Location and contact details
Location: Strathisla Distillery, Seafield Avenue, Keith, AB55 5BS
Visit Type: Vistor Centre
Co-ordinates: 57.547253, -2.954391
Telephone: +44 (0) 1542 783 044
Web: https://www.chivas.com/visit-strathisla 
Twitter: Strathisla Distillery (@StrathislaVC)Facts and figures
| Location | Strathisla Distillery, Seafield Avenue, Keith, AB55 5BS |
| Founded | 1786 |
| Owner | Chivas Brothers |
| Water Source | The Broomhill Spring |
| Stills | 2 wash stills 2 spirit stills |
Opening Hours
The distillery is open seven days a week between March and November (0930-1700 Monday to Saturday and 1200-1700 on Sundays) and five days a week between November and March (1000 to 1600). Check http://www.maltwhiskydistilleries.com/Distilleries/Welcome/Strathisla/VisitorCentre/tabid/74/Default.aspx for full details. The traditional tour runs every 30 minutes.
Tours
traditional Distillery Tour
£15
The perfect introduction to whisky making. Join a tasting of four whiskies and learn about the complex relationship between the single malt and the world-famous Chivas Regal blends. Your guide will explain the distillation process from start to finish and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the production methods.
Duration 1 hour 15 minutes.
The Chivas Blending Experience
£60
Create your blend with the Chivas Blending Experience. Explore the Strathisla Distillery and discover how the single malt at the heart of Chivas Regal is made before tasting a few of their favourite drams and mixing your very own blend.
Duration 2 hours 15 minutes.
Review: Ttraditional Distillery Tour (16:00 on 30/09/2019)
Price: £15
Tours of Strathisla can be booked online which is what I did; when I arrived at the distillery, I checked in slightly early and had a chat with Michael, the tour guide, for a few minutes while we waited for the other booked people to arrive.
The tour at Strathisla starts with some information on the history of the distillery and the Chivas Regal brand before moving to the production area.
The tour includes the milling, mashing, fermentation and distillation; the explanations were all clear and detailed. Photography was generally not allowed, except from two vantage points; one over the wash backs and the other from the door of the still house looking back inwards.
After the production area, we moved to the warehouse where we learned about the casks and the Chivas Regal blend. It was here that we had the first sample, which was the Strathisla 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. My only criticism of this, was that the warehouse was quite cool, and so was the whisky. Whisky is like brandy or cognac whereby chilling it, makes it close up and lose flavour, which is also why it is best not to add ice to Scotch.
After this we moved onto the fancy new tasting room where there was three whiskies to try:
- Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
- Chivas Regal Extra Blended Scotch Whisky
- Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Gold Signature Blended Scotch Whisky
I've toured Strathisla before and it is a very consistent experience; it is always very good. Todays tour was no different.
History
Strathisla distillery is the oldest continuously operating distillery in Scotland. It was founded as the Milltown Distillery by George Taylor and Alexander Milne in 1786 as an alternative to the waning of flax dressing industry. He leased the land from the Earl of Seafield.
By 1830, the distillery was owned by William Longmore, later William Longmore Ltd. In 1879, the distillery suffered terribly from a fire, but was rebuilt with a bottling plant. Bought in 1940 by Jay Pomeroy, a fraudulent financier, it was later acquired in 1950 by James Barclay of Chivas Bros.
