After more than 30 years in mothballs, Rosebank Distillery has restarted production and the distillery is expected to open to visitors in 2024.
Now that the first distillation runs are complete, cask 001 is currently maturing in a refill bourbon barrel, which will result in a whisky reminiscent of the original Rosebank signature flavour profile. Rosebank whisky is a non-peated, triple distilled, Lowland Single Malt and is regarded as particularly light and floral.
Malcolm Rennie, distillery manager at Rosebank, is excited that Cask 001 has begun its maturation.
“We’ve known all along the magic and majesty that Rosebank retains, and you can really feel this come to life as we start up production once again and fill the first cask with the new Rosebank Spirit, Cask No. 001,” said Rennie.
Ian Mcleod Distillers began the reconstruction of the Falkirk-based distillery in 2019, restoring the heritage building. The new distillery has retained the original production format, recreating the shape and characteristics of the original stills based on blueprints. New worm condensers have been installed, which will yield a heavier style of spirit as they contain less copper. The landmark chimney has been repaired and continues to dominate the skyline and centres the distillery site. The final element of the build will be a two-storey car park to ensure adequate parking for visitors, allowing for over 50,000 visitors per year.
“We’ve assembled a fantastic distillery team and there is excitement among us all as we complete our first distillation runs. This is the first Rosebank spirit to be distilled in more than 30 years, so it’s an absolute honour to oversee the moment, and play a part in returning this once whisky giant to its former glory,” Rennie concluded.
Once Cask 001 is matured, Rosebank whisky will be distributed in Australia by Swift + Moore.