Fettercairn Distillery
Fettercairn is another distillery that has recently celebrated 200 years (official) distilling. Established in 1824 and tucked away in the fertile Howe of the Mearns, the Eastern Highland distillery has experienced all the whisky highs and lows of the the past two centuries.
Through a charity auction raising funds for the Fettercairn Public Hall, we were lucky enough to find ourselves on a private tour of the distillery with our fantastic guide Hannah and none other than Fettercairn master blender Gregg Glass…
Built by local estate owner, Sir Alexander Ramsay the distillery was originally known as Nethermill after the mill building that housed the initial site.
As mentioned Fettercairn is situated in the Howe of the Mearns at the foot of the Grampian Mountains, an area well known for its rich agricultural history. Upon arrival at the distillery you quickly get a sense of a genuine connection to the land.
There’s a really nice sculpture situated close to the production buildings. Created by artist Rob Mulholland the work is titled ‘Forest Flow’. Made from thousands of pieces of stainless steel, the artwork riffs on the idea of sustainability and the connections to the surrounding area. It was inspired by the distillery's water source and the newly planted Fettercairn Forest. More on that later…
Scotland’s national animal, the Unicorn, (obviously), can be spotted fairly frequently in the vicinity of the distillery. As can another unicorn of the Scotch Whisky industry, the lesser-spotted cooling ring. A recently retired iteration looking suitably totemic standing outside a warehouse is the first glimpse of what lies ahead.
Most of Fettercairn’s production is housed in one impressive hall. In a small room behind the hopper we take a look at the modern Bühler mill which replaced the previous traditional Boby set up. At the time of our visit the rake and plough mash was still being employed to do it’s glorious mechanical, cast iron thing. However, we’re since led to believe that this has been replaced, presumably with a more modern Lauter equivalent. The list of Scotland’s distilleries still employing the rake and plough grows ever shorter.
The washbacks, of traditional Oregon pine construction are housed in a lovely room of their own complete with a great view of the distillery water source.
Returning to the main production hall you are met with the quite unique sight of the cooling rings flushing a constant stream of water down the neck of the two spirit stills.
In 1952, Alistair Menzies, the Distillery Manager at the time, began experimenting in the search for a purer, lighter and fruitier expression. With this in mind, he had the cooling rings added to the stills. This simple intervention cools the copper and increases reflux thus encouraging the lighter vapours to rise: an ingenious solution that remains unique in Scotch whisky production to this day.
The hiss of the steam and sparkle of the water as it dances down the heavily patinated copper really is quite something.
Hannah has being doing a fantastic job of recounting the history of the distillery up to this point and relaying all the production info we could wish to know. Our next stop is one of Fettercairn’s 14 dunnage warehouses where Gregg and his magic bag of tricks (valinch, bung extractor etc) go to work on opening special casks here, there and everywhere.
1986 Cognac, 1 year old PX, 29 year old Pink Oak (complete with Dave Broom’s chalked initial seal of approval), Scottish Oak at 3 or 4 years old….no cask is safe. All are opened and explored alongside Gregg’s infectious enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge. He talks passionately of the previously mentioned Fettercairn Scottish Oak programme.
In 2021 13,000 Scottish Oak saplings were planted in the fields adjacent to the distillery. This native oak programme is not only a commitment to local forestry and wildlife conservation but a long term, tangible commitment to the continued use of Scottish Oak in the whisky making process.
Another fantastic experience awaits in the original Customs and Excise office in the corner of the warehouse. As part of the ‘Guager’s Tour’ you can get an authentic glimpse into the life of an exciseman of days gone by at Fettercairn. As part of the experience you hand fill a bottle from a single cask which at the time of our visit was a 17 year old ex-bourbon, bottled at 57.8% vol.
As if our afternoon couldn’t get anymore in depth we’re then treated to a blending session with Gregg back at the visitor centre. A really insightful experience delving deep into the complex sensory process that is key to the make up of each and every Scotch whisky.
What a fantastic day.
Gregg, Hannah and all the distillery staff couldn’t have been more generous with their time and really made sure the trip to Fettercairn was a visit to remember. A great distillery in a beautiful part of the country doing some really interesting things…highly reccommended!
