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Distillery Profile: Strathmill

Strathmill was founded in 1891 and was originally named as Glenisla-Glenlivet

Strathmill is a little known but productive single malt distillery in the Speyside town of Keith. It is one of three distilleries in the town – Glen Keith and Strathisla, both owned by Chivas Brothers, being the other two. Strathmill means ‘mill in the valley’ – the word ‘strath’ translating as ‘shallow valley or dip’.

 

The distillery is the epitome of an unassuming workhorse distillery. It is tucked away off the main road that goes through Keith, next to the River Isla, and quietly goes about its business of producing high quality single malt for use in Diageo’s extensive range of blended Scotch whiskies. You could almost miss it if you did not know it was there.

A Bit of History

Strathmill was founded in 1891 and was originally named as Glenisla-Glenlivet – it followed the trend of the time for Speyside distilleries to include the name of Glenlivet as a mark of quality. The whisky boom of the late Victorian era saw the old corn mill in the Speyside town of Keith converted to a distillery.

W & A. Gilbey took control in 1895 and changed the name to Strathmill. They shared production between whisky and gin for several years, before concentrating solely on single malt. In 1962 a major change took place – W. & A. Gilbey merged with United Wine Traders (UWT) to form International Distillers & Vintners (IDV). UWT also owned Justerini & Brooks, the old famous London-based wine and spirits’ merchant.

Justerini & Brooks were producers of the J&B Rare blended Scotch whisky, so this merger began Strathmill’s long association with the brand. Capacity was doubled as the spirit became an integral part of the J&B Rare recipe. In 1972 IDV was purchased by Watney Mann, which in turn was acquired by Grand Metropolitan later that year.

Grand Metropolitan and Guinness merged in 1997 to form Diageo. They remain the current owners of Strathmill. Shortly after the merger, Diageo created the Flora & Fauna range of single malts to showcase some of their lesser-known distilleries. The Strathmill 12 years old was first launched into this series in 2001. Other releases are few and far between.

Background

For the second half of its life, the Strathmill distillery has been dominated by its association with the J&B Rare brand. It remains a key ingredient in the popular blended whisky and the signage at the distillery entrance conveys this. It is also used in other Diageo blends such as Johnnie Walker, and previously in the now-defunct Dunhill.

Prior to this, in the first half of its history Strathmill operated as a gin and whisky distillery. Previous owners W. & A. Gilbey, who owned the distillery for nearly 70 years, were primarily a gin company. However, they wanted to get in on the whisky game during the boom times of the 1890s and purchased Strathmill to achieve that.

The Geeky Bit

Strathmill has an annual production capacity of 2.6 million litres. The distillery is equipped with a nine-ton stainless steel mash tun and operate 10 mashes per week. There are six washbacks, which are also made of stainless steel, and run a fermentation time of 60 hours. There are four copper pot stills – 2x wash stills and 2x spirit stills – and these work in pairs.

Strathmill is one of the few single malt distilleries in Scotland to use purifiers on their spirit stills. This sits between the lyne arm and condenser. It allows lighter alcohol vapours through to be condensed, while pushing heavier alcohols back down into the still. This helps to give Strathmill its light and delicate style.

One To Buy | Strathmill 12 Years Old Flora & Fauna

The only official bottling by Diageo of Strathmill. The Flora & Fauna series celebrates their workhorse distilleries, and each is inspired by local animals and plant life. The Strathmill label features the pied wagtail, a small bird often seen on the River Isla near the distillery.

The whisky is light and delicate with initial notes of elegant vanilla, hazelnut praline and hints of dried grass. There is a subtle malty characteristics and further notes of sweet gingerbread and green apple. Hints of drying oak spice, warming cinnamon bark and a white pepper-like heat add depth and complexity.

by Matt Chambers
Master of Whisky at Whisky 1901
03/04/2025

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**Disclaimer**: Important information. Please read carefully before making any purchase. This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Whisky 1901 Ltd is not a regulated financial institution and is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Any references to “investment,” “broker,” “adviser,” or similar terminology are used descriptively only and should not be interpreted as regulated financial services.

Whisky 1901 Ltd does not provide financial or investment advice, does not assess suitability, and does not make recommendations. Any decision to purchase whisky casks is made solely by the customer, based on their own judgment and, where appropriate, independent professional advice.

Whisky is sold as a physical, tangible asset and not as a financial product. Purchasing whisky carries risks that differ from regulated investments such as stocks or bonds, and customers should make purchase decisions independently and based on their own research.

Key Risks and Considerations:

1. Please be aware that whisky casks are unregulated in the UK and that the value is variable, meaning it can both increase and decrease. 

2. Understand that you have 14 days to change your mind and request a full refund under our cooling-off period.

3. All Clients of Whisky 1901 Ltd must be aged 18 years or older to make a purchase, in accordance with UK law and regulations regarding the sale of alcohol to minors.

4. Please note that the volume of spirit will decrease over time due to evaporation, known as “the Angels’ share”.

5. Please be aware that “New Make” spirit must be matured for a minimum of 3 years, during which its alcoholic strength could be reduced. However, for the product to be classed as “Whisky”, it must retain a minimum strength of 40%.

6. Please understand that as a buyer you may get back less than the amount paid. Additionally, past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance.

7. The sale price offered by Whisky 1901 Ltd includes a discretionary commercial markup. This markup is applied to the acquisition cost of the whisky and reflects both the costs incurred in connection with the provision of services including, but not limited to, storage, movement and maintenance of casks, insurance, and associated administrative and software infrastructure and a profit margin retained by Whisky 1901 Ltd in the ordinary course of business.

As a result of the markup applied, there is a material difference between the Company’s acquisition cost of a cask and the price at which it is sold to investors.
Investors should be aware that this markup creates a difference between the Company’s acquisition cost and the price at which the cask is sold. This spread may impact the potential for future returns and may affect the ability to achieve a profit on resale. Comparable casks may be available from other sources at different prices. Prospective purchasers should conduct their own due diligence and consider obtaining independent financial advice before making any investment decision.

8. Please recognise that the cask price can fluctuate and the price of casks can go down as well as up, neither of which are guaranteed.

9. Whisky casks are a long term maturing asset and therefore it is advised to be held for a minimum of 5 to 10 years.

10. Whisky casks are an illiquid asset. There is no guaranteed secondary market, no guaranteed timeframe for resale and no obligation on Whisky 1901 LTD to buy back or sell the cask on your behalf.

11. Please understand that the products and services we offer may not be suitable for all customers. If you have any doubts, we advise you to seek advice from an independent financial advisor.

12. Finally all whisky casks are stored in HMRC bonded warehouses in Scotland and are comprehensively insured against risks including fire, theft and accidental damage, insurance policy is updated annually. The customer understands that any cask investment can be physically verified via a company organised visits to warehouses where tastings can also be accommodated.

 

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