Translation: Milchbach
Region: Speyside

The shy star that nobody knows.

The name Allt-a-Bhainne (or "Allt-á-Bhainne", "Allt-à-Bhainne", "Allt-a'-Bhainne", "Allt-A-Bhainne"...) will probably only mean something to the most die-hard whisky lovers. Yet the distillery is one of the largest in Scotland with a production volume of around 4 million litres. It is located in the picturesque heart of the whisky world, the Speyside region. And its whisky is part of globally successful top blends such as Chivas Regal or 100 Pipers. Which brings us to the central point: There is no official bottling of an Allt-a-Bhainne single malt.
The whisky produced here is almost exclusively hidden in the blends of the owner Chivas Brothers Ltd. Or it disguises itself with the name "Deerstalker", a malt released by the independent Glasgow bottler Aberko. Why actually?

A little history

Allt-a-Bhainne is still a young distillery and its story can therefore be told quite quickly. The distillery was founded in 1975 by Chivas Brothers Ltd, then a subsidiary of the Canadian drinks giant Seagram.
In 1989, the number of stills was doubled from two to four.
In 2001, Seagram, and with it Chivas Brothers and Allt-a-Bainne, went to
Pernod Ricrad. They closed the distillery in October 2002.
Production was resumed in May 2005. The malts from Allt-a-Bhainne are used almost exclusively for the blends from Chivas.

What have I actually got in my glass?

The few single malt bottlings from independent bottlers generally have a very soft, medium body with beautiful fruity notes and a distinct malty sweetness. Actually one for a large audience.

3 reasons to love Allt-a-Bhainne

1) Because the malt deserves it.
2) Because "Milchbach" is such a likeable name for a distillery.
3) Because it's not just the old guys who can make good whisky.

The one dram for the desert island

The independent bottler Signatory releases interesting single cask bottlings from time to time with a very pleasing combination: high age - low price! Try it.

Figures & Facts

Address: Glenrinnes, Banffshire AB55 4DB
Founded: 1975 by Chivas Brothers Ltd.
Status: active
Owner: Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard)
Capacity: approx. 4,000,000 litres
2 wash stills
2 spirit stills
Water: Scurran and Rowantree Burns
Visitor Centre: -
Phone: +44 (0)1340 783200
Website: -