Diageo Reopens Scotland’s Brora Distillery After 38-Year Silence

Diageo has officially reopened its Brora Distillery in Sutherland, Scotland, which closed in 1983 amid a challenging period for the Scotch industry. Over the past three years, Brora has been restored as part of a £35 million ($50m) investment program that will also see the lost distillery of Port Ellen on Islay brought back into production.

Brora is among Diageo’s smallest distilleries, with capacity of 800,000 liters of spirit annually, and will welcome visitors in small numbers on a by-appointment basis. Under the restoration program, the 202-year-old Brora stillhouse was taken down and rebuilt stone-by-stone exactly as it was when new in 1819, Diageo said, and its original two copper pot stills were refurbished the company’s coppersmiths. It’s now a carbon neutral distillery entirely powered by on-site renewable energy.

Diageo is marking the reopening with a high-end collector’s set. Brora Triptych includes three extra-mature whiskies from the distillery’s previous life, packaged in 500-ml. bottles. The Trio is priced at £30,000 (around $41,265) and available at the distillery and abroad.—Daniel Marsteller

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