Glen Garioch reopens after £6m Beam Suntory investment

Spirits producer Beam Suntory has reopened Highland Scotch whisky distillery Glen Garioch following a £6 million (US$7.9m) renovation of the facility.

By Kate Malczewski

After two years of closure, Glen Garioch’s Oldmeldrum Distillery is once again open to public – and it has received a multi-million-pound makeover.

The funds were used to reinstate traditional processes at the distillery, including the reintroduction of floor maltings and the installation of direct-fired heating to the wash still.

The whisky maker has also developed a new and ‘highly efficient’ method for direct-fired distillation, forecast to cut the distillery’s carbon footprint by about 15%.

“It’s been amazing to reopen the distillery up to the public after all this time, and especially to show them all the work that has been done so far to reinstate our traditional processes and drive towards our vision of a more sustainable future,” said Kwanele Mdluli, distillery manager at Glen Garioch.

To coincide with the reopening, Glen Garioch has unveiled a 1991 Bourbon Single Cask. Sitting at 46.4% ABV, the expression offers a sweet, nutty nose with dried fruits, white peach and oak spices. The palate features notes of heather honey, vanilla cream, salted toffee and roasted walnuts.

The distillery has created a ‘bottle your own’ experience around the whisky, allowing visitors to draw the liquid straight from the barrel.

“It’s truly an exciting and milestone moment for Glen Garioch as we open this new chapter in our history and invite others to share a dram of our iconic whisky,” Mdluli concluded.