Raising spirits: How this ‘ghost’ distillery in Scotland came back to life
Comeback tales aren't just the stuff of Hollywood flicks. In the Scotch manufacture, a long-expressionless whisky distillery is about to be resurrected: Brora, a shuttered or ghost distillery in the Scottish Highlands, is gear up to reopen this September. Its stills will start firing upwardly again, its vats groaning in one case more than.
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The reopening is an event that is eagerly anticipated by fans e'er since Diageo – the beverage giant that acquired Brora in 1997 – announced in October 2022 that information technology would be bringing the distillery back to life.
Built in 1819 (and known as Clynelish until 1968), Brora was known for producing peated whiskies to supply to blenders in the 1970s and 1980s. The subsequent 'whisky loch', a crisis brought by economical doldrums and excess whisky inventories, spurred the closure of many distilleries – Brora shut its doors in 1983.
In 2002, Diageo launched a Special Release bottling, a 30 Yr Old from Brora's former stock, marking the get-go of an almanac tradition. The Special Releases accept since been highly sought afterward by whisky aficionados; a post-obit that has contributed to the cult of Brora and, ultimately, Diageo'due south decision to reopen the shuttered distillery.
Brora isn't the but ghost distillery to be revived – Port Ellen, another Diageo acquisition, is slated for a 2022 reopening. Diageo has spared no expense, investing £35 one thousand thousand (Due south$62 million) in the restoration of these distilleries.
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Given the age of the Brora distillery, a comprehensive survey was carried out on the building to identity areas that needed work. Sections that needed repair were dismantled and rebuilt. The distillery's iconic pagoda roof was besides removed and restored by the applied science squad before being reinstalled.
The distillery's original copper pot stills have also been refurbished by Diageo's coppersmiths at Abercrombie. The refurbished stills will produce around 800,000 litres of whisky per yr; a volume that pays homage to the distillery's small-batch production of the past.
"The Diageo archive holds comprehensive and celebrated information on the previous distillation regimes of Brora, which accept been used to guide our piece of work in the new distillery," said Stewart Bowman, the distillery manager overseeing Brora'southward revival. Bowman himself is also a native of Brora, the village from which the distillery took its name.
"Nosotros practise too recognise that applied science has moved on and where appropriate, we will use innovation to ensure we have the most energy-efficient and consequent quality production possible, while still honouring the artistry of age quondam craftsmanship [that's been] passed downwardly through the last 2 centuries."
As in the original distillery, a seawater cooling system will aqueduct cooling h2o to the condenser, with greater efficiency than its predecessor. Spent lees will be disposed of to the sea through an existing effluent line to a long body of water outfall, and solid by-products will be sold as animate being feed.
"Nosotros spent a lot of fourth dimension looking through old product records and speaking to former distillery workers to bring the iconic malt whisky back to life," said Bowman.
Diageo, however, is mum about whether Brora will go on to roll out its coveted Special Releases afterward the new distillery opens its doors. "We are always asked this question, to which the answer is: We are not maxim how much stock we take left, or when the last bottles [from old stock] will be released," said Bowman.
The first Brora to exist released from the reopened distillery will exist a 12 Year Old – subsequent releases will be older expressions. The folks at Diageo remain coy about the mode of the new 12 Twelvemonth Sometime, noting that they will "produce whisky that will match the character and quality of its illustrious predecessors".
Just there are clues. Diageo mentioned in its media release that the new distillery will most likely get its malt from the maltings at Glen Ord distillery, which already makes peated malt for Talisker and thus "has the capability to make peated malt for Brora". We'd wager that the 12 Year Old will be peaty but with a slightly toned down smokiness to entreatment to a wider range of drinkers.
Bowman acknowledges that they may need to "wait over a decade earlier we can see how shut the new whiskies are to the ones sitting in our warehouses today". He added, "Only that is part of the joyful experience of making Scotch whisky."
"We spent a lot of time looking through old product records and speaking to onetime distillery workers to bring the iconic malt whisky back to life." – Stewart Bowman
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/brora-whisky-ghost-distillery-scotland-re-open-251291
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