Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, John Dewar & Sons Ltd has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Perth, Scotland, to become one of the world’s most renowned whisky companies. In the hands of John Dewar’s sons, Tommy Dewar and John Alexander Dewar, that DEWAR’S blended Scotch became a worldwide success.
John Alexander was a man with a vision, working hard behind the scenes to expand the family business and develop the iconic blend. His brother, Tommy, was gregarious, fun-loving and a marketing pioneer, travelling the world promoting his father’s legacy.
It was in 1898, just three miles from where their father had been born, that Tommy and John Alexander established the Aberfeldy Distillery to create a signature malt that would be the heart of the award-winning DEWAR’S blends.
Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery is nestled within a lush valley in the foothills of the Central Highlands of Scotland. Though Aberfeldy is a bastion of traditional whisky-making in a region where few distilleries remain, it is easily accessible from all major cities, from Edinburgh to Inverness.
The location of Aberfeldy is not just picturesque, it is also a practical masterstroke. Water, as one of the three ingredients of Scotch whisky, is incredibly important during all stages of production, and the placement of the Aberfeldy Distillery alongside the Pitilie Burn (a renowned water source not only in the area but also within Scotland), the Dewar family obtained pristine water, famed for both its quality and the promise of gold found within it – the perfect fit for their very own golden liquid, ABERFELDY single malt, the ‘Golden Dram’.
DEWAR’S world-renowned crafted Highland single malt ABERFELDY has been produced at Aberfeldy Distillery since 1898.
Production of the unique Aberfeldy spirit still takes place in a way that the founders would recognise instantly. From the longer fermentation times to the careful distillation through the two sets of tall copper pot stills overlooking the rolling Perthshire hills, everything is aimed at creating the honeyed-richness for which ABERFELDY whisky is renowned.
No visit to the distillery is complete without a tour of the warehouse to learn more about the angels’ share and DEWAR’S unreasonable commitment to quality – double aging the whisky for a richer, smoother flavour.
One of the things that distinguishes Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery from other Scotch whisky distilleries is the interactive heritage museum, which allows guests to explore items from the archive and discover the story of the Dewar family and their pursuit of whisky perfection.
The museum features a mixture of displayed artefacts and imagery, audio visual presentations, and interactive games and challenges, adding a whole new dimension to the guided whisky production tour.
This experience has now been enhanced further with the arrival of the bespoke multi-media app, a feature that has revolutionised the tour experience, bringing the history of DEWAR’S to life in a new way.
