CAPPERDONICH DISTILLERY 12 yo

Wm. Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, founded in 1842 by George Duncan. His brother William Cadenhead joined the company in 1952, taking over after George’s death in 1958. The company got into the whisky bottling business after 1904, when his nephew Robert Duthie took over, and since its sale to J&A Mitchell in 1972, Wm. Cadenhead has become on of the most sought after names in whisky. Its Authentic Collection is the flagship brand, but the portfolio of the company has expanded in recent years with labels like this.

Caperdonich was the first of the ‘extension’ distilleries built next to the original plant when demand began to rise. Originally and prosaically known as Glen Grant No.2, it was constructed across the road from its big sister in 1898 – a clear demonstration of the popularity of a whisky which has strong claims to be the first global single malt brand. The timing was not, however, ideal. The wild enthusiasm of the 1890s gave way to the despair of the start of the new century when demand slumped. It was the first great demonstration of whisky’s cyclical nature.

Like the majority of the distilleries built in this period, [see Imperial, Benriach] it closed soon after its being established, in Caper’s case in 1902. Although its kiln, malting floors, and warehouses operated, the stills lay silent, a chill reminder of over-optimism.

Then, in 1965, another boom and Glen Grant’s burgeoning trade with Italy resulted in demand for more juice. An expansion in 1967 saw the stills increased from two to four, while in 1977 it finally got its own name.

It ran until 2002, the year after Pernod Ricard acquired it. The site was sold to Forsyth’s, the coppersmiths, whose premises are next door. In 2011, it was demolished to allow the firm to expand their business. One pair of stills went to the Belgian Owl distillery, the others are intended to be installed at the new Falkirk distillery.