Scotland
Lagavulin 16
Established on the southern coast of Islay in 1816, on a site associated with illicit distilling for at least a century beforehand.
An Independent Educational Publication
Exploring the Heritage of Whisky
A collection of articles dedicated to the history, craftsmanship and traditions behind some of the world's most recognised whisky distilleries.
About This Publication
This is an independent educational resource. The Whisky Chronicle explores the history, production methods and cultural significance of whisky distilleries from around the world. There is no commercial intent. No products are sold or promoted here.
Distillery Histories
Editorial profiles of five historically significant distilleries.
Ireland
Redbreast 12
The leading documented example of Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, a production style developed in Ireland during the nineteenth century.
Japan
Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Created by Suntory, whose Yamazaki distillery of 1923 was the first malt whisky distillery established in Japan.
Scotland
The Macallan 12 Double Cask
Licensed in 1824 on the Easter Elchies estate beside the River Spey, among the first legal distilleries in Scotland.
Scotland
Glenmorangie 18
Founded in 1843 at Morangie Farm near Tain, and historically notable for the exceptional height of its pot stills.
From the Archive
History
The Origins of Scotch Whisky
From the monastic aqua vitae of 1494, through the illicit distilling era and the Excise Act of 1823, to the Victorian expansion.
History
Understanding Japanese Whisky
Masataka Taketsuru's studies in Scotland, the founding of Yamazaki in 1923, and a century of distinctly Japanese production philosophy.
History
The Story Behind Irish Whiskey
Medieval monastic origins, the Victorian era when Irish whiskey led the world, near-collapse in the twentieth century, and revival.
Whisky Regions
Speyside
The valley of the River Spey, the most densely distilled region in Scotland.
Islay
A Hebridean island whose peat reserves shaped a distinct production tradition.
Scottish Highlands
The largest and most geographically varied of Scotland's whisky regions.
Ireland
Home of the Single Pot Still tradition and the world's first licensed distillery.
Japan
A twentieth-century industry built on Scottish method and Japanese philosophy.
Kentucky
The historical centre of American bourbon production.
Traditional Production Methods
The copper pot still reached Europe through medieval Arabic scholarship and was adapted in Scotland and Ireland over several centuries. Its shape, height and rate of heating govern how much vapour returns to the pot rather than reaching the condenser. The methods recorded in nineteenth-century distillery surveys remain recognisable in working distilleries today.