Home | Help | Scotland | Speyside | West Isles | Search
The smallest distillery in Scotland. Edradour is the last original "farm"
distillery with some very traditional equipment. It likes to trace its history
back to the beginning of legal whisky production in the Highlands, in 1825,
though the present distillery is believed to have been founded in 1837.
The distillery is at the hamlet of Balnauld, above the town of Pitlochry.
This small, remote distillery is reputed to have done a busy trade with
American customers during Prohibition. A story that it was later indirectly
owned for a lengthy period by the Mafia has not been substantiated. It
produces as much malt whisky in a year as some distilleries can make in a week
and has a staff of three. Its water rises on Moulin Moor through peat and
granite, reaching the surface a few hundred yards from the distillery. The
company says it uses [lightly peated]
local barley. Its stills are the smallest in Scotland, and that must contribute
to the distinctive richness of the malt. Stills any smaller than those at
Edradour would not be permitted by Customs and Excise for fear that they could
be operated in a secret hiding place.
© Michael Jackson 1994
They say that their Mash Tun has a one ton capacity and
they cool the wort using Scotland's only remaining Morton refrigerator. They do
4 weekly mashes, each producing 480 gallons of wort and thus 150 gallons of
spirit per week. The whisky is matured in Oloroso sherry casks.
jhb, o.m.
Pitlochry, Perthshire, PH16 5JP
Tel: 01796-472095
Hear "Edradour" pronounced in AU or WAV format
Search Dr. Do'g's index for the history of Edradour
There just might be some news about Edradour in The "Scotsman" newspaper