Distillery in Scotland completes initial distillation
Venkat Raman
Auckland, August 1, 2023
In what has been described as ‘the return of the magic and majesty,’ Rosebank, a famous brand of whisky from Scotland is set to return to the market after a gap of 30 years.
A Press Statement issued by Swift+Moore, a Sydney-based liquor distribution company, said that Rosebank Distillery has completed initial distillation runs and that Cask Number 001 is now maturing.
“The new spirit is maturing in a refill bourbon barrel which will create a rich, fruity, and floral whisky, reminiscent of the original Rosebank’s signature flavour profile. This is a major milestone in the distillery’s restoration journey since the reconstruction began in 2019,” the Press Note said.
Rosebank Distillery Manager Malcolm Rennie said that there was considerable excitement as a new team fills the first cask with the new Rosebank Spirit, Cask No. 001.
“This is the first Rosebank spirit to be distilled in more than 30 years and hence it is an absolute honour to oversee the moment and play a part in returning this once whisky giant to its former glory,” he said.
About Rosebank Whisky
Rosebank Whisky is a non-peated, triple distilled, Lowland Single Malt and is considered one of the finest Lowland malt whiskies due to the fruity floral style produced through triple distillation. It is also reported to be one of the few distilleries that still uses worm tub condensers, which gives a heavier style to the spirit due to less copper contact during the condensation of the vapour.
Rosebank Distillery was established in 1840 by James Rankine, a local wine merchant who acquired the maltings of the Camelon Distillery. Growth was swift but by the 1980s, the worldwide demand for whisky began to contract. UDV (now Diageo), who was then the owner, mothballed the site in 1993.
It was not until 2017 that the Falkirk-based distillery was revived by Ian Macleod Distilleries and began “breathing new life into the buildings and the surrounding community.”
“Cask 001 is an exceptional refill bourbon barrel; it stunningly marks the revival of the much-loved Rosebank Lowland Single Malt. The Falkirk site distillery will re-open to visitors in 2024.
With close attention to detail, the new distillery has retained the format of the original production plant,” the Press Note said.
Blueprints of the original stills were found and used to recreate the shape and characteristics of those from the original distillery. New worm tub condensers have been installed replacing the original ones. They impart a special element of the Rosebank distillation process and yield a heavier style of spirit as there is less copper contact during vapour condensation. The repaired landmark chimney continues to dominate the skyline and centres of the distillery site.
From 2024, the distillery will offer a world-class visitor experience for Rosebank fans around the world, with the finishing touches being applied to a series of amazing spaces across the historic site. The key element of the final part of the build is a two-storey car park ensuring that the local community is shielded from visitor parking needs. The car park could allow more than 50,000 whisky visitors to visit the highly anticipated attraction each year.
A highly anticipated brand
Owned by Ian Macleod Distillers, one of Scotland’s leading independent family-owned distillers, ‘The King of the Lowlands’ Rosebank is a highly anticipated brand.
Assistant Production Manager Jason McCabe said that the birth of a new whisky stems from its first distillation and that moment of conception has just happened at Rosebank.
“While the gestation period for any Scotch whisky is at least three years in wood, it is a huge milestone for this iconic Lowland distillery and the team at Rosebank are excited with what they have achieved so far. The production team at Rosebank experienced the moment of truth when the new distillery was fired into life. It was a nerve-racking day, and emotional, waiting to see what came out of the stills. There were high expectations, but we were very excited,” he said.
