The Cairn is one of the latest additions to the Speyside whisky landscape. Construction on the project began in 2020, and doors officially opened in 2022. Located near Grantown-on-Spey, the Cairn may be a new distillery, but it is owned and operated by Gordon & MacPhail, a company with a long and proud Scotch whisky heritage.
Gordon & MacPhail
Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) began as a grocery and wine merchant in 1895. Soon, the business began acquiring casks of Scotch whisky, and over the course of the 20th century, it firmly established itself as a leader in Scotch whisky bottling.
Gordon & MacPhail was an early pioneer of independent bottling. They sourced casks from distilleries across Scotland and bottled them under a Gordon & MacPhail label. Their Connoisseur’s Choice range launched in the 1970s, and the Distillery Labels series gave whisky lovers a taste of malt whiskies that were normally swallowed up by blends.
Back when I first began exploring whisky, G&M were a prominent name on the shelves of specialist retailers and always seemed to have access to spirits that other bottlers could only dream of. That all changed in 2024, when the company announced that it would be stepping away from the independent bottling world, for good.
Bottler to Distiller
In 1993, G&M became the owner of Benromach Distillery. For a time, the distilling and bottling arms of the business ran in harmony with one another, but the arrival of the Cairn Distillery in 2022, coupled with an increasingly congested independent bottling scene, pushed the company into a bold decision. Independently bottled Gordon & MacPhail whiskies will still be around for a while, as packed warehouses slowly empty towards the bottling hall, but the two distilleries will be the main focus, going forward.
The Cairn Distillery lies in the Cairngorms National Park. Named after a Cairn – a human-made stack of stones – the building is designed to blend in with the natural landscape around it. It’s still early days, but the Cairn has already launched its debut release – the three-year-old “First Peek”…
The Cairn First Peek Review
The Cairn First Peek is a limited edition, three-year-old single malt, and the first-ever release from the distillery. It aims to provide a snapshot of the progress made so far…
Tasting notes: Sherry-led nose with a slight sulphury touch. You definitely feel the boisterous power of youth. Baking spices, raisins, walnuts, leather… all the typical sherry notes. On the palate, there’s a similarly intense sherry vibe. Raisins, sultanas, currants, dark chocolate. Subtle spice. Maraschino cherries. Cranberries. Oak finish. You detect the heat of the 57% on the nose, but on the palate, it’s quite rounded and, dare I say it, smooth. Nowhere near as feisty as you might expect.
Thoughts: The casks certainly dominate the experience, and maybe that’s deliberately done, to cover up some of the imperfections of youth. You could argue, however, that this might not be the most effective way to provide a snapshot of the distillery’s progress. There’s not much to go on in terms of spirit character, and when so much of the flavour comes from the oak, it almost feels like the whisky could have been made anywhere. In fairness, it’s a tough thing to get right. G&M could let the spirit lead the way and risk an immature dram putting people off, or they could cover it up with cask impact and ensure customers get a pleasant drink to sip on. When you put it like that, it’s not much of a choice, really.
Price: £50. There’s often a risk of a heavy price tag with first releases. Thankfully, Gordon & MacPhail has chosen to operate within the realms of credibility. A sensible price for an enjoyable, if young, whisky.
Visit The Cairn Distillery Website here
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