The Angus Dundee Distillers-owned distilleries of Tomintoul and Glencadam cannot be any more different from each other, yet together they are a wonderful representation of Scotch whisky.
The historic town of Brechin, located between Dundee and Aberdeen in the Angus region on the western flank of Scotland, has played a significant role in Scottish history since medieval times. Once a royal burgh, it was also a major religious centre, with one of its most significant landmarks – Brechin Cathedral – dating all the way back to the 13th century. In 1297 famous Scottish resistance hero William Wallace is said to have passed through Brechin with his army – and taking its castle – on their way to Stirling Bridge where he inflicted a crushing defeat on the English, before his own defeat under King Edward at Falkirk a year later.
But we were in Brechin for a different sort of history and culture. We were there to visit Glencadam, the town’s one and only whisky distillery.
Glencadam: The Hidden Highland Gem
Our small group of journalists were here at the behest of Singapore-based whisky retailer and distributor The Whisky Store. Founded by husband and wife team Chua Khoon Hui and Joyce Ng as one of the pioneering independent whisky retail shops in Singapore, their business has grown to include a number of whisky-related establishments such as Quaich Bar Collector at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Quaich Bar Avante-garde at South Beach Avenue, Quaich Bar Wanderlust in InterContinental Hotel Singapore, Signature Reserve in The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Capitol Cigar & Whisky Lounge at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel, and cocktail bar The Other Room in Marriott Tang Plaza.
While they’ve always regularly organised such whisky immersion trips for their staff and clients to learn more about the distilleries they represent, it was the first time they were hosting media.
Glencadam Distillery was founded in 1825, just two years after the enactment of the Excise Act of 1823 that legalised the production of whisky. Prior to 1823, the Highland region was rife with illicit distilling, with many an enterprising bootlegger setting up their distilling operations within its mountains and valleys far away from the prying eyes of the royal tax collector.
But founder George Cooper was of the right proper sort. Obtaining his official distilling licence he built his distillery close to the South Esk River, sourcing its water from the nearby Loch Lee. Glencadam would see several ownership changes over, even as it gained a strong reputation as a component in blended Scotch whisky. Despite significant modern upgrades in 1959 – including the addition of two new stills – Glencadam, like many of its contemporaries, would be mothballed in 2000 because of market rationalisation, when Scotch whisky production was far apace of demand during the late 20th century.
Fortunately, Angus Dundee Distillers acquired the distillery in 2003, swiftly resumed operations and ushering in a modern renaissance for Glencadam.
Except that we had dropped in during silent season.
The entire roof of the distillery had been removed, its onion-shaped copper stills pulled out and dismantled for maintenance. New warehouses were also being constructed, the distillery yard temporary storage for girders and equipment. “We’d normally love to bring you around, but it’s absolute carnage here,” a distillery worker apologised.
No matter. We did, however, take a peek at its newly-installed water wheel. Commissioned and built by craftsmen in Brechin, it took pride of place where a watermill once stood powering the operations of the distillery in days old. A throwback to the past, but a symbolic one nonetheless.
Glencadam’s revival extends beyond mere copper, steel and stone. In 2021 it appointed Iain Forteath as master blender. Forteath isn’t of traditional whisky stock; unlike many others in the industry he doesn’t have forebears working in whisky. Instead, he was a wine man. But his superior nose and palate put him in good stead. Today he oversees the selection and acquisition of casks, quality control, as well as the creation and maintenance of new and existing products for Angus Dundee Distillers.
Such as the outstanding range of core whiskies at Glencadam. Glencadam is best known for producing lighter yet fruity and creamy whiskies, in part because of those wide-bodied stills with their upward-tilted lyne arms, but also the soft water from Loch Lee.
The Glencadam 10 Years Old and 15 Years Old, for example, are regular winners at whisky competitions.
But Forteath is particularly proud of the non-age statement, wine cask-finished whiskies that he introduced to their portfolio. Like a number of other Scottish distilleries Glencadam has embraced more experimental cask finishing and, likely because of Forteath’s wine background and passion, it experiments with some of the more unusual wine types such as Amarone, Madeira, and even white Port.
Tomintoul: The Gentle Dram of Speyside
We make the long drive towards our next destination. The journey would take us through the hauntingly beautiful Cairngorms National Park, complete with verdant boulder-strewn valleys and imposing tor-topped hills whose views we soaked in as we wound our way towards Speyside.
We arrive at Tomintoul Distillery, perched atop a craggy range overlooking the River Avon, a tributary to the river that lends its name to this iconic whisky producing region. Named for the nearby village of Tomintoul, this Angus Dundee Distillers-owned distillery is often endearingly referred to as “The Gentle Dram”.
Founded in 1964, Tomintoul is a relatively young distillery, especially when compared to some of its peers in this region. Its founders, whisky industry veterans Hay & MacLeod and W. & S. Strong, chose this very remote location due to the nearby Ballantruan Spring, whose pristine clean waters goes into the making of Tomintoul whisky. Rather ironically, this location would have been perfect for illicit distilling in the olden days, like how some of its nearby Speyside peers – such as Glenfarclas, Aberlour, The Glenlivet, and even The Macallan – had started out.
Our party was met by Tomintoul’s master distiller Robert Fleming, who took us on a tour of the premises. Fleming has been distilling at Tomintoul for over 30 years, and unlike Forteath, does come from a family of distillers. In fact, he’d accompany his father to work at The Glenlivet when he was a wee boy, and would watch as his da went about the business of turning malted barley into the golden nectar we know as whisky.
Fleming first brought us to the warehouse facilities, one of which held five old, weatherbeaten casks. They were prized Islay: two from Laphroaig, another two from Caol Ila, and one Bowmore. These were reciprocal casks, the barrels traded from other distilleries through a long established practice for blending purposes.
The Whisky Store was looking to purchase at least one of them, to be turned into a single cask whisky to celebrate its upcoming anniversary.
Then we were led to the beating heart of the distillery. Thankfully though the distillery wasn’t running at the moment, it hadn’t been pulled apart like Glencadam was so we had the run of the place.
Tomintoul utilises tall, slender stills – armed with, like Glencadam, upwards-angled lyne arms – the forced reflux contributing to the light and floral style that has become its signature, while a longer fermentation period and gentle distillation offer layered complexity.
Fleming gazes at those tall copper giants fondly while he explains the distillation process, as though they were his children. They are, in a way.
That evening we were gathered around a fire drinking and talking whisky in the garden of an Edwardian manor that, incidentally, was once owned by legendary American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Angus Dundee Distillers had bought over the mansion and converted into sumptuous quarters to house visiting guests. Dylan’s grand piano still stands pride of place in the mansion’s drawing room.
Around the fire was master distiller Robert Fleming, a grizzled veteran who has seen the many ups and downs of the turbulent Scottish whisky industry. Next to him sat master blender Iain Forteath, fresh-faced but seasoned to the core.
We so happen to be privileged enough to also have with us Frank McHardy, a celebrated figure in the Scotch whisky industry with a career spanning five decades working in distilleries such as Invergordon, Springbank, Glenglye, and even Northern Ireland’s Bushmills. Now gainfully retired, McHardy spends his days as a whisky consultant.
McHardy was along on the trip to create a followup of his namesake independently bottled range created in collaboration with The Whisky Store.
Here were three generations of whisky makers, exchanging playful banter at some points of the conversation yet turning serious while discussing some nuance of the Scotch whisky industry.
We would luxuriate over some excellent drams of Tomintoul, including its classic 14 Year Old that beautifully showcases the distillery’s signature soft and gentle profile. Like sister distillery Glencadam Tomintoul does also dabble with a wide range of cask finishes, but it’s best remembered for its regular age statement range, as well as its Old Ballantruan line of heavily peated malt.
As I poured myself another dram of the Tomintoul Vintage Single Cask 40 Years the distillery bottled specially for The Quaich Bar’s 10th anniversary, it then struck me. The future of Scotch whisky isn’t dependent on global demand, ready access to top quality ingredients, or the vagaries of Britain’s economy.
It’s down to people.
The sometimes harsh and unforgiving Scottish landscape has produced a hardy and tenacious stock. One that has weathered English invasions, economic upheavals, and yes, whisky crashes.
And looking at those faces around the fire, that future remains in good hands.
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