Caledonian Whisky Distillery

About the distillery

Caledonian was located in Haymarket in Edinburgh and was a large Scottish grain distillery, better known as The Cally. It was among the country’s biggest in the early 20th century and closed in 1988. Today, only parts of the site remain, but the name is still well known among whisky people, not least because no original bottlings ever came from the distillery’s own lifetime.

History

Caledonian was founded in 1855 by Graham Menzies in Haymarket in Edinburgh as the Edinburgh Distillery and produced grain whisky. In 1884, the distillery became part of Distiller Company Ltd., and the new affiliation sharpened the company’s role in the grain market and in blends. From 1966, operations were handled by Scottish Grain Distillers Ltd, and in 1988 the distillery closed for good. After the closure, the production facility was partially demolished in 1997, while the preserved part of the building complex later came under monument protection. The chimney still stands as a visible landmark for a distillery that was once among Scotland’s heaviest grain producers.

Raw materials and production

Caledonian was a grain distillery that made whisky in Haymarket in Edinburgh. The water came from the nearby Union Canal, and the distillery’s workhorse was a 1000-gallon coffey still, which at the time was among the largest of its kind. This points to production built around continuous distillation and large volumes rather than the classic pot still tradition. The text does not describe a malting floor or a special mashing/fermentation practice, but it makes it clear that Caledonian was set up for grain whisky and thus for a style where the technical plant and the water supply were absolutely central.

Whiskies

There is no actual current range from Caledonian, because the distillery is closed. What is associated with the name today is especially independent bottlings and a few special releases, which are based on the remaining casks from the closed distillery. That makes Caledonian a name with historical and collecting appeal rather than a living core range.

General flavor profile

Visit the distillery

Caledonian cannot be visited as a functioning distillery. There is no public tour, no tastings, no visitor centre, and no shop or restaurant connected to the production. The former distillery building complex, however, is still partly preserved in Haymarket as a listed building complex, where the distinctive chimney can be seen from a distance.