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GlenAllachie
distillery in Speyside unveils a new and
improved visitor attraction, including
plush bar and tasting lounge.
The GlenAllachie distillery has
announced significant enhancements to
its visitor centre in preparation for
the busy high season. Recognised as the
Visitor Attraction of the Year at the
Icons of Whisky Scotland awards in 2022,
this distillery first opened its doors
to the public in April 2019 with a
retail shop, a small tasting room, and a
tour program.
Since its inception, the distillery has
garnered an impressive collection of
over 225 five-star reviews on Trip
Advisor and Google. It also received the
prestigious Travellers' Choice award
last year. To further elevate the
visitor experience, The GlenAllachie has
now unveiled a cutting-edge whisky bar
and tasting lounge, allowing visitors to
indulge in their love for whisky.
Owned independently by the legendary
Scotch whisky maker Billy Walker, the
distillery is situated near Aberlour in
the globally renowned Speyside region.
Not only does it boast a complete
production area, but it also houses 16
on-site warehouses.
With a £600,000 investment, a former
engineering workshop has been
transformed into a space that
accommodates a whisky bar, a tasting
lounge, additional restrooms (including
facilities for disabled visitors), and
expansive outdoor seating. The outdoor
area provides breathtaking,
uninterrupted views of Ben Rinnes.
At the whisky bar, visitors can savour a
selection of The GlenAllachie Distillers
Company's whiskies and rums, available
in single measures or as part of a
flight. Furthermore, mixers and locally
crafted soft drinks are also on offer.
In line with the distillery's
sustainability initiatives, the new area
is heated using excess heat energy from
the stillhouse, where the distillation
process occurs. Additionally, electric
vehicle charging points have been
installed to cater to visitors' needs.
To meet the growing demand and footfall
following the recovery from the Covid-19
pandemic, The GlenAllachie's Visitor
Centre team has doubled in size over the
past year. Tracy Sellar was appointed as
Visitor Centre Manager in 2022 to
oversee the upgrading and expansion
efforts and manage the ongoing strategic
operations of The GlenAllachie's brand
home.
The extended tour options now consist of
three distinct experiences, providing
visitors with a comprehensive and
immersive journey into the world of The
GlenAllachie whisky, these are:
- The GlenAllachie Experience (1
hour, £25 per person) – a journey
through the production process
ending at the tasting room to enjoy
four whiskies.
- The Premium Experience (1 hour
15 minutes, £35 per person) – a tour
of the production area, including a
detailed discussion of our
innovative cask management policy,
followed by a tutored tasting of
four premium whiskies.
- The Connoisseurs Tour (2 hours,
£60 per person) – running every
Thursday afternoon, the experience
is aimed at ‘whisky geeks’ who want
an in-depth tour, including a
warehouse visit, before enjoying a
tasting of five of our finest drams.
A maximum of ten
people are welcome on each tour to
retain The GlenAllachie’s admired
personal approach, best reflecting its
brand values.
The distillery plans to further expand
its visitor experience offering once the
whisky bar is fully up and running.
Commenting on the expansion, Sellar
shares: "We’re thrilled to unveil our
expanded Visitor Centre at The
GlenAllachie Distillery after months of
planning and preparation. As a team, we
identified a gap in our offering: the
option to enjoy a dram or flight without
the need to join a tour.
"The new whisky bar, between the indoor
and outdoor space, allows for an
impressive capacity of 100 people at any
one time. As we continue to expand as a
visitor attraction, we look forward to a
busy summer season with more experiences
to offer our guests."
The distillery shop now offers a number
of bottlings exclusively available to
its visitors, these are:
- Hand-filled 17-year-old Oloroso
Butt #901048 Single Cask Single Malt
- £218
- Hand-filled 10-year-old Recioto
Della Valpolicella Barrique #804071
Single Cask Single Malt - £101
- Distillery Exclusive 13-year-old
Oloroso Matured Single Malt - £75
The GlenAllachie
is hosting a launch event for the whisky
bar and tasting lounge on Thursday 13th
July 2023 from 17:30 – 19:30, open to
all, which will showcase the new space,
with drams and nibbles on offer.
The GlenAllachie Visitor Centre is
currently open every day from
10:00-17:00 for the summer season (April
– October). Tours can be booked through
their website, while the new whisky bar
operates on a walk-in basis.
If you wont be lucky enough to visit the
distillery anytime soon you will find the current
GlenAllachie whisky range available from specialist online whisky
shops such ass
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop,
Master of Malt
and
Hard To Find Whisky
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