Tuesday, May 07, 2019

DIAGEO FORMALLY SUBMITS PLANS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND REOPENING OF PORT ELLEN

Diageo, has today announced that it has formally submitted plans to Argyll & Bute Council, for the redevelopment and reopening of its Port Ellen Distillery on Islay.

The detailed planning application sets out plans for the iconic distillery, which closed 35 years ago, that will see it being brought back to life as a celebration of distilling heritage and innovation.
The proposed new Port Ellen Distillery

Subject to planning approval, Port Ellen will be brought back into production in a combination of modern and heritage buildings housing both traditional and innovative approaches to distilling under one roof.

This will be achieved through two pairs of copper pot stills and two separate distillation regimes. The primary distillation regime, using two stills that exactly replicate the original Port Ellen copper pot stills, will carefully recreate the original spirit character of the distillery that made its single malt Scotch Whisky amongst the most sought-after in the world.

Alongside this will be a second, smaller pair of stills that will produce alternative spirit characters, allowing the Port Ellen whisky makers the freedom to experiment with new whisky styles.

The experimental stills pay homage to John Ramsay, who owned Port Ellen in its formative years and who made it one of the most innovative distilleries of the 19th century, pioneering many of the techniques and equipment that would become mainstays of the Scotch whisky industry.

Following its most recent closlure in 1983, very few of the original buildings remain. The original kiln building with its classic pagoda roofs and the traditional sea-front warehouses will be restored as integral parts of the revived distillery, with a beautiful new stillhouse created to house distillation.

Commenting on the news, Georgie Crawford, the Master Distiller leading the Port Ellen project, said: “This is another hugely significant milestone on our journey to bring Port Ellen Distillery back  to life. This is no ordinary distillery project, we are bringing a true whisky legend back to life and we believe our plans do justice to the iconic status of Port Ellen and will capture the imagination of whisky fans from all over the world.”

In October 2017, Diageo announced a £35 million investment programme to bring back Port Ellen on Islay and Brora distillery in Sutherland, both of which closed in 1983.

Posted by Steve Rush