The Story
26 years in the cask. From a distillery that no longer exists. One of the rarest Speyside single malts you can buy.
Pittyvaich distillery operated for just 18 years — from 1975 to 1993 — before being demolished in 2002. It produced whisky for only a fraction of the time its neighbors did, and very little of it was ever bottled as a single malt. What remained was tucked away in warehouses, quietly aging long after the stills went cold.
Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. specializes in exactly this: finding forgotten barrels of exceptional whisky and bringing them to market before they're gone. The Forager's Keep is one of their most compelling releases — a 26-year-old single malt from Pittyvaich, bottled at 48% ABV with enough age to develop real complexity while retaining the fruit-forward character the distillery was known for. It has outlived its own distillery by over three decades.
For collectors and serious Scotch drinkers, this is the kind of bottle that doesn't come around twice. When it's gone, there is no more Pittyvaich 26 Year.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Warm amber with golden highlights.
- Aroma: Fresh red apple, ripe stone fruit, and a gentle vanilla creaminess. Light and inviting with a subtle floral lift.
- Palate: Mellow and warming. Crisp apple transitions into distant orange peel, soft wood spices, and a natural sweetness that speaks to the long maturation.
- Finish: Clean and extended — minty green apple, dry oak, and a balanced fade that lingers without bitterness.
Specs
- Category: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Distillery: Pittyvaich (closed 1993, demolished 2002)
- Region: Speyside, Scotland
- Age: 26 years
- ABV: 48%
- Size: 750ml
- Bottler: Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co.
Explore the full Orphan Barrel collection or browse all Scotch whisky at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Pittyvaich distillery? Pittyvaich was a Speyside distillery that operated from 1975 to 1993, making it one of the shorter-lived distilleries in Scottish whisky history. It was demolished in 2002. Because so little of its spirit was ever bottled as a single malt, aged expressions like this one are exceptionally rare and will not be reproduced.
- What does Orphan Barrel do? Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. sources forgotten or overlooked barrels of aged whisky from distilleries around the world — including closed ones — and bottles them under their own label. Each release is finite by nature: once the barrels are emptied, that expression is gone permanently.
- How does the Forager's Keep 26 Year compare to other Orphan Barrel releases? Most Orphan Barrel releases focus on American bourbon and rye. The Forager's Keep is one of their few Scotch expressions, making it distinctive within the portfolio. At 26 years from a closed Speyside distillery, it's also among the most age-significant releases they've produced.
- Is the Forager's Keep a good investment? Whisky from closed distilleries tends to appreciate as existing stock is consumed. Pittyvaich expressions are already sought after by collectors precisely because no new spirit can ever be made. That said, this is an exceptional whisky meant to be enjoyed — drink it or hold it, but acquiring it while it's available is the only option.
Description
26 years in the cask. From a distillery that no longer exists. One of the rarest Speyside single malts you can buy.
Pittyvaich distillery operated for just 18 years — from 1975 to 1993 — before being demolished in 2002. It produced whisky for only a fraction of the time its neighbors did, and very little of it was ever bottled as a single malt. What remained was tucked away in warehouses, quietly aging long after the stills went cold.
Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. specializes in exactly this: finding forgotten barrels of exceptional whisky and bringing them to market before they're gone. The Forager's Keep is one of their most compelling releases — a 26-year-old single malt from Pittyvaich, bottled at 48% ABV with enough age to develop real complexity while retaining the fruit-forward character the distillery was known for. It has outlived its own distillery by over three decades.
For collectors and serious Scotch drinkers, this is the kind of bottle that doesn't come around twice. When it's gone, there is no more Pittyvaich 26 Year.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Warm amber with golden highlights.
- Aroma: Fresh red apple, ripe stone fruit, and a gentle vanilla creaminess. Light and inviting with a subtle floral lift.
- Palate: Mellow and warming. Crisp apple transitions into distant orange peel, soft wood spices, and a natural sweetness that speaks to the long maturation.
- Finish: Clean and extended — minty green apple, dry oak, and a balanced fade that lingers without bitterness.
Specs
- Category: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Distillery: Pittyvaich (closed 1993, demolished 2002)
- Region: Speyside, Scotland
- Age: 26 years
- ABV: 48%
- Size: 750ml
- Bottler: Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co.
Explore the full Orphan Barrel collection or browse all Scotch whisky at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Pittyvaich distillery? Pittyvaich was a Speyside distillery that operated from 1975 to 1993, making it one of the shorter-lived distilleries in Scottish whisky history. It was demolished in 2002. Because so little of its spirit was ever bottled as a single malt, aged expressions like this one are exceptionally rare and will not be reproduced.
- What does Orphan Barrel do? Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. sources forgotten or overlooked barrels of aged whisky from distilleries around the world — including closed ones — and bottles them under their own label. Each release is finite by nature: once the barrels are emptied, that expression is gone permanently.
- How does the Forager's Keep 26 Year compare to other Orphan Barrel releases? Most Orphan Barrel releases focus on American bourbon and rye. The Forager's Keep is one of their few Scotch expressions, making it distinctive within the portfolio. At 26 years from a closed Speyside distillery, it's also among the most age-significant releases they've produced.
- Is the Forager's Keep a good investment? Whisky from closed distilleries tends to appreciate as existing stock is consumed. Pittyvaich expressions are already sought after by collectors precisely because no new spirit can ever be made. That said, this is an exceptional whisky meant to be enjoyed — drink it or hold it, but acquiring it while it's available is the only option.
