Region : Scotch
Alcohol : 40%
Volume:700ml
The Observatory 20 years is the most easygoing expression of our single grains. Elegant, balanced yet full and round this is the ultimate sipping dram to share with good company or keep all for yourself.
【The History】
Macduff is one of the newer distilleries in Speyside, having been founded in 1958. Morty Dyke, George Crawford, James Stirret, and Brodie Hepburn founded the distillery. Together, they formed Macduff Distilleries Ltd. Construction of the distillery was completed in 1960, and the first cask filling occurred in June the same year. In 1965, the number of stills at the distillery was increased from two to three. In 1967, another still was added, bringing the total at the distillery to four. In 1972, William Lawson acquired the distillery.
Lawson managed the distillery until 1980, at which point the company was bought by Martini Rossi. Under Rossi’s direction, the distillery continued to expand, adding another still in 1990. In 1992, Rossi were bought by Bacardi, and the management of Macduff was transferred to John Dewar & Sons, a subsidiary of Bacardi. Dewar & Sons still manage the distillery today, and Macduff is a major component in their blends.
【The Production】
Macduff Distillery is a seaside distillery in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland, close to the coastal town of Banff, located in the fishing port of the same name on the River Deveron, adjacent to Marry Bay. The distillery was established in 1960 (completed in 1962) by a consortium of local businessmen, George Crawford, Marty Dyke and Brodie Hepburn, and became one of the new-age distilleries built to meet the growing demand for whisky after the war.
【The Maltings】
Macduff distillery sources its malt from an industrial source in Speyside. The Distillery uses a combination of peated and unpeated malt, depending on the purpose of the spirit that the site is distilling. The malt that is used in the production of the spirit intended to be sold as Single Malt is often slightly peated, which gives the Single Malt a gentle, smoky taste. The distillery also uses entirely unpeated malt, which is used both in the production of raw Whisky intended to be sold as Single Malt, and intended for blending.
【The Pot Stills】
The Macduff distillery is of classic, clean and functional Delme-Evans design, with the stills being the most interesting part of the project. There are five stills here - two primary and three alcohol (stills) - which is extremely rare in Scotland, the other distillery with this same production structure being Talisker on the Isle of Skye.
Another special feature is that all the stills are connected to the upward-sloping Lane arms, which are twisted at right angles. Alcohol stills also have horizontal shell and tube condensers. The right amount of reflux gives the Macduff whisky a special dried fruit flavor, and the distillery's rapid malt milling and short fermentation give it a heavier body. It is this last technique that adds thickness to the spirit.
【The Warehouse】
Macduff has an impressive on-site warehouse facility, which houses the raw Whisky which is intended to be sold as Single Malt, as well as the Whisky to be used in blending. The site has a combination of both dunnage and racked warehouses. The distillery uses a combination of Sherry and Oak casks in which the Whisky is aged.
