History: In 2012 former IT entrepreneur and Aberdeen bar owner Michael Bain opened the Deeside brewery in Lochton of Leys. After success with the beer the team decided to extend the brewery and started plans to create an experimental distillery. In 2017 Deeside Distillery started laying down casks of spirit for the first time.
The distillery is thought to be the first new whisky distillery in the Royal Deeside area for almost 200 years. Their ethos has always been to be creative and push the boundaries with their brands, and they have quickly picked up the reputation as one of the most exciting distilleries in Scotland. The team here also show no plans of slowing their growth, and are due to move to a new two-acre site in Hill of Banchory next year. The distillery was first known as The Twin River Distillery and it looks like it will have to change its name when it moves as Scotch Whisky Association rules mean they can’t take the name with them.
The spirits: As well as making their own liqueurs they also make gin, including the world’s strongest gin, Still River Naked Gin Uncut at an eye-watering 77% ABV. However, my favourite creation is the Devils Point Rum. It is fermented, distilled and aged in Banchory in the style of Caribbean rums. It is already a big seller in my bar as more and more folk want to try Scottish brands.
Geek alert: Everyone here is extremely proud of the water they use. They say Deeside water has low mineral content, small molecular cluster size and other special properties, which in turn bring a unique quality to the flavour.
Why visit? I am not sure if the new location has plans for a visitor centre but if you are lucky enough to visit you will find one of the most exciting distilleries in Scotland producing some of the best spirits i have tasted ... and i haven’t even tried the whisky yet.
Interesting fact: In March this year the distillery announced plans to release its first single malt whisky. The team led by head distiller Liam Pennycook have produced 100 casks of whisky from the current site and have announced the sale of just 88 limited edition casks as part of the founders’ collective.
The casks will be matured on-site until 2029 to ensure the very best whisky quality, with no other single malt whisky being released before then. The hand-selected 88 founders’ casks will be available in 200l ex-Bourbon or 250l ex-Oloroso casks (if you have up to £10,000 spare to cover the price tag!).
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