Royal Brackla Distillery
Cawdor, Nairm
Inverness-shire IV12 5QY
+44 1667 402 002
Owner: Bacardi
Creatin year: 1812
Build on the Cawdor property, which became famous because of Shakespeare (Macbeth), Royal Brackla was the first distillery to obtain the title of supplier of the Court, during the reign of William IV in 1835.
The distillery has been build in 1835 by captain William Fraser. The starting period was very difficult, because of the concurrence of the moonshine distillers in that area. Captain Fraser was forced to find some outlets in the Lowlands.
In the early 1860's, Andrew Usher & Co joined the company. He is supposed to be the inventor of the blending technique consisting in mixing malt whisky with grain whisky. That is the reason why Brackla was one of the first whiskies to be used in blends.
The distillery has been rebuild in 1898 by two wine brokers from Aberdeen. In1926 the distillery has been taken over by the John Bisset & Co company who integrated Brackla in the D.C.L. (Distillers Company Ltd.) in 1943. The DCL has been absorbed later by UDV, which was the distillery branch of Guinness.
Rebuild again in 1964, it doubled its production capacity in 1970. The distillery was closed from 1985 to 1991, but is currently operational again.
The malting floors have been used up to 1966, when a second pair of stills have been added. During this refurbishment, the oldest buildings have been destroyed.
The Diageo Company has been created by the merging of Guinness and Gran Metropolitan. UDV (United Distillers & Vintners) is part of Diageo.
In accordance with the anti-trust law, UDV was obliged to sell the distillery to its current owner, Dewars, belonging to Bacardi-Martini.
The main part of the production is used in blends like Dewars, Johnnie Walker Gold Label and Bisset's Finest Old.
