BenRiach ‘delighted’ to buy Glenglassaugh

The managing director of the BenRiach Distillery Company has said he is delighted with the company’s acquisition of the Glenglassaugh whisky distillery.

Edinburgh-based BenRiach today completed the purchase of Glenglassaugh for an undisclosed sum from Dutch company Lumiere Holdings. Glenglassaugh produces a range of single malt whiskies and currently has the capacity to produce 1.1 million litres of whisky a year.

Mr Walker said: “We’re really delighted to buy Glenglassaugh, a renowned Highland single malt with a rich and distinguished heritage. It’s an excellent complementary fit with our existing BenRiach and GlenDronach brands. Part of its attraction to us is that it isn’t too large for our portfolio but its potential in contributing to the group certainly is.

“It’s our intention to bring this iconic distillery fully back to life by giving it the investment, commitment and care it deserves. I believe our whisky expertise, proven brand-building ability and strong routes to market will help take Glenglassaugh to the next level.”

Glenglassaugh is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, dating back to 1875 and is situated on the Banffshire coast close to the village of Portsoy. Distilling operations stopped in 1986 and re-started in 2008.

Glenglassaugh’s managing director Stuart Nickerson said: “It’s great to be back in Scottish hands. Glenglassaugh is a fantastic brand that was unheard of five years ago and today is exported to over 25 countries worldwide.

“It’s highly regarded as a premium brand and has won numerous top awards. We’ve grown the business significantly and today’s announcement means continued investment and will also allow the business to grow further and more rapidly.”

Mr Walker added: “The timing is good as there is no doubt we are currently in a golden age for scotch whisky. There’s unprecedented demand for high-end brands like ours in places like Taiwan, Scandinavia, USA, China, India, Russia, the Middle East, South Africa and South America, and we now have the fantastic opportunity to re-introduce Glenglassaugh to these markets.”