James Fleming was the founder of the Aberlour Distillery. Son to a local tenant farmer, James decided to become a grain dealer with many whiskey distillers as his customers. Through this he then decided to distil his own whiskey & acquired the land at Aberlour with its priceless water. He set it up in 1879 & within a year he had his first drops of whisky. Now the distillery produces 3.2 million litres of alcohol each year. The water used to make Aberlour is one of the most important ingredients. The crystal clear spring water that cascades down the slopes of Ben Rinnes, & makes its way from there along the lour valley to the distillery, it is the lifeblood of Aberlour Malt Whisky. It is during the maturation process that the developing whisky takes on its individual characteristics. Much of this is determined on how long the whiskey is allowed to mature & the type of cask used. Most Aberlour's go through double maturation in both ex bourbon cask & ex sherry butts, after being matured it is time for ageing the whisky. The American Bourbon casks produce a sweet vanilla like aroma & golden colour, which varies in intensity according to the length of period of maturation. Whisky matured in ex sherry casks is more full-bodied, with sweeter, spicier overtones & a rich amber hue.