Bruichladdich Distillery

Bruichladdich Distillery

Bruichladdich is a western Islay distillery overlooking the bay of Loch Indaal.  The site is stunning from across the bay or up close. The iconic Classic Laddie turquoise finds its way on almost everything around the distillery from the old casks spelling out Bruichladdich on the front lawn to the Bruichladdich shop to the white washed walls of the distillery buildings. 

Bruichladdich was established in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, Robert, William and John and at the time it was one of Islay’s most modern distilleries. No strangers to the industry, the Harveys owned two grain distilleries in Glasgow and were large players in the blended whisky industry. The Victorian era distillery stayed in the family’s ownership until Willam’s death in 1936. Throughout the 1900s, Bruichladdich, like many other distilleries, went through several ownership changes and shutdowns.

Skipping ahead to the modern era, in December 2000, seven years after it was moth balled, a group of private investors, led by Mark Reynier and Simon Coughlin purchased Bruichladdich Distillery for just 6.5 million pounds! Recognizing they needed an industry veteran and Islay local on board with the extensive renovations and re-branding required, they turned to Jim McEwan, the then Bowmore Distillery Manager. Jim, a legend in the whisky industry, had worked at Bowmore since 1963 and accepted Mark’s challenge. The team worked diligently to rebuild the distillery and in September 2001, liquid once again flowed through the Bruichladdich stills. As a testament to the team’s dedication to quality, Bruichladdich was sold to Remy Cointreau in 2006 for 58 million pounds! Today Bruichladdich is known not only for its classic Laddie but also its peated whiskies, Port Charlotte and Octomore.

Visiting Bruichladdich is a true whisky lover’s paradise. From its beautiful location on the loch to the age-old warehouses storing thousands of casks, the Bruichladdich team is enthusiastic, welcoming and passionate about their whisky. And they should be – the Bruichladdich name speaks quality and evokes fond memories for many whisky drinkers. We are proud to offer you this 20-year-old unpeated Bruichladdich from Creetown Distillers.

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