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Glenglassaugh to Share Operations with BenRiach
Brown-Forman has laid off production workers at its Glenglassaugh Distillery in Scotland, and will merge the distillery’s operations with its BenRiach Distillery going forward.
Glenglassaugh production operator Tijay Salhotra posted the news of an immediate shutdown on his Instagram feed this morning. Late this afternoon, Brown-Forman spokesperson Elizabeth Conway outlined the company’s plans in a statement.
“Glenglassaugh Distillery is not shutting down. We are implementing a shared production model with Benriach, which will involve periods of production alongside occasional silent seasons, as has been the case traditionally. This allows us to optimize resources and expertise across both distilleries.
This shared production model, and our ongoing demand planning process, resulted in a small number of redundancies. We deeply value the contributions of those impacted and are committed to providing support to them throughout this process.
Our commitment to crafting exceptional whiskies remains as strong as ever, and we are grateful for the continued support and enthusiasm of our customers and markets worldwide.”
Brown-Forman acquired Glenglassaugh in 2016 as part of its purchase of Billy Walker’s three distilleries, and recently launched a series of three single malts: Sandend, Portsoy, and the flagship 12-year-old Glenglassaugh. There is no word on whether the shutdown includes the distillery’s visitors center, which is still accepting bookings for tours on the Glenglassaugh website.
The distillery’s history dates back to 1875, when James Moir founded Glenglassaugh. It was mothballed from 1986 until 2008, when Stuart Nickerson and Scaent Group rescued the distillery and revived it.
Earlier this month, Brown-Forman announced plans to cut 12% of its global workforce and shut down its cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky this April.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional information provided by Brown-Forman.
Image courtesy Glenglassaugh distillery/Brown-Forman.
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