ABERLOUR

Whisky is one of the most famous and widely drunk spirits in the world, whose origins can be traced back to Scotland and Ireland. These are two countries where the cultivation of cereals, from which whisky is fermented, was once widespread, and, together with other evidence and clues, there seems to be no doubt that this nectar originated in these places.

In Scotland in particular, among the many producers, there is one that can boast a history shrouded in mystery and legend: Aberlour, a distillery named after the place where it is located. It is a special place, where a river flows whose waters were considered healing by the ancient Celtic populations who lived there. In fact, it was the Celts who first used these waters to distil the alcohol needed to create healing elixirs to be administered to the sick. The distillery was founded by James Fleming in 1879. James took care of every detail of the building, with the desire to create something unique where the best possible whisky could be produced.

James died in 1895, and from that moment on, ownership of Aberlour passed into the hands of various companies until it was purchased by the large Pernod Ricard group in 1975. Since then, many improvements have been made to the buildings and machinery, using new technologies that start from a respect for history and look towards the future. Aberlour produces six labels, with different ageing periods ranging from a minimum of 12 years to a maximum of 18. Some whiskies are also matured in the renowned “Sherry casks”, barrels that previously contained the prized fortified Portuguese wine. A special mention goes to “A'Bunadh” – a word meaning “original” in Gaelic – produced to pay homage to the founder Fleming, distilled without cold filtration or other modern processes, but created following only the most ancient local traditions.