Still life: the rise of Brora

It’s no secret that the 1980s was a brutal stretch for the Scotch industry, with several distilleries forced to shutter their doors, rugged buildings abandoned to weather the Scottish elements, and their unique nectars confined to the memories of those lucky enough to sample them. But a number of these lost whiskies enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the 2000s as ghost distillieries, when expressions once thought lost to history were re-bottled and re-sold, having been aged for upwards of three decades.

One such establishment has turned more heads than most; the legendary Brora, thought to have filled its last-ever cask in 1983, having built a significant and loyal following over its previous 202 years of operation. Brora’s single malt was key to the finest of Scotch blends and, enjoyed on its own, defined the ‘age of peat’. The prestige of its malt became clear when, in 2019, a bottle of Brora 1972 Limited Edition 40-Year-Old sold at Sotheby’s for a distillery record of £54,450.

By this point, the titanic hands of Diageo had already pledged to restore Brora it to its former glory and, in 2021, Stewart Bowman, son of the last exciseman at Brora, reopened the gates to fill the first casks in more than 38 years. The first release from the distillery, unveiled in April of that year, was the Brora Triptych – a three-piece collection of extremely rare single malt whiskies each representing a distinct style of Brora’s heritage.

Furthermore, Diageo’s £35m funding of the site has also involved a major investment in sustainable operations — Brora is a fully carbon neutral distillery, making it a rarity in the industry and helping Diageo achieve its lofty sustainability goals.

One year on, we speak exclusively to some of the key figures behind the distillery’s revival and find out what makes Brora so special. »

Jackie Robertson

Brora’s first ever female Master Distiller shares her passion for her craft

"I’ve always been inspired by the windswept coastlines of [Scotland’s] east coast and when the opportunity presented itself to work with a distillery such as Brora I knew that this would be a journey of a lifetime. The local community has always been integral to Brora, from the team that works at the distillery to the local businesses that support what we do. When the news broke that the distillery will be reopening, the local community was thrilled.

"Every part of the process is important, from the selection of the barley in the field to the malting process, mashing, fermentation and distillation and maturation, but the stills are particularly special as they are the same copper stills that were in place in 1983 when the distillery closed. They were refurbished and reinstated for the distillery’s revival. The stills play a large part in the final spirit of Brora. We only have two stills, one wash and one spirit, which means that the distillation process is slow and therefore the vapour interactions within the stills add to the complexity of Brora spirit.

"We are using all of our skill and knowledge to create fermentation, distillation and maturation regimes that meticulously produce a whisky that will match the character and quality of the illustrious Brora predecessors. We are at the very early stage of recreating the Brora spirit to match the quality and character of earlier releases. This means there is fine tuning to be carried out at each stage of the process. Distilleries have character and it takes time for them to allow you, as a distiller, to influence them."

Dr Craig Wilson

Brora’s Master Blender describes the distillery’s mystique and the flavours it became famous for

"Closed back in 1983, the quality and rarity of Brora’s whisky has driven its collectability. The value of bottles of Brora has increased significantly during this time, including when it was featured for the first time as part of the annual Special Releases Collection – and demand now exceeds the supply of this precious stock.

"To know you’re working with such an important part of whisky history is incredible. These casks have lain untouched for decades so it is great to be able to introduce them to the world. It’s always daunting working with such a revered whisky as Brora, there’s a great deal of pressure to do justice to the incredible craftsmanship at the distillery, and indeed the influence of time, which has shaped the individual whiskies into such spectacular examples [of Brora’s style].

"Brora is very unique for a Highland whisky, in that not only does it have that classic smokiness, but it also possesses a waxy character that is rarely found in modern whiskies. This not only adds a lovely tropical fruit note to the nose, but also gives a wonderful smooth, luxurious mouthfeel.

"We’ve spent considerable time and effort studying our archives and optimising the processes at the distillery, and as such we’re confident that the new Brora whiskies will sit amongst the best in the world, however we’ll have to wait two or three decades before we know for sure."

Adrienne Gammie

Diageo’s Global Brand Director for Malt Whiskies on the allure of Brora and its sustainable ethos

"The decision to restore Brora and Port Ellen was made in October 2017, partly as a response to the demands from whisky enthusiasts but also as a result of the strong growth in Single Malt Scotch and the opportunity to create a new generation of whisky consumers.

"Brora is now a carbon neutral distillery after the installation of a biomass boiler to provide energy for the original stills [left]. The biomass boiler is fuelled by woodchip from sustainable sources in the North of Scotland. This forms part of our ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ plan which will see Diageo achieve net zero carbon emissions across our direct operations and use 30% less water in every drink we make by 2030.

"In many decades time as the first new make whiskies from Brora are introduced to the world, I hope that this time in Scotch Malt Whisky history will be looked upon favourably. We are in an exciting period for the whisky industry with records being broken, ghosts reawakened and new distilleries opening and look forward to reflecting on it in years to come.

"The reopening demonstrates that while Scotch whisky remains first and foremost a wonderful drink that everyone enjoys, it can also be something elusive and timeless; a priceless treasure on par with the world’s greatest wines and champagne. Furthermore, it shows that the Scotch whisky industry now has the level of confidence to make such investments in its long- term future."

Tod L Bradbury

Justerini & Brooks’ head of rare & collectable whiskies on anticipating Brora’s future releases

"The Scotch whisky community has long been passionate about the revival of Brora with many of them holding long-harboured ambitions to one day see it back in production. Brora is known across the world for its exquisite whisky, so the news of its revival was received well. Not only does it produce outstanding whisky but it is an archive to a time gone by – so people were thrilled to hear that it was to be restored to its former glory.

"This distillery has been resurrected, brick by brick. It shows the confidence we have in its unique spirit and offering, and invokes a feeling of pride as we welcome future generations to the distillery to experience Brora in all its glory.

"Some of the most recent expressions that have come from Brora include bottlings within the Prima and Ultima collection, particularly the Brora 1981 from the third release, which is available to purchase as an individual bottle for the first time this year.

"This Brora 1981 is considered the rarest publicly available whisky from the distillery; a single malt that shows a more fragrant, less peated side to the classic style. Those who have also been lucky enough to visit the distillery have had the opportunity to purchase the distillery exclusive, the Brora 1982 39-Year-Old. A big, bold and waxy expression from this critically acclaimed distillery.

"It will be a number of years before Brora will release its first whiskies following its restoration but we do know that the restored spirit will honour the historic flavour profile from the distillery. I eagerly await our first tastings."