The Singleton of Glen Ord
Brief about the distillery
The Singleton of Glen Ord is located in the heart of the Black Isle, close to Inverness and the North Coast 500, and is the brand’s only distillery that is open to visitors. Here you’ll find guided tours, tastings, and a new visitor experience, with a focus on balance in the whisky, the people behind it, and the calm, craft-driven way of working.
History
The Singleton tells its story through Glen Ord as a destination and through the whiskies that carry the name forward across distilleries. At Glen Ord, it’s the living production and the meeting with guests that take centre stage, while the brand’s other releases show the range from the classic Dufftown line to Glen Ord’s more experimental special releases. The Dufftown products point to a history of distillation dating back to 1896, and they are highlighted as an important expression of the brand’s style: well-balanced, smooth and approachable. The Glen Ord page also emphasizes the new visitor format, where you can taste Distillery Expressions and meet the people who work with whisky. The Gourmand collection marks a newer chapter in the story. Here, three 42-year-old whiskies were created with a 29-year long secondary maturation, the longest in The Singletons history, and the release shows how far the brand is willing to go when the goal is to shape flavour through time and cask selection.
Raw materials and production
Maltings are carried out with Gently malting flavourful barley.
Distillation takes place at Fermentation to distillation is highlighted as part of the process, with a focus on careful production and slow craft.
Special production characteristics include Slow craft and precision, Secondary maturation and cask layering are used in the Gourmand collection, Hand selection of a combination of casks, a focus on balanced whisky and Visitors can see the historical production areas.
Maturation and cask types
Maturation is one of The Singletons most distinctive hallmarks. Core-range whiskies appear well-balanced and smooth, but the special releases go further in their cask work. Autumn Walk is first matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon and then partially finished on Pyrenean and Spanish oak cask ends, giving it a drier, spicier direction. Special Release 2023 uses Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks, which add buttery oak, fruit and a silk-soft texture. In the 2025 release, mezcal and sherry meet in a bolder interplay with salt, spice and fruit. The highlight is the Gourmand collection, where 29 years of secondary maturation and cask layering create an unusual depth. Here, new European oak, American oak, European oak used in Spanish bodegas, ex-Grand Cru Chardonnay and ex-Amarone all play a role in shaping a dessert-like, opulent whisky.
Whiskies
The range spans the classic Dufftown releases to Glen Ord specialities and the very exclusive Gourmand collection. The Dufftown line stands as the most approachable core range with 12, 15 and 18 year old single malts, all built on balance, fruit, nuts and a clean, dry finish. The Glen Ord page shows the more experimental side of the brand, where Special Releases and other limited editions work with clear cask choices and a more distinctive aromatic expression. The Gourmand collection is something special: three 42-year-old whiskies, shaped by patisserie inspiration and created to show how far The Singleton can go towards refined, dessert-like complexity.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and style | Flavour profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 12 Year Old | A smooth, rich and approachable malt for new whisky drinkers.; Nose: Roasted nuts, blackcurrant, brown sugar and coffee, with notes of toasted hazelnut, baked apples and sweet dates.; Palate: Blackcurrant, brown sugar, coffee, sweet fruit and rich vanilla.; Finish: Elegantly drying and crisp. | Current; Core range | ||
| The Singleton of Dufftown 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 15 Year Old | Balance, smooth and lightly dry in expression.; Nose: Toffee apples, honeycomb, ripe autumn fruits, red berry sharpness, malt, cereal, golden syrup and a light waxy note with sweet chestnut and glace angelica.; Palate: Sweet start, then drying finish, with malty and oaty base notes, fresh fruit salad, spicy and floral top notes.; Finish: Drying with pears, digestive biscuits and delicately spiced aniseed. | Current; Core range | ||
| The Singleton of Dufftown 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 18 Year Old | An award-winning, lush and very smooth whisky.; Nose: Stewed fruits, ripe autumn apples, rich berry fruits, roasted nuts, vanilla, toffee, chocolate and caramel.; Palate: Dark toffee, nuts, gentle mint, rhubarb, apple juice, almond biscuit, woody and lightly spicy notes with cocoa bitterness.; Finish: Longer, drying oakiness with stewed-fruit freshness and wood-smoke spiced with faint black pepper. | Current; Core range | ||
| The Singleton of Glen Ord Autumn Walk | Single Malt Whisky; Spirited Xchange Second Edition | 54.7 % | 14 Year Old | First-fill ex-Bourbon casks; finish: Part-finished with Pyrenean and Spanish oak cask ends | The expression is developed in a drier, spicier style with fresh fruit, aromatic and grassy notes as well as vanilla, toffee and spice.; Nose: Orange cream cake filling, becoming orange sponge cake with vanilla.; Palate: Creamy, tooth-coating, sweet then tart, with Seville orange peel and peppery spiciness.; Finish: Long, warming and spicy with mouth-cooling aftertaste. | Limited |
| The Singleton 14 Year Old Special Releases 2023 Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 14 Year Old | Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks; finish: Finished in Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks | Bottled at natural cask strength and described as a whisky with a silky, amber character and lush, bountiful flavour.; Nose: Buttery oak, juicy golden apples and pears.; Palate: Sweet hints of ripe yellow fruit and smooth toffee.; Finish: Velvet-smooth and silky. | Limited | |
| The Singleton Glen Ord Into the Blue Special Releases 2025 Single Malt Whisky | Single Malt Whisky | 55 % | 17 Year Old | Mexican ex-mezcal casks and Second-fill Spanish sherry casks | An experimental blend of two The Singleton of Glen Ord liquids with mezcal and sherry casks.; Nose: Mild, dry and aromatic with oriental spices, mezcal-like vegetal notes and hints of raisin fruit.; Palate: Smooth, sweet and slightly salty with rich ginger notes.; Finish: Long, savoury and warmly spicy with white pepper. | Coming |
| The Singleton Gourmand Collection Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; The Gourmand Collection | 42 Year Old | New European Oak casks, American Oak casks, European Oak used in Spanish bodegas, ex-Grand Cru Chardonnay casks and ex-Amarone della Valpolicella cask; finish: Finished in ex-Grand Cru Chardonnay casks and Finished in ex-Amarone della Valpolicella cask | Three 42-year-old whiskies inspired by patisserie, created through the longest secondary maturation in the brand’s history.; Nose: Fig, dark chocolate, cocoa, spice, berries, vanilla.; Palate: Caramelised crème brûlée with vanilla custard, scorched sugar, nutty and spicy notes; black cherry gâteau with black cherries, vanilla, chocolate, dark fruits and pepper.; Finish: Smooth, opulent and dessert-like. | Limited; 136 bottles |
The whisky style and flavour profile
The Singletons style moves from matured fruit and nuts to vanilla, toffee and a more spiced, dry finish picture. In the Dufftown releases you’ll find blackcurrant, brown sugar, coffee, roasted nuts, stewed fruits, ripe autumn apples, vanilla, toffee, cocoa and wood-smoke. In the Glen Ord specialities, citrus, Seville orange peel, ginger, pepper and aromatic spices come through more clearly, while the Gourmand collection unfolds dark chocolate, fig, caramelised crème brûlée, vanilla custard, black cherry, dark fruits and black pepper. Overall, it points to a whisky family where sweetness, fruit and spice are kept in a tight balance.
Visiting the distillery
The Singleton of Glen Ord is open to visitors year-round with guided tours and whisky tasting experiences. There is a new visitor experience, and guests can also use the bar and deli on opening days. Advance booking is strongly recommended, and tour dates are normally released about 90 days in advance. Opening hours are May to August 10:00–18:00 and September to April 10:00–17:00; the bar and deli are open a little shorter. The visit is made relatively accessible with a ramped tour route, accessible parking, accessible toilets and a Changing Places WC. Groups can be up to 16 people, and children under 8 years old do not join the tour.
The stated opening hours are May – August: Monday – Sunday 10:00 – 18:00. September – April: Monday – Sunday 10:00 – 17:00. Bar and deli: May – August 10:00 – 17:30; September – April 10:00 – 16:30. Advanced booking is highly recommended, and tour dates are normally released about 90 days ahead.
Philosophy and craft
The Singleton clearly works according to the principles of slow craft, precision and balance. Hand-picking casks, careful cask layering and long secondary maturation are used as concrete tools to shape the flavour. The brand wants to stand behind whiskies where every drop is thought of as the result of time, calm and a very deliberate choice of casks rather than quick fixes.
Sustainability
The Blair Athol site mentions gold certification from Green Tourism for sustainable practices.
Recycling pot ale syrup into animal feed saves 850 tank movements and 15,000 litres of water per week.
Using old pallets and discarded materials to create wildlife boxes to improve biodiversity.
Latest news
The Singleton Gourmand Collection launches as a three-part 42-year-old release – 2025-04-07
The Singleton presents three 42-year-old whiskies inspired by patisserie, created with the longest secondary maturation in the brand’s history and launched as a very limited trio of 136 bottles.