Legendary distillery to start producing whisky again

Yet the water of life that once flowed from Rosebank’s three copper stills in Falkirk is the sort that many whisky devotees would be delighted – and perhaps a little shocked given its rarity - to add to their collection.

Praised as one of the finest Lowland malts, treasured for its unusual triple distillation process and with a heritage entwined with the industrial ups and downs of the central belt, Rosebank Distillery fell silent in 1993 leaving fans scrabbling for the few remaining bottles and paying high prices for those they find.

But now, three decades since its doors slammed shut and thanks to a worldwide boom in demand for single malts – particularly ones with a rich story to tell - Rosebank is slowly being nudged back to life.

In recent weeks, new production equipment has arrived and been installed including the mash tun, some process tanks and the mill and grist case.

The coming weeks will see huge cranes lower the three new shiny copper stills into place – the originals went missing in mysterious circumstances over Christmas in 2008.

The gleaming stills will sit in front of huge glass windows above the roundabout – on show for passers-by – signifying a major milestone in a £12 million rejuvenation project that is expected to see the distillery back in operation by next summer and a new tourist attraction slap between the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies.

Having been silenced for 30 years, Rosebank is the latest in a small and exclusive group of ‘ghost’ distilleries to be revived for a modern age.

Two hundred miles north in Sutherland, Brora Distillery, originally built in 1819 and named Clynelish until 1975, was silenced 40 years ago as a glut of spirit, known as “the whisky loch”, overwhelmed demand and triggered a spate of distillery closures.

Said to have been like a ‘time capsule’ inside, it reopened last year following a three-year £35 million restoration that saw the stillhouse meticulously rebuilt using local Brora stone, the stills refurbished by hand by Diageo’s coppersmiths in Alloa, and a traditional rake-and-plough mash tun installed.

In a nod back to times gone by, the mash tun processes malted barley from Glen Ord maltings, just as it did in years gone by.

Owners Diageo also have plans to reignite the dormant Port Ellen Distillery on Islay, reconstructing the kiln building with its distinctive pagoda chimney tops, and installing new stills.

However, it is Rosebank, owned by Ian Macleod Distillers and with a history that mirrors the growth, demise and then rebirth of the nearby canal that once brought grain and took away whisky, that looks set to be Scotland’s newest oldest distillery.

Rosebank Distillery manager, Malcolm Rennie, is no stranger to giving the kiss of life to sleeping giants: he was involved in the reopening after 90 years of Annandale Distillery in Dumfries and Galloway in 2014, and helped launch new distilleries Lochlea in Ayrshire, and Kilchomen on Islay.

“Rosebank is a hugely iconic distillery, the whisky was well-regarded in the industry even before it was closed,” he says. “The way it is produced is very unique, using triple distillation which is not the norm in Scotland.

“It gives you a light, fruity spirit which is what we’d normally try to keep. But at Rosebank, the worm tub cooling makes it slightly heavier and with more body.

“It’s like a contradiction: triple distillation gives you this light fruity spirit, then worm tubs add more body. It’s very unusual.”

Production is due to begin next summer, with the first spirit expected to be available eight years later. The question for whisky fans will be whether it is possible to recreate the subtle layers and flavours that make Rosebank so coveted by enthusiasts.

While at 60 years old, Rennie is aware the whisky he is overseeing will be mostly for a different generation to savour.

“My target is to recreate that style of spirit that was formerly produced,” he adds, “but that’s not going to be easy because there’s no old spirit left for us to nose.

“All that’s left is 30 years old and it’s very difficult to reverse engineer.

“Plus, production processes have changed even since 1993, it’s much more controlled and we’re much better able to monitor how the spirit is produced.

“There will be a few trials to get the spirit correct. And I know at 60 years old now that I’ll be struggling a bit when it comes to enjoying it.”

Records show distilling took place on the site as early as 1798, eight years after the opening of the Forth and Clyde Canal which transformed transportation of goods and people across the central belt.

By 1840, when the canal was at its peak, the distillery was renamed Rosebank, with a large maltings facility – now a restaurant – built opposite and the malt carted over the canal via a bridge.

The canal enabled daily shipments of grain and whisky and supplied water to power the maltings’ water wheel.

But its closure in 1963 saw the canal become an eyesore, while the distillery was axed in 1993 amid concerns over the costs of maintaining and upgrading the site.

Ideas for the rapidly declining Rosebank site then swayed between a brewery and even a Swedish bakery. However, despite pressure to blitz it for development, it remained as a symbol of the town’s long-lost industrial heritage.

The reopening of the canal following the Millennium Link Project created a wildlife corridor and tourist attraction which, combined with the current whisky boom has sparked a new future for the B-Listed distillery buildings which some had thought would never again produce whisky.

The revived energy-efficient distillery will include a visitor centre, tasting room, shop and warehouse among the canal-side buildings. The towering 108ft chimney stack, an instantly recognisable landmark in Falkirk, will remain right in the middle, connecting Rosebank’s past with its future.

Once open, it is expected to generate 25 full-time jobs and attract around 50,000 visitors a year to Falkirk.

“The Rosebank distillery is an institution to Falkirk. People worked there, people knew the families of people who worked there, and knew the importance and significance of the whisky,” Pete Reid, Falkirk Council’s acting head of economic development, recently told the Rosebank distillery website.

“There’s a thrill in the local community and within the whisky drinking community that Rosebank is coming back.”

Tie piece… Gone but not forgotten, Scotland has a long list of ‘ghost’ and lost distilleries. But you’ll need deep pockets to try them… Rosebank, Falkirk: Set to be revived. A 12-year-old bottled in the 1980s today costs £2,500.

Port Ellen, Islay: Opened in 1825, and mothballed in 1983. A 1979 limited edition bottle of Port Ellen is currently available for £6,400.

Dallas Dhu, Forres, Morayshire: Dating from 1899 and mothballed in 1983, the distillery is now a visitor attraction. Most machinery still works, which has raised hopes that it might return to production. A 1969 bottle of 50-year-old costs £6,750.

Coleburn, Elgin: Closed in 1985, the distillery is now used by Murray McDavid to mature casks of whisky from around the world. There are hopes of reviving it to produce its own malt. A 16-year-old Coleburn bottled in 1993 now costs £750.

St. Magalene, Linlithgow: The pagoda shaped chimney tops and huge malting barns remain but the distillery closed in 1983 and the buildings turned into flats. A 1964 bottling of a 24-year-old will set you back £1,600.

Glenugie, Peterhead: Originally called Invernettie, Glenugie opened in 1831 and closed in the early 1980s. Now dismantled, a 1966 bottle of 33-year-old costs £2,500.

Kinclaith, Glasgow: The last malt distillery to be built in Glasgow and drew its water from Loch Katrine. It lasted only 20 years before closing in 1977. A 40-year-old Kinclaith bottled in 1969 costs £5,500.

Glenlochy, Fort William: Opened in 1898, it was mostly demolished in 1986. Architectural elements remain, including the distinctive pagodas which now form part of a housing and office building. A 1965 Glenlochy is available for £2,500.

Littlemill, West Dunbartonshire: One of Scotland’s oldest distilleries was mothballed in 1994. Owned by the Loch Lomond Group, there have been recent special bottlings released using the few remaining casks. However, you need deep pockets: Littlemill Testament 1976 bottled in 2020 will set you back £8,000.

Prices from The Whisky Exchange, www.thewhiskyexchange.com