Cardhu Distillery

Cardhu Distillery

Cardhu Distillery
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Share with us the story of the only malt distillery pioneered by a woman. The malt whisky produced here has a warmth and cleanliness of taste which experts describe as "silky" and is used in some of the award winning Johnnie Walker blends.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Jenny
    Los Angeles, California50 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful Whisky and Spectacular Place to Visit
    This place is very special! We absolutely loved our visit here. We did the "Cask Experience" for our honeymoon & it was spectacular. Our guide was very kind, friendly, & knowledgeable. The history of the distillery was very cool & the whisky tasting itself was definitely a 10/10. The whole experience from start to finish was so much fun. We had the best time at Cardhu & would absolutely recommend it. It's very much a must-see if you're visiting Speyside. Don't miss out on this place. It's wonderful!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 March 2024
  • Vivian
    11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cardhu offers the best whisky experience in Speyside!
    The rich history of this distillery is reason enough reason to visit Cardhu. But even if you’re not already encapsulated by the fascinating story of how women paved the way for whisky through the illicit stills era - the tour of the facility itself is incredible. The sights, smells, and information provided is fully comprehensive. Our guide, Alison, was knowledgeable, warm, and attentive. With a fantastic dram tasting at the end with a whisky cocktail included, the cherry on top was that staff remembered it was my husband’s birthday and had prepared a personalised birthday card for him along with an extra drink. I can’t say enough good things about our experience at Cardhu thanks to Alison and the team.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 March 2024
  • Shells - For Fun Sake Travel
    Sydney, Australia351 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Exactly what we hoped for at this iconic Scottish whisky maker!
    Fabulous experience. Booked directly, had the wonderful Alison as our tour guide. Alison was extremely knowledgable and had the most beautiful warm Scottish personality with a deep personal affinity having grown up in the area that shone through the whole experience. Very generous 6 drams ended our flavour journey tour. All in all exactly the kind of whisky experience we hoped for in Speyside at this iconic whisky institution!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 March 2024
  • David C
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What a Wonderful Tour!
    On a distillery tour with friends and this was our second stop. The polish really shows at this place, but doesn’t over power. Alison was an excellent tour guide and answered all our questions while presenting both the history and distillation process in compelling but easy to under terms. While the brand may be owned by a bigger company it feels small and authentic
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 22 March 2024
  • Alexander S
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice experience
    The tour begins with a film about the history of the distillery, followed by a visit to the production facilities, in between the production process is explained using smell samples and ingredients, then there is a tour of the production facilities and finally a tasting of the delicious whiskeys. Our guide Annie presented the content with great enthusiasm, had extensive specialist knowledge and answered all questions well. It was a lot of fun. I can highly recommend the tour.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 20 April 2024
  • Simon Bomton
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent tour
    Excellent tour experience, was so amazing to hear the historical journey that Cardhu has journeyed through. Annie was so clear with the information shared, so welcoming and so kind to be celebrated by Anne & Cardhu as I celebrated my 40th birthday!! Recommended for anyone in speyside to book in a tour!
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 27 April 2024
  • Jorimluijmes
    11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cardhu
    Nice tour of the distillery, you'll visit all of the fases of the crafting proces. The guide Kayla knew alot about the proces and was willing to answer all the questions. After the tour we had 3 different whiskys to taste and it ended with a cocktail.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 1 May 2024
  • Chris C
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful experiance.
    Fantastic experiance, very well done. Came in from western Canada and wasn’t sure what to expect. I would highly recommend this experiance. The drive is wonderful, the have friendly pet-able highland cows, and we learned a lot about the process of making whiskey. And of course, we really enjoyed the tasting.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 May 2024
  • Melissa M
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cask Experience
    We had a lovely trip to see the cask warehouse and pull our own samples for tasting. Our guide, Kristen, was lovely and informative. The history of the distillery was also very interesting to learn! The facility is absolutely beautiful.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 7 May 2024
  • German S
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience, must do in Scotland
    Great experience, we found the history of Cardhu inspirational. Anne did a great job explaining the whole process on how they make whisky. She haces great tips on how to taste and really appreciate the whisky. We took a tour, this was our third distillery to visit and it was definitely our favorite. We fell in loved with their whisky, really smooth and full of flavor.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles934 reviews
Excellent
763
Very good
126
Average
30
Poor
8
Terrible
7

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Guy_6754
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Friends
Having visited several distilleries this one stands out as one of the best. The guide Kirsten was exceptional, giving us lots of helpful information and using displays along the way to make the process of whisky production easy to understand.

I especially liked the animation explaining the unique history of the distillery.

Three drams are given at the end which you can take home if driving, and also a whisky cocktail which you can choose as a non-alcoholic version.

Overall I was very impressed with this distillery and can highly recommend it.
Written 17 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Klaus-Dieter de Marné
Grafing, Germany5,716 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Family
Cardhu [kaɾˈdu] is a whisky distillery near Cardow, Knockando, Banffshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. The current owner is Diageo.
The whisky from this distillery is an important part of the Johnnie Walker Blends. A 12-year-old, a 15-year-old, an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old single malt whiskey are released under their own label. In addition, there are small editions of the Special Cask Reserve, also a single malt whiskey and now also other bottlings without age indication, e.g. Amber Rock and Gold Reserve. As a Rare Malt, Cardhu has been bottled twice so far, in 1998 and 2000. From the independent bottler Signatory there is a 27-year-old bottled in 1999.

We had as part of our trip a voucher for a guided tour and tasting. That much time must be.
Automatically translated
Written 24 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alastair Kennedy
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Business
I am a Tour Guide in the Highlands and I took our first Japanese group to Cardhu on a snowy day in late November. The staff were very welcoming when we arrived. Carrie was our Guide and she did a great job. The Tour itself was awesome - a great video shown in one of the original buildings that now resembles a mini cinema. Tells the inspiring story of how a woman Elizabeth Cumming established Cardhu and the Distillerys early cooperation with Johnny Walker. Excellent smell test of various casks in the warehouse, with our Japanese sommelier nailing the red wine cask! Finished with a wonderful tasting and cocktail. In my opinion, one of the best whisky distillery visits in the north of Scotland. Will be top of my list for future visits.
Written 24 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary E
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
Very interesting distillery, fun tasting (we did the tasting challenge), and well stocked shop. Our guide Kirsten was very knowledgable and friendly and another staff member suggested a stroll up to the Loch which was very picturesque. We had a great time, highly recommend a visit to Cardhu!
Written 3 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Friends
We visited the distillery not knowing much about Cardhu. We left with a much more well rounded and in depth awareness of the history and heritage of the distillery. Our guide Lauren provided a first rate experience for us. It was great to be guided through the history of the distillery by someone from a younger generation. Showing that there is still the sense of pride and industry which forms such an integral part of the community and heritage of the Speyside region. This was a tasting experience that I would recommend to anyone coming up to the area and wanting to experience an in depth and wholesome tasting.
Written 7 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sertustar
Dubai, United Arab Emirates381 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Friends
Visited Cardhu as a group of 10 to just see the place and a have a few drams. The place is fantastic, the spiritual home of Johnnie Walker.

The tasting was very simple so I would recommend if you visit and have time (we didn't) do a tour or just sit at the bar and have a bit more complex whiskies.

Overall though, a brilliant place to see.
Written 25 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trail27050005142
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
A thoroughly enjoyable visit, very informative. Jessica our guide was very easy to listen to and gave a very good commentary on the history and the ways whisky is made at Cardhu. The information given particularly on the aromas and then the casks used was interesting and good to get the sensory examples as well. The tasting session was well presented with good detail of the 6 different varieties we were given to taste including the different characteristics of each one.
This visit was great value for money, and we got 10% off any purchases in the shop. Highly recommend it
Written 22 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michelle W
London, UK7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
The distillery is very pretty, set in an absolutely stunning backdrop of rolling hills. It was grat to learn the history of not only the distillery, but of Whisky in Scotland too. Jamie our guide was very knowledgeable. The whisky tasting was well done and delicious. And having the coos onsite is a great sight!
Written 13 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Em L
Cleveland Heights, OH7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
Ben was an awesome tour guide and I loved learning about the distilling process at Cardhu. I had a cask tasting which I would recommend as they let you draw the whisky up from the cask yourself and you get a sampling of different cask types, ages, and distilleries! Informative and great experience with Ben.
Written 15 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gurpreat Singh
Bolton, UK1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
After over 7 hours travel and plenty of expenditure from Manchester to Cardhu we (3 adults) where expecting a fantastic tour of Cardhu after purchasing the £22 tour experience, unfortunately for us we was not advised that 2 areas of the distillery where inaccessible (please note we booked our tour over the phone on the day of arrival 27/02/2020) and the tour was lacking a lot of information in comparison to other distilleries visited during our stay in Dufftown (stated duration 1hr actual tour duration 20mins). This experience was quite frustrating and of putting.
The Cardhu whisky has no fault but again during the tasting experience of 6 whiskies the dram provided was a disgrace in comparison to other distilleries who are less commercialised and who produce less whisky with lower profit margins, hence adding to our frustration during our tour.
Tour conducted by Isla (stated first tour guide) the assistant didn't support or encourage any further information to be given.
I don't believe this is common for Cardhu but our experience was very frustrating and I personally would not recommend a visit to Cardhu, this was also one of the more expensive tours we did during our visit and resulted in wasting our money.

Date of Visit: 27/02/2020
Time: Approx 15:00

Regards
Gurpreat Singh
Written 3 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CARDHU DISTILLERY (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews)

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