malt whisky.  I’m still trying to develop a palate for it, but that didn’t matter—the experiences of visiting these distilleries in Scotland was awesome regardless!

Tips for visiting (Highland) distilleries in Scotland

• You can grab a nice quick lunch at the Dean’s shortbread factory
• If you’re near Glenglassaugh, it is 100% worth your time to find The Old Kirk Cafe & Bistro
• Craigellachie Hotel is lovely and very central!
• I also stayed in the Sandman Signature in Aberdeen on my first and last nights, and it was delightful

Other craft high-proof adventures you’ll love:

• Visiting Louisville’s Rabbit Hole Distillery
• A Tour At Ireland’s Clonakilty Distillery…Prompting An Impromptu Trip To Galley Head
• Exploring Beer & Wine Country in Nelson, NZ
• Whiskey, History, & Rock ‘N’ Roll At Ireland’s Slane Distillery & Castle
• History & Bourbon At Louisville’s Old Forester Distillery

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Comments (2)

August 21, 2019 at 6:12 pm

So beautiful! I did get to go to England, Scotland and Ireland and was tickled at how every excursion in Ireland the guide told us they tried to teach the Scottish how to make good whiskey but they wouldn’t listen! Didn’t tour any pubs or breweries but it was all amazing.

August 22, 2019 at 1:20 am

Ha! I’ve done some Irish whiskey tours too, and a good complex Irish whiskey is a bit more to my taste 🙂

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GlenDronach Distillery

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The New Visitor Centre Experience at The GlenDronach Distillery

The GlenDronach Distillery has announced the completion of its newly renovated prestige visitor experience at the heart of the Highland Single Malt’s historic distillery in Aberdeenshire.

Founded in 1826 by James Allardice, The GlenDronach distillery has long been established as the home of the rich and full-bodied Single Malt Scotch Whisky, slowly matured in Spanish sherry casks.

Inspired by a rich heritage and craftsmanship, the enhanced visitor’s centre offers a new tasting room, whisky bar, lounge area and retail space.

The design draws inspiration from the distillery’s historic buildings, some of which date back as far as 1771, as well as the rich colour and flavour profiles of The GlenDronach itself.

The original natural stone walls are complemented by rich wood tones, marble, leather, understated brass accents and warm lighting, creating an inviting environment in which to explore and enjoy The GlenDronach .

The elevated visitor’s centre also displays a rich collection of both rare and historic GlenDronach expressions, including the distillery’s oldest bottle, which was bottled in 1913 just before the outbreak of WWI.

Visitors will be able to explore the new tasting bar, which will offer a selection of GlenDronach flights and drams alongside tea, coffee and other non-alcoholic refreshments.

The distillery-exclusive Hand Fill gives GlenDronach connoisseurs a rare opportunity to fill, seal, label and sign their own cask strength bottle of The GlenDronach from a choice of two sherry casks.

This is the first refurbishment of the visitor’s centre since Brown-Forman purchased The GlenDronach distillery in 2016. This recent investment has created six new jobs in the Scottish Northeast region to welcome the growing number of whisky tourists to the historic Huntly-based distillery in the Highland whisky region.

The space has been designed by expert brand home designers 1751, alongside Ross McNally from Glasgow-based design consultancy Scarinish Studio.

Welcoming the opening of the enhanced visitor centre experience, The GlenDronach Distillery’s Homeplace Manager, Jennifer Proctor, said, “James Allardice was both a visionary entrepreneur and a warm and welcoming host, often inviting friends and neighbours into his home to share a dram of his ‘guid GlenDronach’.

“Our vision was to carry forth his hospitality and to bring the traditional craftsmanship of The GlenDronach to life, creating the perfect experience for our visitors to immerse themselves in the distillery’s rich heritage and our Highland Single Malts.

Everything has been designed around the guest experience, from the striking circular table in our tasting room to the comfortable leather lounge area.

“With a range of tours also available, we look forward to welcoming everyone from the whisky curious to experienced aficionados to fully explore the home of The GlenDronach’s rich and full-bodied Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.”

Visit The GlenDronach Distillery visitor centre and gift shop, with guided tours running regularly throughout the day or enjoy a dram at the whisky-tasting bar. The Visitor Centre is open from 10 am – 4:30 pm, seven days a week.

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The glendronach distillery.

The GlenDronach Distillery, Forgue, Huntly, AB45 6DB

Take a look around one of Scotland's oldest working distilleries and discover the history and traditions of single malt whisky.

Nestled among outstanding scenery and an unspoilt environment, the distillery is located within an area containing an abundance of visitor attractions, castles and gardens.

From its home in the Scottish Highlands, The GlenDronach Distillery has been creating the finest richly sherried malts for nearly 200 years. When visiting the distillery, a truly memorable experience is guaranteed, as is the warmth of a real highland welcome.

Our well informed tour guides will unravel the mysteries of the whisky tradition and will give a rare and inspiring insight into the personality and history of this unique distillery.

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Glendronach distillery

Glendronach whisky, how does glendronach single malt taste, production:, recommendations.

Glendronach has been on of the top sherry cask single malt Scotch whiskies in recent years. The bottlings of Glendronach not only serve as ideal representatives of the high-quality Highland style whiskies, but also inspire above all through their outstanding barrel management. Try the Glendronach 12 Years, our price-performance winner!

Like many Scottish distilleries, Glendronach’s name arises from a combination of the Gaelic word ‘Glen’ and the Dronach Burn from which it drawns its water. ‘Dronach’ translates as ‘bramble’ or blackberries, so the name the distillery name translated into ‘Valley of the blackberries’.

Glendronach is a distillery in Scotland in the eastern Highlands, which regularly delights and impresses fans of sherry cask whiskies. The distillery is postcard worthy, located in Aberdeenshire, in the middle of barley fields and featuring the classic Doig pagoda roof. The days when all employees of the distillery, from managers to cleaning staff, together with their families, lived and worked on the premises are now over, but the numerous surviving historic buildings, several of which are listed, testify to this once strong community spirit. None more than former managers residence the Georgian Glen House built in 1771, in which features 12 guest rooms for visitors and which is said to be haunted….

The GlenDronach Distillery has a spacious visitor center with an attached shop. Various tours of the production facilities are offered daily from here, which of course end with the tasting of a few ‘wee drams’.

Glendronach whiskies are known for their strong sweet Sherry aroma. The whisky is generally very round, have a full body and a lot of christmas cake notes. Other typical tasting notes include malt, orange, tobacco, vanilla and plums.

How is Glendronach whisky produced?

The production of Glendronach single malt is very manual and value is placed on tradition. It’s fair to say the distillery is not one to jump at innovation or new technology. Their Boby Mill , in which the malt is ground, has been in operation for over 100 years, Glendronach still uses traditional wooden wash backs, and the distillery was one of the last to abandon on site maltings in 1996 and their copper stills were still coal fired until 2005.

Glendronach obtains their barley process from surrounding farms usually the Optic and Concerto varieties. The water for the mash and the reduction of the whiskies comes from the Dronac Burn, which flows through the distillery. As a rule the fermentation of whiskey should not be less than 48 hours, Glendronach is far from this lower limit as their fermentation runs between 60 and 90 hours.

Glendronach has four traditional copper stills, two Wash stills and two spirit stills with an annual production capacity of 1.3 million litres. According to Alan McConnochie the Glendronach the shape of their stills creates very a little reflux. Which, among other things, results in a strong, oily spirit.

Glendronach has three traditional ‘Dunnage Warehouses’, but all doors of the warehouses are equipped with a flood barrier to prevent the risk of flooding from ‘The Dronach’. By far more barrels slumber in the ‘Racked Warehouses’ in which the barrels can be stored high on many floors. Under these conditions, excellent, round and complex whiskies are created. With all its whisky, Glendronach dispenses with artificial color additives to preserve its natural flavors and the full character. Since it was taken over by the BenRiach Company the whisky has been matured exclusively in sherry casks. Until 2021 Glendronach also bottled without chill-filtration, an unforunate recent development.

Glendronach sets a high standard in the Scotch whisky scene with its 12-year-old single malt. The Glendronach 12 years matured in a combination of Sherry casks, some that previously contained Pedro Ximenez and others that housed Oloroso Sherry. Thus, it has taken over the best of these sherry varieties and is a a sweet treat with flavors of brown sugar, fine Amarena cherry and abundant spice notes. The price-performance ratio is also true for the Glendronach 12 years.

Even in their more upscale segment, Glendronach works hard to inspire. The Glendronach 18 years of Allardice is probably one of the most intense and spicy Malt whiskies of its age. Full maturation in Oloroso Sherry casks and it shows. Powerful aromas of liquorice, dates and tobacco dominate this malt whisky. The Allardice, as well as its older sibling the 21 Parliament are highly recommened.

The Glendronach distillery was founded by James Allardice (also spelt Allardyce and Allardes) in 1826 and quickly became famous amoung the London aristocracy. Sadly tragedy struck in 1837 and the distillery was all but destroyed by fire but was immediately rebuilt. James Allardice went bankrupt in 1842 and the distillery passed through numerous hands until the 1920s.

Glendronach’s premises and its licenses were purchased in 1852 by Walter Scott, the former distillery manager of the Teaninich. In 1887 it was acquired by a Leith blending partnership who went ino administration in 1916. In 1920 Captain Charles Grant the son of Major William Grant, the founder of Glenfiddich acquired the distillery. The Grant family well-maintained and operated Glendronach for decades until it was sold in 1960 to William Teachers & Sons. The distillery’s premises were renovated and two extra stills were installed, and production capacity was doubled up.

Glendronach was acquired by Allied Distillers in 1976 when the latter purchased Teacher’s. In 1991, it was released as two 12-year-old expressions – one aged in ex-Bourbon, one in ex-Sherry – a real innovation for the time, but the brand never received any serious backing. The distillery was then mothballs in 1996.

In 2002 production was resumed, then Allied Distillers was taken over by Pernod Ricard in 2005. In 2005 Glendronach, one of the last coal fire hold outs, was converted to steam heating. Some reports attribute this change to EU legislation though I’ve been unable to confirm the accuracy of this.

Ultimately the brand strategists at Pernod Ricard, however, were of the opinion that Glendronach did not fit into tht Group’s overall strategy. A great luck to the whisky world then followed in the sale of the distillery in 2008 to Benriach Distillery Co. Ltd., led by Bill Walker and his two South African partners.

Walker, who had already revived the Speyside distillery Benriach, set a lot to restore the old glory of Glendronach. He changed the focus of the distillery and transitioned the whisky from Bourbon to emphasis on Sherry casks. The current success and popularity among fans proved this decision right. In 2016, Brown Forman, the American group, acquired the three distilleries Benriach, Glenglassaugh and Glendronach for £285m. Billy Walker continues his work at GlenAllachie in Scotland.

Glendronach factsheet

Glendronach timeline:.

1826 : Founded by the Glendronach Distillery Co. partnership headed by James Allardes, the son of a local landowner (allardyce)

1837 : Distillery burnt down due to neglecting of the management of the distillery by Allardes

1842 : John Allardes went bankrupt

1852-80 : Company acquired by Walter Scott (ex-manager at Teaninich) managing partner (jointly with Alexander Ross c.1860-78)

1887 : Taken over by a Leith partnership

1916 : Acquired by the Crown

1920 : Acquired by Captain Charles Grant, younger son of William Grant of Glenfiddich and remained in that branch of Grant family control until 1960

1960 : The distillery was sold by George Grey Grant to William Teacher & Sons Ltd., which doubled the production capacity while preserving the traditional way of production, as old-fashioned floor maltings (much of the barley used is grown locally), Oregon Pine washbacks, a peat-fired drying kiln, and four coal-fired stills. The whisky, bottled as a single malt by the owner, matured at the distillery using sherry casks

1966 : Extended from two to four stills, coal-firing. Floor malting. Still licensed to the Glendronach Distillery Co. Ltd.

1976 : William Teacher & Sons Ltd. became part of the Allied Breweries group and the distillery is now operated by the Teacher (Distillers) Ltd.

1981 : Allied Breweries became Allied Lyons plc.

1994 : Allied Lyons becomes Allied Domecq PLC in September 1994

1996 : Distillery closed

2002 : Distillery reopened to allow for stock adjustments, floor maltings are used for the last time

2004 : Owned by Allied Distillers Ltd.

2005 : Allied Domecq was taken over by Pernod Ricard in 2005, Coal firing was converted to steam heating due to EU exhaust gas regulations.

2008 : Acquired by Benriach Distillery Co. Ltd. led by Bill Walker

2016 : Sold to Brown Forman along with Benriach & Glenglassaugh

2021 : Glendronach introduces chill filtration

Interesting Glendronach links:

Glendronoch go chill filtered

Can I tour Glendronach?

Yes Glendronach distillery is tourable. On Trip Advisor the distillery has been rated as excellent by 140 of 171 tours to date. This gives Glendronach an overall rating of 4.5

Latest reviews

We visited Glendronach distillery while staying in the area. Unfortunately no tours were available due to Covid restrictions but tasting flights were available. We had the Classic Core and Chocolate Pairing flights. Four malts with paired chocolates which we thoroughly enjoyed. Special thanks to Sandra for looking after us.

My father and I visited in mid February and absolutely loved our experience. It helps that Glendronach is my favorite single malt, but even if that weren't the case, I still would strongly recommend stopping here. We did the "Connoisseur's Tour" which consisted of a detailed tour of the distillation facilities along with stories and history of the distillery, a visit to the barrel house, and a tasting of 6 products in their beautiful tasting room. We were the only ones on the tour, and as expected, the whisky was fantastic, but we were also thoroughly impressed with the quality of the tour and true love that our guide has for their product. We were presented with 12, 15, 18, 21 yr drams, as well as two special releases, a 1993 Master Vintage bottling and a 1994 handfill cask. We could not have been happier and this was most certainly one of the best parts of our visit to Scotland. Don't come to the region without stopping here!

Our host Yvonne gave a warm welcome. We had a good tour through the distillery and a very relaxing tasting afterwards. We learnd a lot from her and therfore a big hug from Michel, Eric and Monique 😘

White Peak»

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Glendronach

Glendronach was founded in the year 1826 by James Allardes. It is located near the city of Huntly in the Scottish Speyside.

The Speyside distillery of Glendronach has quite an extensive range of official bottlings for enthusiasts to choose from. Their collection includes a 12 year old, 15 year old, 18 year old, 21 year old, 24 year old, a Cask Strength bottling, and Wood Finishes Bottlings. The range is relatively new, having been started with the relaunch of the 12 year old Original in 2009, which was accompanied by the return of the 15 and 18 year old bottlings. There aren’t too many independent bottlings at the distillery, although there have been a few by Whisky Galore and Signatory Vintage.

Glendronach has a long history of being associated with the Teachers and Ballantine Blends, in which it is still a major component today. When Pernod Ricard acquired the site, Glendronach was also used as a component in Chivas Regal, although this relationship has since been suspended.

The Production

The distillery’s production capacity, standing at 1.3 million liters, is relatively small, especially in comparison to its other Speyside neighbors. The distillery draws its water from the Dronach burn, which lies in the site’s grounds. Along with Glenfarcas and Springback, Glendronach was one of the last distilleries in Scotland to cease using the method of coal firing its stills, which is a pretty impressive feat. 

The Pot Stills

Glendronach has two wash stills and two spirit stills. The wash stills both have a capacity of 13’635 liters, while both the spirit stills have a capacity of 6’800 liters. Both the wash and the spirit stills have reflux bowls located within the intermediate section of the stills, which increases the quality of the raw Whisky. The stills all have a traditional Speyside shape, with a wide, rounded spherical lid, and tall conical neck. 

As well as being one of the last distilleries to coal-fire their pot stills, Glendronach was also one of the last distilleries to stop using their own floor maltings, only decommissioning them in 1996. The distillery also used coal and peat to dry the malted barley. Because Glendronach used this combination, the spirit that was distilled was relatively peaty for a Speyside Single Malt. Since it’s mothballing in 1996, the distillery has bought unpeated maltings from an industrial source, which has therefore altered its taste. 

Glendronach has six on-site warehouses, three dunnage and three racked. The distillery only uses Sherry casks of extremely high quality to age its Single Malt. Immediately after Ricard’s take-over of the site, the distillery began to use ex-Bourbon casks, which caused an outrage among Glendronach fans. More recently the distillery has returned to using Sherry casks, as Glendronach purists worldwide breathe sighs of relief.

The History

A consortium headed by James Allardice in 1826 founded Glendronach. Just one century after production launched, most of the distillery was destroyed in a fire. After the rebuild, Water Scott took control of the distillery in 1852. Following Walter Scott’s death in 1887, Glendronach was taken over by a consortium from Leith. In 1920, Charles Grant, the son of the founder of the Glenfiddich distillery, bought Glendronach, and re-launched production three months later. Production went on successfully under the management of the Grant family for the next forty years, until William Teacher & Sons purchased the site. Teacher & Sons increased the number of stills at the site from two to four in 1966, and in 1976, a visitor’s centre was opened at the distillery. The distillery prospered and was critically acclaimed, proved by the fact that in 1991, Glendronach was chosen as one of a select few in Allied Distiller’s Caledonian Malts collection. After Allied Distillers acquired the distillery, it was mothballed. 

Fortunately, production was re-launched in 2002. More recently, the distillery has returned to its roots, becoming an independent distillery again in 2008, when the site was bought by the Benriach Company. Under its new management, Glendronach has continued to go from strength to strength, embracing its traditional methods, and continuing to expand it’s range. 

Visitor’s Centre

Glendronach has a visitor’s centre that includes a gift shop with an extensive collection of Glendronach merchandise and official bottlings. The distillery also offers a range of tours of the facilities, which have been acclaimed for their informative nature. Like many other distilleries in Scotland, Glendronach has reacted to the increasing number of distillery tourists and expanded 2020 its visitor center. A special highlight for whisky fans is always the possibility to purchase a Hand Fill. Here at Glendronach they also offer to fill your own bottle of Glendronach Whisky from a csdk.

The Glendronach Distillery Forgue by Huntly Aberdeenshire AB5 4  6DB Tel: +44 (0)131-4562672 Email:  info@ remove-this. glendronach.co.uk  

User Notes about the Distillery

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The GlenDronach Unveils Shiny Renovated Visitor Center

• by Nino Kilgore-Marchetti
• March 3, 2020

The GlenDronach distillery, located in Scotland’s Highlands Scotch whisky region and founded by one James Allardice in 1826, offers up a popular visitor experience for dram loving tourists to that area. Those behind this whisky making facility have now decided to up the game a little bit, unveiling a newly renovated visitor experience with a design that’s said to draw from a number of inspirations.

The newly updated The GlenDronach visitor center, according to those behind it, is said to draw inspiration from “distillery’s historic buildings, some of which date back as far as 1771, as well as the rich color and flavor profiles of The GlenDronach itself.” To that end the original stone walls have been complimented with “rich wood tones, marble, leather, understated brass accents and warm lighting” to create a more inviting environment.

Perhaps more interestingly, the visitor center also “displays a rich collection of both rare and historic GlenDronach expressions, including the distillery’s oldest bottle which was bottled in 1913 just before the outbreak of WWI. ”

“James Allardice was both a visionary entrepreneur and a warm and welcoming host, often inviting friends and neighbours into his home to share a dram of his ‘guid GlenDronach’,” said The GlenDronach Distillery’s Homeplace Manager, Jennifer Proctor, in a prepared statement. “Our vision was to carry forth his hospitality and to bring the traditional craftsmanship of The GlenDronach to life, creating the perfect experience for our visitors to immerse themselves in the distillery’s rich heritage and our Highland Single Malts.

“Everything has been designed around the guest experience, from the striking circular table in our tasting room to the comfortable leather lounge area. With a range of tours also available, we look forward to welcoming everyone from the whisky curious to experienced aficionados to fully explore the home of The GlenDronach’s rich and full-bodied Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.”

Those looking to try The GlenDronach whiskies will be in luck, being able to enjoy “the new tasting bar, which will offer a selection of GlenDronach flights and drams, alongside tea, coffee and other non-alcoholic refreshments. The distillery-exclusive Hand Fill gives GlenDronach connoisseurs a rare opportunity to fill, seal, label and sign their own cask strength bottle of The GlenDronach from a choice of two sherry casks. “

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