It’s been far too long since I’ve been to Scotland, and you can’t visit this beautiful country without tasting whisky. The Dewar’s Aberfeldy distillery, located in a quaint market town in the Perthshire Highlands, it is an excellent place to start. A place steeped in history and heritage. I’ve been many times to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Air and a bit of the countryside but never the highlands, what a treat!
Despite my Scottish surname, I am not Scottish! It’s my married name. But I just love this country; its nature and imposing mountains, beautiful scenery and lochs, atmospheric woodland, verdant rolling hills and golden coast – Scotland’s landscapes are truly stunning!
Dewar’s position in the burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on the River Tay, has been well thought out. The proximity to the clean and clear water, the position of a former railway line and the fact that John Dewar, the founder of Dewar’s, place of birth is just down the road, makes it the perfect location.
Loch Tay – Scottish Highlands
Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery
In 1898, in search of the perfect Scotch whisky, John Dewar’s sons produced a classy and harmonious single malt whisky in the outskirts of the village of Aberfeldy. They were one of the first Scottish families to blend whisky the right way, and they were so proud of this fact that the put the name on the bottle as a mark of quality.
To this day, the Dewar’s distillery is still in search of perfection in every bottle they make. Dewar’s premium blends are ‘double-aged’, a pricey but worthwhile procedure, with a secondary maturing in oak barrels once the blend is created. This process gives an extra smoothness to the final product. So it’s not a surprise that Dewar’s is the world most awarded blended Scotch whisky.
All Scotch Whisky production must use oak casks and barrels for ageing Whisky, but these are generally not new. At Dewar’s, they use bourbon barrels made of white oak and sherry casks from Jerez in Spain which is burnt to give the toasty notes to a well-aged Whisky.
Dewar’s Ultimate Luxury Whisky Tour Experience
The Dewar’s Ultimate Luxury Whisky Tour Experience of their distillery takes you on a journey of Scotch whisky discovery. It starts at 10am and finishes around 3.30pm and includes a light lunch, whisky tastings, a heritage exhibition, a visit behind the scenes through the various processes of whisky making leading to your own blend of whisky to take home, walking up to the source of water used for Dewar’s – the Pitilie Burn while enjoying a hot toddy. This tour is scheduled on selected days a month. The other various Whisky tours begin from when they open and take place throughout the day.
It was an insightful tour, and it was impressive to see how much goes into the whole whisky making process.
They also have a very cool Secret Bar, the Scotch Egg Club, where VIP visitors are treated to cocktails and sample of Dewar’s rare whiskies, not all of them available for sale on site.
Dining in style at Dewar’s Aberfeldy
You can eat in style at Dewar’s too. Exclusive private dinners can be organised by the distillery with a menu created by local chef Paul Newman from Thyme at Errichel, a very well regarded local restaurant and luxury accommodation.
Our meal was served in the Dewar’s heritage exhibition centre and included a series of seasonal, imaginative and delicious dishes using local and fresh ingredients paired with Dewar’s Scotch whiskies and cocktails.
trio of Ayrshire beetroot and goat’s cheese terrine
The starter was a delightful trio of Ayrshire beetroot and goat’s cheese terrine served with a sweet and delectable Cherry based cocktail.
The main course was roasted loin of Margmore (Local, actually from Paul’s backyard) Venison, stir fry vegetables, pok choi and sesame noodles paired with The Golden Dram, made with Aberfeldy 12-Year-Old Whisky.
The trio of desserts was outstanding, Dark Matter Scottish Rum Crème brûlée, a sublime cooksister and tangy red summer fruits compote topped with sweetest snow-white meringue. This dish was paired with the refined Aberfeldy 21 years Old Single Malt Scotch whisky. The Aberfeldy characteristics are all in this bottle with honey, vanilla notes; smoky and smooth with a slightly longer finish.
The cheese course was matched with a 25 years old Dewar’s – what a perfect pair! The 25 years old blended Scotch whisky, a blend of malt and grain whiskies, it’s slightly sweet notes of honey and peaches and very aromatic, well aged and rich nectar – It went very well with Chef Paul’s handmade cheese.
Sensory experiences at Dewar’s Aberfeldy
Whisky and chocolate pairing
It’s a morning tour exploring food and whisky matchings. 3 samples of fine Scotch whisky are served together with single origins chocolates sourced by a local chocolatier based on the shores of Loch Tay. The chocolates are from Guatemala, Vietnam and Congo. They have been skillfully matched by Dewar’s Master Blender Stephanie Macleod.
‘Rare & Aged’ whisky and cocktail making
Held at the Secret bar, it is a VIP tasting and for people who come to Dewar’s for whisky training. Here we sampled some rare and aged fine Scotch whiskies and Dewar’s signature cocktails like the Highball, Dewar’s Dramble and The Golden Dram – their version of the classic old Fashion.
Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery
Aberfeldy
Perthshire
PH15 2EB
Scotland
https://www.dewars.com
AberfeldyDistillery@Dewars.com
Opening hours:
Check for ‘silent season’ days in the winter.
April to October – Monday to Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 12 midday – 4pm
November to March – Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm. Closed Sundays.
Closed over Christmas – please check their website nearer the time for announcements.
What to do and Where to stay in style in Perthshire, Scottish Hightlands
Kenmore
I can highly recommend staying at the luxury country estate, Mains of Taymouth. The accommodation was clean, spacious and the decor was of a beautiful finish and tasteful.
The property was well decked out and included a hot tub and barbecue. The kitchen was fully equipped with all mod cons.
There’s also a bar and restaurant, gift shop and deli on site.
The location is idyllic; it’s surrounded by green spaces, riding stables, and a golf course at your doorstep. Five minutes by car is the Loch Tay where you can find a variety of water sports in the Tay Marina.
Another attraction is the Highland Safaris – a must do when in the area. I experienced the Land Rover Safari, and it was a fantastic way to get to know the highlands fauna and flora with an expert guide.
There is plenty to explore in the area nearby and far afield; castles, drives, walks, cycling and the quaint town of Aberfeldy which has some shops and restaurants.
Matthew Cordiner – Dewar’s home brand ambassador
Until next time, slàinte mhath (ˌslɑːndʒə ˈva)! (good health! in Gaelic ) – A drinking toast in Ireland and Scotland.
MAINS OF TAYMOUTH Country State
https://www.taymouth.co.uk
Kenmore, Aberfeldy PH15 2HN
Phone: 01887 830226
PIN for Later
Disclosure: I was a guest of Dewar’s Aberfeldy distillery on a press trip. All views are my own.
