Scotch Whisky: A Spotlight on Speyside

Home to over half of Scotland’s whisky distilleries, yet only encompassing a relatively small geographical area, Speyside is the birthplace of some of the world’s most famous and historic Scotch whisky brands. With its fertile land, pure water sources and ideal climate for maturation, Speyside has earned a reputation as the heartland of Scotch whisky.

In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into the Speyside region, exploring its location, rich history and typical flavour profile. Plus, we’ll take a close look at three of its biggest and best-known distilleries and recommend three whiskies from each to try.

Where is the Speyside Region?

Speyside is one of Scotland’s whisky-making regions. The others being Highland, Lowland, Campbeltown, Islay and Islands. It’s neatly tucked into a small triangle of northeastern Scotland, within the Highlands area, and is named after the River Spey that meanders for over a hundred miles right through the middle of it.

The History of Speyside

By the late 18th century, the area now known as Speyside had earned a reputation for producing small batches of exceptionally high-quality, illicit whisky, particularly in an area known as Glenlivet. Its steep, wooded terrain made it nearly inaccessible to excisemen, creating the perfect haven for underground distillers. Historians estimate that at its peak, over 400 stills operated in the glen at any given time. Speyside’s abundance of pure water, locally grown barley, and rich peat further cemented its status as a whisky-making hotspot.

During the latter half of the 19^th century, the Strathspey railway line was hugely expanded into this region. This network allowed for the smooth arrival of new casks and coal into the distilleries, and the speedy despatch of filled casks, bound for the whisky makers and blenders of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth.

What does Speyside whisky taste like?

Speyside whiskies are celebrated for their smooth, fruit-forward character, with rich notes of honey, vanilla, and citrus. Often matured in sherry casks, they can also offer delicate notes of spice, nuts and dried fruit.

Speyside Today

The Speyside region’s distilleries, of which there are over 60, produce more than a third of Scotland’s single malt Scotch whisky. Many of the Speyside distilleries are well-known names, such as Balvenie, Benriach and Aberlour. However, there are three distilleries from this area that are household names and between them produce the bulk (57 million litres annually) of whisky for this region: Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan.

Speyside’s ‘Big Three’ Distilleries

Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich, one of Scotland’s most renowned distilleries, is located in Dufftown, Scotland. Founded in 1887 by William Grant, the distillery remains family-owned and is celebrated for its pioneering approach to single malt whisky. Glenfiddich operates 42 stills (14 wash stills and 28 spirit stills) with a production capacity of around 23 million litres annually, making it one of the largest single malt producers in the world. Known for its signature pear and apple notes, Glenfiddich’s award-winning whiskies are enjoyed globally.

Our picks:

Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky is a smooth, well-balanced single malt whisky aged in bourbon and sherry casks. This is a light and fruity ‘easy drinking’ whisky with notes of candied pear, subtle oak, and gentle spice before a long and creamy finish.

Glenfiddich 18-year-Old (Small Batch) Single Malt Whisky is a rich, elegant single malt, matured in Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. With layers of dried fruit, oak, and warming spice, this whisky delivers a velvety smooth, well-rounded finish.

Glenfiddich 26-Year-Old Grand Couronne Single Malt Whisky is a luxurious single malt, finished for two years in French ex-cognac casks. It offers decadent rich layers of toasted oak, sweet vanilla, and indulgent spice with an elegant, lingering finish.

Glenlivet

The Glenlivet Distillery, located in Ballindalloch, Scotland, is one of the most famous and historic single malt Scotch whisky producers. Founded in 1824 by George Smith, it was the first legal distillery in the region following the Excise Act of 1823. Glenlivet is known for its smooth, fruity character, which has made it a benchmark for Speyside malts. The distillery operates 28 stills (14 wash stills and 14 spirit stills) has a production capacity of around 21 million litres per year, making it one of the largest single malt distilleries in Scotland, alongside Glenfiddich.

Our picks:

Glenlivet 15-Year-Old French Oak Single Malt Whisky has been matured in bourbon casks and finished in Limousin French oak casks, resulting in a rich and smooth single malt, brimming with notes of dried fruit, almonds, and sweet spice.

Glenlivet 18-Year-Old (Batch Reserve) Single Malt Whisky is a refined, elegant whisky with rich notes of honey, dried fruit, toffee, and spice, balanced by oak before a long, complex yet smooth finish.

Glenlivet 25-Year-Old (The Sample Room Collection) Single Malt Whisky is a luxurious single malt, expertly aged for depth and complexity, offering rich notes of dried stone fruit, dark chocolate, orange and spice, with a velvety smooth, lingering finish.

Macallan

The Macallan Distillery is located in Craigellachie, Scotland, and is renowned for its rich, sherried single malt whisky. Founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid, it has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious whisky brands. In 2018, Macallan unveiled a state-of-the-art distillery featuring 36 copper stills housed within a subterranean design that blends seamlessly with the landscape. With a production capacity of around 15 million litres per year, Macallan is known for its meticulous cask selection, particularly in sherry-seasoned oak.

Our picks:

Macallan 12-Year-Old (Sherry Oak) Single Malt Whisky has been aged in sherry-seasoned oak casks and delivers rich notes of dried fruit and vanilla, balanced by woodsmoke and spice before a smooth, warming finish.

Macallan A Night on Earth in Jerez Single Malt Whisky is a tribute to Andalusia’s Sherry season year-end traditions. This limited-edition whisky has been matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks and offers layers of dried fruit, toasted almonds, and rich spice.

Macallan Rare Cask Single Malt Whisky (2023 Release) has been crafted from hand-selected sherry-seasoned casks. This 2023 release showcases deep notes of dark chocolate, vanilla bean, dried fruit, and warming spice, before an exceptionally rich and velvety finish.

Our Speyside Whisky Range

Visit Still Spirit to browse our full range of Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan whiskies, as well as our extensive range of other whiskies from Speyside and all of Scotland’s five whisky-making regions, plus glassware and whisky gift sets. Your next favourite dram is waiting here to be discovered.