Aultmore

aultmore-distillery
  • Founded: 1895
  • Status: Operational
  • Region: Speyside, Scotland – Keith, Banffshire AB55 6QY +44(0)1542 881800
  • Online: n/a
Aultmore 12 yo

History It was founded in 1895 by Alexander Edward, then owner of the Benrinnes distillery. The distillery was originally powered by a waterwheel, and was soon adapted to use a steam engine instead, which ran day and night for 70 years, apart from maintenance. During maintenance hours power was provided by the mainly retired waterwheel. The steam engine is now on display at the distillery site. The distillery was expanded in 1898, and production doubled. In 1899 the distillery was owned by Pattisons which went bankrupt in that year. Production plummeted, and the distillery closed. Aultmore reopend around 1904, and closed again during World War I due to barley shortages. It reopened again after World War I ended, and was bought by John Dewar and sons in 1923. Shortly thereafter, in 1925, it was bought by Distiller Company. It changed hands again in 1930, when it was bought by Scottish Malt Distillers. The distillery was in the 1950s one of the first to use the draff, a wasteproduct of whisky production, as animal feed. The distilleries malting floors closed in 1968 and the entire distillery was rebuilt and expanded in 1970. A new spirit still and wash still were placed in addition to the two stills that were already present, and Aultmore Reopened in 1971. In 1998 the distillery was sold back to Bacardi subsidiary Dewars, which had previously owened Aultmore between 1923 and 1925. Aultmore produced their first official bottling, a 12-year-old, in 2004, after an earlier flora and fauna release, and an earlier rare malts release.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • Aultmore 12 yo Aultmore 12 Years Old (2015) - Aultmore 12 Years Old Aultmore Distillery – Bacardi 46% ABV £41.95 What they say: Born of fog, bog and brimming wee burns, a verdant nose of dewy moss and delicate flora, sweet […]
  • Aultmore 25 yo Aultmore 25 Years Old (2015) - Aultmore 25 Years Old Aultmore Distillery – Bacardi 46% ABV £295.42 What they say: Reclined in damp shorn grass, vapours of lime and baked apples, each silken sip unveiling lush vanilla and […]
Independent Bottling
Berry Bros & Rudd
Elixir Distillers
  • Aultmore-9-Years-Old-Reserve-Cask-Parcel-No4 Aultmore 9 Years Old 2011 Reserve Casks Parcel No. 4 (2021) - This small batch has slightly more depth, whether due to quality of the initial distillate or casks used is hard to determine but I certainly preferred this over the Linkwood in the same range. 82/100
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 73.60 Watching the Monaco Grand Prix from a roof terrace (2015) - Aultmore 24 Years Old 1989 73.60 Watching the Monaco Grand Prix from a roof terrace (57%, SMWS, Refill Sherry Butt, 509 Bottles, 2014) 57% ABV £92.40 Score: 88/100 What they say: Cask No. […]
  • The Whiskyphiles SMWS 73.66 bottles SMWS 73.66 Toffee and humbugs in a tea chest (2014) - Aultmore 24 Years Old 1989 73.66 Toffee and humbugs in a tea chest (57%, SMWS, Refill Sherry Butt, 454 Bottles, 2014) 57% ABV, £92 for 70cl Score: 74/100 What they say: We […]
  • SMWS 73.68 SMWS 73.68 Summer landscape with woods (2015) - Aultmore 16 Years Old 1998 73.68 Summer landscape with woods (55.6%, SMWS, Refill Bourbon HH, 232 Bottles, 2015) Speyside single malt scotch whisky 55.6% ABV, £54.50 Score: 85/100 What they say: Cask […]
  • SMWS 73.69 SMWS 73.69 Dark side eclipsed by sweet joys (2016) - Good ex-sherry influence, not too strong but masks most of the spirit character. That Aultmore grassy/apple/malt flavour is missing. With a little water this whisky falls apart, it becomes a little more vanilla and creamier but with an over-stretched elastic band flavour in the finish again suggesting some sulphurous content. 87/100
  • SMWS 73.71 A scene from Madeira SMWS 73.71 A scene from Madeira (2016) - Great honeyed sweetness to this one and lots of distillery character/spirit nature in here too but comes with a lot of extra spice this one. Manages to carry the spices well due to the depth of sweetness, a drop or two of water dissolves away the spice and leave beautiful baked apple strudel with honey, raisins and dates - actually much better with a drop of water! 85/100
That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
  • Aultmore_Batch1-TBWC Aultmore Batch 1 (That Boutique-Y Whisky Company) (2014) - Aultmore Batch #1 (53.4%, That Boutique-Y Whisky Company, 2012) 53.4% ABV, £34.95 for 50cl Score: 85/100 What they say: Aultmore is Gaelic for ‘Big Burn’ and is a popular blending whisky, however […]
The Firkin Whisky Company
  • Firkin-Rare-Aultmore-Whisky-Tawny-Port-Cask Aultmore 2010 The Firkin Rare (2021) - Another great combination of distillate and cask again here from The Firkin Whisky Company. Loving the soft red fruits in this expression, soft, gentle and subtle so as not to hide the core distillate flavours. 85/100
Whisky Broker
  • Aultmore 25yo 1990 cask Aultmore 25 Years Old 1990 Single Cask (2016) - Wow! A great whisky with an unusual burnt sweetness and masses of fruitiness that romps through darker berry fruits backed by strong malt and chocolate. Spend some time with this one! 89/100