Is Deanston the third distillery on Distell’s investment list?
Like Tobermory and Bunnahabhain Deanston might be modernized soon
It’s been exactly a month now that we reported about the 11-million-pound makeover of Bunnahabhain Distillery here in our news. The Distell Company will invest that sum in modernization and upgrading of the Islay distillery during the next three years. Now Richard Rushton, Managing Director of the South African based Distell Group announced they consider plans about further investments. In an interview with the magazine The Spirits Business he spoke about the possibility to upgrade Deanston Distillery that is situated at Perthshire. Details about envisaged measures, intended modernizations or any sums of investments were not mentioned.
Deanston was part of Distells' Burns Stewart Deal
Deanston would be the third distillery to get a financial boost from Distell and to be modernized. Before the plans about refurbishing the Bunnahabhain Distillery were announced similar works had already begun on the Isle of Mull: In January the Tobermory Distillery announced to stop production in March for restauration and this silent season might take three years. Bunnahabhain, Tobermory and Deanston were part of a £160 mio bundle that Distell Group got when they bought Burns Stewart Distillers in 2013.
Still a young distillery
Deanston Distillery hasn’t seen a long history yet. Only was built in 1965 it had to stop production in 1982 when it belonged to Invergordon Distillers. 10 years later Deanston was overtaken by Burns Stewart Distillers and re-opened. Although Deanston Single Malts don’t belong to the best-selling or most well-known Scottish whiskies they have a constantly growing fan group. Besides the standard range of Deanston 12 Year Old, Deanston 18 Year Old and Deanston Virgin Oak there are some limited editions available from time to time. Some independent bottlers also have Deanston Single Malts in their portfolio. A new one for example is a 10 Year Old Deanston Single Malt from Signatory matured in a first fill Oloroso Sherry casks.
