The Vision of James Fleming
I sometimes wonder what James Fleming would have
thought if he could stroll around the Aberlour distillery today.
It was his vision and determination which founded the whole enterprise
back in 1879, and over the years it must have changed quite a
bit - though he would still recognize most of the processes and
some of the machinery.
He reached his triumph as distiller by a roundabout
route. Born on a remote farm a few miles up the Spey Valley, he
was destined to help his father in raising beef cattle and growing
barley. But it soon became clear that his frame was too delicate
for the harsh labour of hill farming, and he took to office work
instead, setting up as a grain dealer in the 1850s.
In his quiet, steady way Fleming built up his little
empire, adding the roles of banker and miller until he had the
capital to launch his very own distillery. At this point he proved
that he was also shrewd, for he set his new venture on the banks
of the Lour burn, and thus gained the priceless asset of the crystal-pure
water which sprang from the little glen. From that day to this,
it has been a magic ingredient in Aberlour Single Malt.
That is certainly something James Fleming would
still recognize and be immensely proud of. His motto (which you
can see on his gravestone in Aberlour's churchyard) was a simple
one: "Let the Deed Show". He was not a vain or showy
man and wanted to be judged - if at all - simply on what he had
achieved. To have produced a great malt whisky like Aberlour was
quite an achievement!
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