OUR HISTORY
Since 1947, the family-owned Speyside Cooperage has produced the finest casks from the best American Oak. Today the cooperage continues to work and produce the age-old product, still using traditional methods and tools. Our skilled coopers and apprentices make and repair around 100,000 casks – barrels, hogsheads, butts, and puncheons.
All our skill goes into making top quality barrels to meet the requirements and expectations of spirit-makers all over the world.
Our aim is to ensure that barrels become a modern spirit-making instrument by combining age-old craftsmanship and state of the art techniques developed by our Research and Development Department. This and our dedication to our services have gradually persuaded us to use a broader range of oak sourced from different areas and set up businesses closer to our suppliers and customers throughout the world. Our Kentucky office was started in November 2010.
Although shipped across the world, many of the casks remain in America, providing a vital ingredient in Kentucky’s bourbon-making process.
SPEYSIDE COOPERAGE
In the heart of Speyside Malt Whisky Trail lies the Speyside Cooperage, the only working cooperage in the UK. Speyside Cooperage was founded by the Taylor family in 1947. Since 1947, Speyside Cooperage has produced the finest casks from the best American Oak. We are the largest independent Cooperage in the UK and as well as our home here in Craigellachie and now have cooperage branches in Alloa, Kentucky, and Ohio.
In the early 90’s the company had outgrown its initial premises in the heart of Craigellachie village and relocated in 1991 to our present location on the outskirts of Craigellachie. A year later we opened the Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre within the Cooperage complex offering a rare chance to view this ancient craft first hand. In 2008 Speyside Cooperage was taken over by Tonnellerie Francois Freres Group and we became part of their family of Cooperages and Stave Mills.
Today the cooperage continues to work and produce the age-old product, still using traditional methods and tools. Each year, it produces and repairs nearly 150,000 oak casks used by the surrounding Speyside Whisky distilleries, as well as distilleries throughout Scotland and the rest of the world.
SPEYSIDE COOPERAGE KY
As a branch of Speyside Cooperage, our location provides the highest quality ready for filling used bourbon barrels for breweries, distilleries, and wineries throughout the world. The KY branch is located 20 minutes from downtown Louisville, KY in Shepherdsville KY.
