The iconic ghost distillery had undergone a meticulous three-year restoration as part of Diageo’s £35million investment programme
A select group of whisky fans around the world gathered virtually yesterday (May 19) to witness Scotch whisky history in the making: the reopening of iconic ‘ghost’ distillery Brora in Sutherland, Scotland. The 202-year-old distillery shuttered its doors for good in 1983 after a challenging period in the whisky industry. Since then, it has gained legendary status with historic bottlings such as the Brora 1972 Limited Edition 40-Year-Old, which was sold as part of Sotheby’s Ultimate Whisky Auction in 2019 for a record £54,450 (S$102,520).
Considered one of the lost icons of the whisky world, Diageo announced in 2017 its plans to bring back Brora Distillery through a massive £35 million investment plan that will also restore another acclaimed silent distillery, Port Ellen on Islay.
“We have gone to every effort to replicate, as closely as possible, the conditions, equipment and processes from Brora in 1983 in order to recreate the spirit for which the distillery is famous,” explained master distiller Stewart Bowman, who’s also the son of Brora’s last exciseman.