‘Sleeping giant’ of Scottish whisky distilleries reawakens

The ‘ghost’ distillery, previously thought to be lost forever, has been brought back to life by Ian Macleod Distillers, who have taken care to retain the building’s key original features while introducing contemporary elements.

Pictured: The Rosebank distillery in Falkirk has opened to visitors (Image: Supplied)

The newly restored home of Rosebank will now offer a “world-class visitor experience” for guests and is expected to stimulate tourism, generate employment and significantly boost the local Falkirk economy.

Stuart Hendry, brand homes director at Ian Macleod Distillers, said: “This is a huge moment for the people of Falkirk and the global whisky community.

“It has been an absolute pleasure watching Rosebank reawaken, with its original, unique distillation methods now sitting at the heart of inspiring new buildings that respect the original setting.

“The sense of pride that the people of Falkirk have in Rosebank is very much felt by all of us at Ian Macleod Distillers and to be custodians of such an iconic distillery is a dream come true.”

Pictured: The ‘ghost’ distillery was thought to be lost forever (Image: Supplied)

All three of the new tours begin with a striking immersive animation that recounts Rosebank’s “miraculous tale of turbulence and triumph”, screened in the original distillery buildings.

A detailed exploration of the distillery and still house follows, as well as the opportunity to taste Rosebank’s new make spirit and the award-winning expressions from Rosebank’s sister distilleries Glengoyne and Tamdhu.

The Rosebank Revered tour, priced at £300 and said to appeal to “true whisky aficionados”,  offers a tutored tasting of three ultra-rare and specially selected Rosebank expressions.

Pictured: The Rosebank Revered tour offers a tutored tasting of three rare expressions (Image: Supplied)

Mr Hendry continued: “Opening the doors today to visitors marks another historic chapter in the incredible story of Rosebank and we are excited to welcome whisky lovers from around the world into this incredible cathedral of distillation.”

Commonly referred to as “The King of the Lowlands”, spirit once again flows at Rosebank Distillery, with the first cask filled in June, 2023.

Paying respect to the historic site, the characteristic three copper stills have been crafted to replicate a shape based on original distillery drawings.

They now stand in the glass-fronted still house, helping to achieve a “fruity and floral” signature spirit through a combination of triple distillation and worm tub condensers – a production technique that is unique to Rosebank Distillery. 

The distillery’s original mill, thought to be around 103 years old, has been retained and continues to be used in the production of Rosebank’s whisky as it did more than 30 years ago.

Pictured: Rosebank is commonly referred to as the King of the Lowlands (Image: Supplied)

Another crucial element of the restoration was to repair the building’s landmark 108-foot chimney which centres the site and has for decades been a familiar feature of the town’s skyline.

Elsewhere a new dunnage-style warehouse has been built from the bricks of its historic counterpart and now showcases casks of the original Rosebank, filled before the distillery was mothballed in 1993, alongside the first casks of the new Rosebank spirit.

Malcolm Rennie, distillery manager at Rosebank, said: “The process of bringing Rosebank Distillery back to life has been meticulous, with a huge amount of detail going into each and every element.

“It was very important that we paid homage to Rosebank’s history and story, and we feel we’ve done it justice by incorporating so much of the former distillery into our new home. 

To celebrate the distillery’s full revival, Rosebank has also released its first distillery exclusive, and its oldest expression to date, Rosebank Vintage 1989.

The 33-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, bottled at its natural strength of 47.5% ABV, is from the oldest year of the legacy stock.

Priced at £3200, a limited run of just 650 bottles is available to purchase directly from the distillery gift shop.

At the Rosebank Distillery tonight for @heraldscotland – stick with me throughout the evening here for updates 🧵 pic.twitter.com/XTA5Qcakez

— Sarah Campbell (@sz_campbell) June 4, 2024

Emma Oakes, blender at Rosebank said: “Such a grand occasion calls for an exceptional whisky, and our Rosebank Vintage 1989 is just that.

“We have had the unique opportunity to assess each of the rare Rosebank casks that have survived since the distillery’s closure in 1993.

“It was clear from the start that our 1989 casks, the oldest in our archive, would be perfect to create this incredibly special dram to toast to the revival of such a well-loved distillery.”

For more information on the Rosebank distillery including tours and whisky releases, click here.