Dewar’s 12 Year Old Scotch
Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, John Dewar & Sons Ltd has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Perth, Scotland, to become a global brand. Dewar’s 12 Year Old Scotch is also known as “The Ancestor” Blend. First planned in 1896 by the sons of John Dewar, Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery is the only Scotch whisky distillery built by the Dewar family. Dewar’s was already a highly successful brand of blended whisky, renowned for its quality, and the company needed more single malt whisky to use in its blend. There were a number of reasons behind the decision of Tommy and John Alexander Dewar to build their whisky distillery in the heart of Highland Perthshire, on the outskirts of the village of Aberfeldy.
The presence of a superb natural water source in The Pitilie Burn (or small river) which runs past the distillery into The River Tay, was undoubtedly a big factor in the decision. The gold-rich waters of the Burn are used to make Aberfeldy whisky to this day. There were also excellent transport links by train to nearby Perth, bringing fuel and barley to the distillery, and returning the finished product to be blended and bottled. This made the process of bringing the whisky to market very efficient. The line is no longer open, but a steam engine with carriage-bearing whisky barrels remains on the site to this day. The final reason may have been a sentimental one. The humble croft where our founder, John Dewar, was born, is just three miles from Aberfeldy in the small hamlet of Dull, so the building of Aberfeldy by his sons was a homecoming of sorts.
Nose: A heady note of juicy fruit and thick, creamy malt. Rather floral, and quite sweet with notes of toasted barley, almond, and a tinge of honey.
Palate: The palate is perfectly poised with notes of barley malt, hot buttered toast, a little honey, and some aniseed spiciness.
Finish: A touch of smoke on the tail, alongside plenty of thick malt and sweetness.
Questions? Contact us at 1-551-221-7167