Macduff Distillery: so good they named it twice?

There's a certain amount of mystery and enigma surrounding the Macduff distillery. Macduff's official single malt whisky has been variously labelled either Glen Deveron, or Deveron, while the name of the distillery itself is only mentioned in passing on independent bottlings. It's one of Scotland's youngest distilleries - founded in 1960 by a small group of businessmen - but you'll find no visitor's centre at the plain white-washed building, set beside the river Dewar estuary near the seaside town of Banff. As part of a larger conglomerate, there is no official Macduff distillery website and no guided tours - it's almost as if the Macduff distillery doesn't want to be found.

The complex character of Macduff Whisky

Macduff's whisky is as multifaceted as it is elusive.

Currently owned by Bacardi, Macduff distillery spends its days providing quality Highland malt for the Dewar's blend; official single malt releases from the distillery itself were originally called Glen Deveron, now just Deveron, while small batches of independent bottlings continue to be labelled with the distillery name Macduff included as part of the branding. Technically, this Speyside whisky region is a geographical sub-region of the Highlands, which means you can spot both 'Highland' and 'Speyside' included on the labelling of Macduff whisky.

In terms of production, Macduff distillery was built with blending in mind, in an era of modernity and change that was rapidly taking hold of the whisky industry. Due to technical advances in its design and production, the spirit Macduff produces is pretty much flawless, classically Speyside in style, light, sweet, malty, floral and occasionally slightly nutty. With a capacity of over 2.4 million litres, it has been producing relatively the same whisky since 1962, a consistent high quality suitable for fine blending, as well as independent bottling.

An unusual distillery with an odd past

Macduff distillery was originally built in the post-war whisky boom, as a key player in the creation of blended whiskies. The famed distillery architect William Delmé-Evans was brought on board to create a cutting-edge marvel of distillery design on an industrial scale. The odd number of stills, including two wash stills, are configured in a manner that's rare among distilleries. The use of shell and tube condensers - a system that cools vapour into liquid - was revolutionary at the time and contributes to Macduff's fresh, fruity and sometimes nutty whisky character.

Delmé-Evans, famous for designing both the Tullibardine and Jura distilleries, undoubtedly contributed to the success of Macduff distillery's output, though perhaps he didn't see it that way. During construction of the Macduff distillery, Delmé-Evans fell out with the original owners, and never again spoke of his involvement in the project. In many ways this adds to the understated, unassuming nature that defines Macduff whisky. Despite its reputation for quality, it's not a distillery that shouts its name out loud.

A distillery for both blenders and bottlers

Macduff's true essence lies in its versatility. Although primarily known for its contribution to Dewar's blends, the distillery also crafts impressive single malts that stand out in their own right. These whiskies are generally consistent but do vary from a nutty, fruity character, to more delicate notes. Independent bottlers select particular barrels from the Macduff distillery, and release them under their own labels and names.

These whiskies could be aged in old bourbon or sherry casks, and aged according to the bottler's discretion. Berry Bros. & Rudd are a notable fan of the Macduff distillery, with several bottlings including, for instance, a single hogshead of Macduff 2009, bottled as a 12-year-old by Berry Bros for their Spring 2022 outturn. This cask #700443 yielded 261 bottles and is considered a particularly decent Scotch, proving the commercial saleability of Macduff casks.

So, while the Macduff distillery is primarily known for supplying whisky for blends, amongst whisky aficionados it has certainly developed a solid reputation as a supplier of potentially stand-out single malts. Its focus remains on producing textbook examples of typically clean, well-aged and appealing Speyside whisky and single Highland malts. Some of the best aged examples are less about the actual distillate and more a vehicle to highlight the quality of wood or specific casks used in the process. According to experts, Macduff whisky tends to take well to heavy sherry aging, and examples out of sherry casks are some of the finest.

Macduff as a name for the future

With so many individual and interesting bottlings, Macduff distillery casks are an interesting and highly viable investment. In terms of production, it is readily available for buying and exchanging within the industry. Quietly and consistently producing technically flawless and well-controlled drams of single malt, Macduff is well worth considering as an investment. It's a name that is known but remains under the radar, preferring to retain a certain amount of anonymity. But that's what makes Macduff so interesting. It's not chasing trends; it's doing its own thing, sometimes without a clear identity but always with a commitment to quality. Whether bottled under Glen Deveron, Deveron, or a pseudonym label, one thing is certain - any whisky from the Macduff distillery will always be decent, unwavering and of consistently high quality.

---