Two hundred and fifty years ago, it was illegal to make Scotch whisky. Distilleries were forced to hide or were shuttered if discovered. Nevertheless, King George IV loved whisky.

While visiting Scotland, he was impressed by its whisky distillers and introduced the Excise Act in 1823. It set licensing fees for stills, defined duty levels, and allowed warehouses to store whisky. Over 167 distilleries were licensed in 1824 but only a handful of them remain operational today.

In 2024, six Scotch whisky distilleries are celebrating their bicentennial year: The Glenlivet, The Macallan, Fettercairn, Miltonduff, Cardhu, and Balmenach.

Miltonduff – Ballantine’s Bicentennial Scotch Whisky

Miltonduff, a Speyside-based distillery known for its inclusion in many great blended Scotches, including Ballantine’s, has released its oldest single malt – a 41-year-old whisky matured in Sherry oak casks that was distilled in 1982.

After acquiring Miltonduff Distillery, Pernod Ricard invested in its production capacity. A report by the BBC said “Miltonduff’s expansion will consist of a new “sustainable distillery” built next to the existing facility. The distillery, which will include a bio plant and evaporator, will add 10 million liters of alcohol per year to total production capacity.”

In 2005, Pernod Ricard bought the distillery and it is now operated under their subsidiary Chivas Brothers.

Cardhu- 200 Years of Femine Spirits

This year, Speyside distillery Cardhu launched a 12-year-old single malt to celebrate both its bicentennial and International Women’s Day.

In a first for the distillery, the expression was matured exclusively in ex-wine casks, bringing notes of fresh berries, blackcurrants, cinnamon spice, demerara sugar, and dark chocolate to the nose and palate.

This release was inspired by Helen and Elizabeth Cumming, Cardhu’s ‘original female pioneers’. Helen is pictured with a red flag, which she reportedly used to signal nearby distillers to hide their illicit stills from authorities.

Cardhu distillery manager Roselyn Burnett said: “Cardhu has a history of pioneering women at its forefront, something unheard of when the distillery began 200 years ago. It took innovation and courage to go against the grain in the way the Cumming family did, and with this in our heritage it was only right we did something bold to celebrate such an anniversary.”

Balmenach – Celebrating in Silence

The last distillery on our list to reach the bicentennial milestone is… doing nothing. The distillery hasn’t announced any celebrations or special releases, but the year isn’t over yet. This may seen as pretty normal for the distillery, given the note on their About Us page.

“We don’t do things like other gin makers. Since 2009, Caorunn Gin has been handcrafted in small batches at Balmenach Distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Our unique blend of 5 handpicked Celtic botanicals & 6 classic gin botanicals are distilled in the world’s only working Copper Berry Chamber to extract maximum flavour.

“That’s not just ingenious, that’s Gin Genius. If you ever needed another excuse to visit the beautiful Speyside region of the Scottish Highlands, this is it. Not only is our home Balmenach Distillery set in a spectacular backdrop, but our guided tour takes you on a journey to learn firsthand how our Copper Berry Chamber distillation process sets us apart from the rest.”