Pittyvaich 12 Year Old James Macarthur 1980s
75cl / 53.5%
£399 Last one
| Country | scotland |
| Region | Speyside |
| Established | 1974 |
| Owner | Diageo |
| Type | Malt |
| Number of stills | |
| Visitor center | No |
| Status | Closed |
| Phone | n/a |
Pittyvaich Distillery is a closed Scotch whisky distillery that stood near Dufftown, Speyside, Scotland. It was built in 1974 by Arthur Bell & Sons and closed in 1993, and the site was later demolished. Pittyvaich was one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland during its short working life, built purely to supply malt whisky for blends rather than to develop a single malt brand of its own.
Pittyvaich was constructed in 1974 directly alongside the existing Dufftown Distillery, sharing its site and water sources (the Bailliemore and Convalleys springs) on the outskirts of Dufftown in the heart of Speyside. It was commissioned by Arthur Bell & Sons, the owners of the popular Bell's blended Scotch, purely to boost malt whisky output for blending at a time of strong demand for blended Scotch. Like many "sister" distilleries built next to an older plant in this period, Pittyvaich was never intended to build its own single malt following; almost all of its spirit was earmarked for Bell's and other blends.
Ownership passed to Guinness after its takeover of Arthur Bell & Sons in 1985, and the distillery subsequently became part of United Distillers (later Diageo) following Guinness's merger with Distillers Company. An official single malt bottling did eventually appear in 1991, not long before the distillery's closure, and independent bottlers including Signatory Vintage and Cadenhead's had already released Pittyvaich as a single malt prior to that.
Pittyvaich was closed in 1993 as United Distillers rationalised its malt whisky production capacity, a fate shared by several other distilleries of the era whose output had been geared almost entirely towards blending rather than single malt sales. Unlike many mothballed Scottish distilleries, Pittyvaich was not preserved: the buildings were demolished in 2002, and today only the bonded warehouses remain on the site next to Dufftown Distillery, which continues to operate. Because Pittyvaich was never a major single malt brand and produced spirit for only around two decades, original bottlings — whether the 1991 official release or the various independent bottlings from Signatory Vintage, Cadenhead's, and other bottlers — are scarce and sought after by collectors of "ghost" distillery whiskies today.
Pittyvaich distillery is located at Dufftown, Moray, Speyside, Scotland.
Pittyvaich distillery was founded in 1974.
Pittyvaich distillery is owned by Diageo.
Pittyvaich distillery is from Speyside, scotland.
You can buy Pittyvaich whisky at Glenbotal.co.uk. We currently stock 1 bottle with free UK delivery on orders over £99.
Last reviewed:
75cl / 53.5%
£399 Last one
About Glenbotal
The idea of Glenbotal came to us naturaly: as whisky lovers, we were always on the lookout for new experiences in the whisky world. That’s why we created Glenbotal and became our very own first customers. We buy unique and hard to find spirits from auctions, ballots, and private collections. Then, we share them with a small circle of friends and people who can appreciate a good dram.