Aberfeldy Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 hours ago
Aberfeldy is the Perthshire distillery that Tommy Dewar and his brother built to feed the family blends, on the Pitilie Burn two miles from where their father John Dewar was born. It makes a Highland single malt, and today it belongs to John Dewar & Sons, part of Bacardi. This guide covers where it is, who owns it, how it is made, the range and how to visit.
In this guide
Summarise this guide with AI
Aberfeldy at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Distillery / brand | Aberfeldy |
Whisky region | Highland, Scotland |
Ownership (October 2026) | Bacardi, through John Dewar & Sons |
History | First spirit produced in 1898. |
Expressions to explore | Aberfeldy 12 Year Old and Aberfeldy 16 Year Old |
Visiting / editorial note | Dewar's World of Whisky is the on site visitor centre. It opened in 2000 and tells the story of the house of Dewar and of blending. |
Join the Aberfeldy whisky community poll
Which whiskies have you tried? What should Whisky Clan review next? Open the highlighted poll below, answer four quick questions and share your preferences with the community.
TAKE THE ABERFELDY COMMUNITY POLL · 4 QUICK QUESTIONS
Answer four quick questions to see real reader percentages. No account or email is required.
Where is Aberfeldy Distillery?
Aberfeldy Distillery stands on the edge of the town of Aberfeldy in Perthshire, Scotland, postcode PH15 2EB. The region is the Highlands. The distillery draws its process water from the Pitilie Burn, a stream where gold is still said to be panned.
Aberfeldy at a glance
Region: Highland, Perthshire
Founded: 1896 by John Dewar & Sons (construction began 1896, with production reported from 1898 by The Single Cask)
Owner: John Dewar & Sons, with parent company Bacardi since 1998
Stills: 4 (2 wash, 2 spirit), onion shaped
Washbacks: 10 (8 wooden, 2 steel)
Capacity: 2.7 million litres a year per ScotchWhisky.com, reported up to 3.5 million by The Single Cask
Malt: unpeated, supplied by Simpsons
Water source: Pitilie Burn
Visitor centre: Dewar's World of Whisky, opened 2000
The story of Aberfeldy
John Dewar was born in a croft at Shenvail and became a wine merchant in Perth. By the middle of the 19th century he had started to blend whisky, and it was his sons John Alexander and Tommy who made the family name known around the world.
In the 1890s the brothers decided to make their own malt whisky. They built Aberfeldy on the site of an earlier brewery, where some distilling had taken place early in the century. ScotchWhisky.com dates the start of construction to 1896. The Single Cask names the architect Charles Doig and says production began in 1898, on land taken from the Marquis of Breadalbane. A private railway line is recorded as linking the site with the firm's base in Perth.
Aberfeldy became the malt at the heart of the Dewar's blends. The distillery closed for two years from 1917 to save barley for food rations at the end of the First World War. In 1925 the Dewar's company joined the Distillers Company Limited (DCL). In 1973 the site was rebuilt and doubled in capacity with two new stills.
Who owns Aberfeldy now?
Aberfeldy is owned by John Dewar & Sons, which is part of Bacardi. In 1998 the UK Monopolies Board required the newly formed Diageo to sell the Dewar's business, and Bacardi bought it for a reported £1.1 billion. ScotchWhisky.com lists the Dewar's estate as the blends plus Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla. The Single Cask also names Macduff in the same sale.
Owner check: an earlier draft of this post followed Wikipedia, which names Diageo. Both ScotchWhisky.com and The Single Cask say Aberfeldy has been Bacardi owned since 1998, so Diageo is out of date.
How Aberfeldy is made
Mashing: lauter mash tun, with a grist weight of 7.5 tonnes per mash
Fermentation: 65 to 85 hours in a mix of wooden and steel washbacks
Distillation: two wash stills and two spirit stills, all onion shaped and steam heated
Maturation: most of the make goes into ex-Bourbon casks for the Dewar's blends, with occasional sherry cask releases
The long fermentation, slow distillation and the water of the Pitilie Burn are what the distillery and the trade sources point to when they describe the Aberfeldy house style.
The Aberfeldy range
For most of its life Aberfeldy was reserved for blending. It became a single malt brand in 1999 with the launch of Aberfeldy 12 Year Old. In 2014 John Dewar & Sons unveiled new packaging and ScotchWhisky.com reported plans for a permanent five strong range. The Single Cask says official bottlings are generally 40 to 43% ABV. We have not been able to check the current range and strengths on an official page, so check the label before you buy.
Independent bottlings are uncommon because most of the spirit goes into Dewar's. The Single Cask has bottled one Aberfeldy: cask 304501A, distilled on 4 May 2005, bottled at 19 years old at 55.5% from a refill Ruby Port barrel.
Visiting Aberfeldy
Dewar's World of Whisky is the on site visitor centre. It opened in 2000 and tells the story of the house of Dewar and of blending. ScotchWhisky.com lists opening hours of 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday from November to March and 10am to 6pm from April to October, with Sunday noon to 4pm in April to October only. Hours change, so check before you travel. The telephone number listed is +44 1887 822000.
Sources
Main sources loaded for this post: ScotchWhisky.com Whiskypedia (history, timeline, production facts, owners, contact) and The Single Cask guide dated 11 September 2026. Not found or not tried: an official Aberfeldy or Dewar's page, Whisky Advocate, Whiskybase and Whisky Magazine. Dates differ slightly between sources and both are stated above.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons.
2026 whisky awards, releases and international availability
At the 2026 International Whisky Competition, Aberfeldy Sherry Cask 25 Years Old took first place in Best Single Malt Scotch with 92.05 points. Aberfeldy Madeira Cask 12, Madeira Cask 16 and Madeira Cask 21 also placed in their respective age categories. These cask-finished bottles should not be confused with the standard core-range ages.
Aberfeldy bottle range and expression comparison
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Documented producer expression |
|---|---|---|---|
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old | Check label | Check label | Documented expression; batch and availability vary |
Aberfeldy 16 Year Old | Check label | Check label | Documented expression; batch and availability vary |
Aberfeldy 21 Year Old | Check label | Check label | Documented expression; batch and availability vary |
Aberfeldy 25 Year Old | Check label | Check label | Documented expression; batch and availability vary |
Producer and release sources document these expressions. Historical bottles may be out of production or unavailable. Bottled sourced or blended whiskey is not always entirely distilled at this site.
Bottle releases and visitor arrangements change over time; see original research and official sources.
More whisky distilleries to explore
Frequently asked questions about Aberfeldy
Where is Aberfeldy Distillery?
Aberfeldy Distillery stands on the edge of the town of Aberfeldy in Perthshire, Scotland, postcode PH15 2EB. The region is the Highlands.
Who owns Aberfeldy?
Bacardi, through John Dewar & Sons
Which Aberfeldy whisky expressions are documented?
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old, Aberfeldy 16 Year Old. This is a catalogue of documented releases, not a live stock list.
What makes Aberfeldy distinctive?
Aberfeldy is the Perthshire distillery that Tommy Dewar and his brother built to feed the family blends, on the Pitilie Burn two miles from where their father John Dewar was born.
Can visitors tour Aberfeldy?
Dewar's World of Whisky is the on site visitor centre. It opened in 2000 and tells the story of the house of Dewar and of blending.
Sources and latest checks
Whisky Clan has retained the original researched history and source notes above. The comparison table lists documented expressions, not guaranteed current stock. Please check the producer's current bottle labels for strength, cask details and availability.
Help us improve this distillery guide
Know something we should add or correct about Aberfeldy Distillery? Share verified facts, bottle releases, awards or useful sources using the form below. Newsletter subscription is optional.
If the embedded form does not display, Open the contribution form in a new tab.
Whisky producer and release source: https://www.aberfeldy.com/
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
Comments