Exploring the origins of Dewar’s! Learning the art of blending at Aberfeldy Distillery

Are you familiar with the world-famous blended Scotch whisky, Dewar’s?

Today, I visited Aberfeldy Distillery, known as the HOME OF Dewar’s, which has supplied whisky for Dewar’s since its inception and is now highly regarded as a single malt in its own right.

Aberfeldy Distillery offers a variety of tours, but this time I took part in a blending seminar where you can experience the work of a 'blender'—skillfully combining malt and grain whiskies, including Aberfeldy itself!

What is Aberfeldy Distillery?

Located in the Highlands of Scotland, Aberfeldy Distillery is renowned as the key malt for the world-famous blended whisky, Dewar’s.
In recent years, its popularity as a single malt has soared, and in Japan, the classic Aberfeldy 12 Year Old has become so sought-after that it is now difficult to find.

What is Dewar's?

Dewar’s is a blended Scotch whisky brand created by John Dewar & Sons, founded by John Dewar in 1846.
Later, his sons John Alexander and Thomas Robert expanded the brand globally, and in 1899, the ever-popular Dewar’s White Label was launched.

With the concept of "STAY CURIOUS" — "Always keep curiosity in your heart" — Dewar’s has been loved worldwide for over 170 years.

About Dewar’s Master Blender, Stephanie Macleod

In 2006, Stephanie Macleod became the seventh Master Blender of Dewar’s. She is known as the first female Master Blender in Dewar’s long history since 1846, and a rarity in the industry. Renowned for crafting whiskies with a vibrant and elegant character, Stephanie has been named Master Blender of the Year at the International Whisky Competition for six consecutive years since 2019.

I attended the blending seminar at Aberfeldy Distillery!

Arriving at Aberfeldy Distillery

A true 'HOME OF Dewar’s' sign

When you visit Aberfeldy Distillery, the first thing you notice is the signage for both Dewar’s and Aberfeldy, making their close relationship immediately apparent.

Inside the distillery’s visitor center, you’ll find a lineup of whiskies from Aberfeldy, Dewar’s, and the other four distilleries known as Dewar’s key malts.

There are also rare, long-aged bottles with limited production, making it a paradise for whisky enthusiasts!

Heading to the blending room inside the distillery

A glimpse into the blender at work

After checking in at the Aberfeldy Distillery visitor center, we were guided to the Blender’s Room—a faithful recreation of the very room where the blenders who shaped Dewar’s over its 150-year history actually worked.

You can sense the atmosphere of a real blending session through the photos on the walls and the tools that were actually used at the time.

Dewar's Five Pillars of Magic

An introduction to the history of Dewar’s and the art of whisky-making in Scotland

At last, the blending seminar is about to begin.

Before the hands-on blending session, the seminar began with an introduction to the five distilleries—including Aberfeldy—that produce the key malts known as the 'Five Pillars of Dewar’s Magic'!

In addition to Aberfeldy Distillery, you also provided detailed explanations about Craigellachie Distillery, Royal Brackla Distillery, Aultmore Distillery, and Macduff Distillery, and I am amazed by the diversity of their flavors and characteristics.
Moreover, the advanced skills of the blenders—who combine whiskies with such a wide range of personalities to create delicious blended whisky—are truly impressive.

Craigellachie Distillery

Since its founding in 1891, Craigellachie Distillery has continued to use spring water from the nearby hills as its mashing water.
The unique flavor produced by using barley malt dried with a special oil-heating method is an essential element in Dewar’s.

Royal Blackla Distillery

Established in 1812, Royal Brackla Distillery—bearing the 'Royal' title in its name—is also known as the first distillery to be granted a Royal Warrant by the British Royal Family.
As one of the oldest distilleries in the world, it continues to uphold traditional methods to this day. Its particular dedication to sherry cask maturation imparts a rich flavor to Dewar’s.

Altmore Distillery

Founded in 1897, Aultmore Distillery is known for its fresh and dry flavor.

Although much of the whisky produced at the Aultmore Distillery is used as a base for blended whisky and is rarely sold as a single malt, it is known among single malt enthusiasts as a hidden gem of high quality.

Macduff Distillery

Established in 1960, Macduff Distillery is the newest among Dewar’s 'Five Pillars of Magic.'
It is characterized by its proactive adoption of the latest methods and technologies, such as being one of the first to introduce a metal mash tun.

The blended whisky 'Dewar’s' is crafted by blending not only malt whiskies, including the Five Pillars of Magic, but also grain whisky.

While grain whisky tends to be less prominent compared to single malt, the seminar explained that 'just as a great painter needs a quality canvas to create a masterpiece, high-quality grain whisky is essential for crafting an excellent blended whisky.'

Whiskies Featured in the Blending Experience

After learning about Dewar’s and the 'Five Pillars of Magic,' it’s finally time to begin the blending experience!

Once we donned our lab coats and were ready, we found in front of us not only whisky from the Aberfeldy Distillery but also four different base whiskies lined up.
Professional blenders use far more base whiskies in their blends, but for the seminar, five carefully selected base whiskies with distinct characteristics were prepared for us.

Each of these four base whiskies was labeled only with a 'region name,' with the distillery names intentionally withheld. This was done to encourage participants to enjoy blending freely, without being influenced by brand names.

Each base whisky has its own unique character, and the proportions in which they are blended greatly affect the final flavor of the whisky.

Before starting the blending, we received a detailed explanation of the characteristics of each of the five base whiskies and had the opportunity to taste them. With these impressions in mind, we began the blending process, imagining what kind of whisky we wanted to create!

Now it's time to start blending

Every step of the process is extremely delicate.

During the blending, you pour your preferred amounts of each of the five base whiskies into a graduated cylinder.
After blending a total of 50ml of whisky in the graduated cylinder, it is transferred to a beaker, and the same process is repeated once more.
By measuring twice in this way, it helps to minimize any discrepancies in the quantities.

What surprised me during the blending experience was how just a small addition of base whisky could dramatically change the aroma and flavor.
What left the strongest impression was the peaty 'Islay' base whisky. Just a few drops added with a pipette brought a powerful smokiness to the overall flavor. The seminar instructor also mentioned that blending peated base whiskies is extremely delicate and challenging, and is a true test of a blender’s skill.

Furthermore, in actual blending operations, there is the major challenge of consistently delivering the same flavor of whisky throughout the year. This is achieved by skillfully combining casks with different flavor profiles to create a consistent taste.

The depth of the blender’s profession, Dewar’s proud 'Five Pillars of Magic,' and the experience of discussing favorite whiskies with fellow participants—all came together in the blending session. The blended whisky you create is then transferred into a special bottle and finished off with your own label.
You can freely write the name of your original blended whisky, the blender’s name, the alcohol content, and more on the label.

The one-of-a-kind whisky I created in this way became such a special souvenir that it almost felt too precious to drink.

A one-of-a-kind original blended whisky

After the Blending Seminar

After the blending seminar, I was also able to enjoy the exhibition space and bar inside the Aberfeldy Distillery.

I was once again amazed at how the distillery, the very place where whisky is made, offers such well-equipped spaces to entertain visiting whisky enthusiasts.

Exhibits inside the distillery

A full lineup of Dewar’s and the magical five pillar whiskies

Aberfeldy Distillery exclusive 25-year-old hand-filled whisky

At Last

By actually experiencing the blending process, I was once again impressed by the remarkable skills of the blenders.

During the blending experience, we carefully tasted five different base whiskies before creating our own blend, but I learned that in actual practice, blenders rarely taste the base whiskies. Instead, they rely mainly on aroma to imagine the balance of flavors as they blend. Since blenders handle a huge volume of base whiskies, they cannot possibly taste them all, so they blend based on aroma and experience. I was deeply moved to hear this.

At Aberfeldy Distillery, you can enjoy a wide variety of programs, including not only blending seminars but also tours of the production facilities!
If you visit Scotland, be sure to join a tour or seminar at Aberfeldy Distillery and other distilleries!