Pittyvaich
Translation: Place of the cow stable
Region: Speyside
"Pitti-who?"
This reaction is usually similar to the naming of this distillery. What a pity. But somehow understandable. For the Pittyvaich distillery was granted only a short life and there are hardly any bottlings of this single malts. Actually, Pittyvaich, which was built in 1974 as a sister distillery of the Dufftown Distillery on their grounds, should only produce malt for the popular blended whiskeys Arthur Bell. The demand was probably overestimated. Already in 1993, the company was shut down, the distillery in 2002 finally demolished.
And that's really "a pity": a pity.
A little history
The distillery was built in 1974 by Arthur Bell & Sons on the grounds of the Dufftown Distillery. Pittyvaich was designed as a sister company to this distillery, her four stills were exact replicas of those used at Dufftown. The malt produced by Pittyvaich should only be used for the blended whiskeys of Arthur Bell. In 1985, the distillery went to United Distillers (UD), which brought in 1991 for the first time a Pittyvaich single malt in their Flora & Fauna series on the market. In 1993, the malt production was discontinued. For a while, there were experiments with other grains and the production of Gordon's gin. In 2002, the buildings were demolished
What do I actually have in the glass?
With only two original bottlings of this distillery, the typical character is not easy to name. Basically, it can be said that the Pittyvaich Malt has a full, almost creamy-oily body, a deep malty sweetness, delicate spicy notes and a hint of smoke.
3 reasons to love Pittyvaich
1) Because the name alone makes you curious.
2) Because the malt warms so nicely.
3) Because what is scarce always has a special charm.
The one drama for the lonely island
The 12-year-old original bottling from the Flora & Fauna series showed outstanding, which characterizes this unfortunately often underestimated malt: A lush body with malty sweetness, sherry tones and a long, long finish.
numbers and facts
Address: (former) Dufftown, Banffshire AB55 4BR
Founded: 1974
Status: demolished
Owner: (last) Diageo
Capacity: (formerly)
2 wash stills (15,000 l)
2 spirit stills (15,000 l)
Water: (formerly) Convalleys and Balliemore Springs
Visitor Center: -
Telephone: -
Website: -
