In the world of alcohol, this has been the talk of the town over the past month. Everything started with Diageo's announcement of the £35 million plan to revive the silent distilleries of Port Ellen and Brora. Then, not a week later, plans to revive the lost distillery of Rosebank were dropped.
For those of you who don't know, the whisky produced at these distilleries is considered some of the rarest in the world today.
Port Ellen and Brora shut down in 1983, and Rosebank followed in 1993. As one can imagine, most distilleries that shut-down do so for one obvious reason.
Business isn't going well. Back when these distilleries shut their doors, there wasn't a huge mob outside the grounds protesting the decision. No, the distilleries simply slipped away and, for some years, were forgotten.
When a distillery becomes "silent", it means that, while production is no longer carried out on premises, the casks that had been filled for maturation remain there, until they are sold or used in blends. Most of the whiskys from the distilleries mentioned above were, in fact, mostly used in blended whiskys.
So, many people were surprised when, years after shutting down, Diageo released several single malts from Port Ellen and Brora under a rare collection. What surprised people, even more, was how popular these releases became.
Atop a new trend of "lost distilleries," expressions from these plants quickly became some of the most sought-after in the world. Demand spiked, prices rose, people paid, and the prices kept rising. Other silent distilleries across the globe followed suit, and soon, these once neglected producers shone in their very own category.
Not the "single malt" or "aged" whisky categories, but in the "whisky never to be made again" section.
This was the motto of distilleries no longer producing, and whisky lovers the world over sought drams out with a passion, to taste the elixir that could never be tasted again.
The age of whisky
Of course, if the whiskys in question are so rare, Diageo and other drinks companies will want to make more.
But why now?
Well, it's all about demand. At the moment, the world just can't get enough whisky or wine, and this fact has given rise to many producers all over the world. Both the Scotch and Japanese whisky scenes are booming, and due to a lack of aged stock, prices are rising each year.
Stock of aged Japanese expressions is low, and prices are high. What's more, young releases from smaller distillers are following suit. Scotch is still the leading whisky category, and sales have never been better.
The U.S. isn't far behind. Creating products that rival Scotch and Japanese whisky in both flavor and quality, bourbon and American whiskey are a hit. In Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2017 a bourbon was named the "World's Best Whisky."
Demand is huge and supply is struggling.
So the real question is - why wouldn't one bring these already established brands back to life?
When whisky rolls off the stills once again, prices will stay high and the brand's name will still be synonymous with luxury. The past will give these distilleries a significant edge over the newer, smaller distilleries.
Change on the horizon
A lot of money is being pumped into these distillery revivals, but the question remains. Will it be the same? When the allure of the lost whisky from a dead distillery is no longer there, will people still be as interested?
Of course, Port Ellen, Brora, and Rosebank whiskys are magnificent; there's a reason they became so popular. But will the distilleries still be able to make whisky as great as before?
It remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, these revivals are the most exciting thing to happen in whisky, in years.
A new trend in whisky
The hope is that these revivals are a new trend and that more silent distilleries will follow suit. Karuizawa in Japan. Caperdonich in Speyside. Those are some revivals we're hoping for. Which long lost producers would you like to see returning to action? Let us know in the comments below.
