GlenDronach production expanded
The legend, Stewart Buchanen, and myself (Photo: Whisky Saga)
I was recently back at GlenDronach Distillery (see details from my previous visit). Back in 2022 it was announced that Brown-Forman, owner of GlenDronach Distillery, was going head with a £30m plus investment to increase production capacity.
“The project is estimated to take three years, with the expectation of doubling the distillery’s capacity and improving its operational energy efficiency.”
- Whisky Magazine (source)
I visited the distillery just a few weeks ago and could witness the expansion personally. The new stills had only been run around six times by then (mid August 2026), and everything was still fresh.
All in all the new expansion brings the production capacity of the distillery up from around 1.4 million lpa to close to 3 million lpa. Actual production is expected to be around 2.4 million lpa.
The expansion includes a new full lauter mash tun with a capacity of 6 tons (27k liters) replacing the old mash tun with a capacity of 3.76 ton (18k liters). The new mash tun was in place around a year ago, and for months they were both used in parallell. They still run three waters at 65.5, 87 and 96 degrees. The output of the new mash tun is enough for three batches of distillation.
The new mash tun (Photo: Whisky Saga)
Further details from the mash tun (Photo: Whisky Saga)
They have also put in 10 new wash backs, expanding on the existing four. They do not need all this new capacity currently, and have just recently started using the new ones. Each wash back has a capacity of 27k liters. Fermentation time is, as before, 60 hours.
Stewart showing off the new wash backs (Photo: Whisky Saga)
There’s life! (Photo: Whisky Saga)
Finally they have installed two new stills in a new still house block, bringing the total to 6 stills. The last expansion in production was back in 1967.
The two news stills are near exact copies of the old ones, but they are raised a bit higher. The reason for this, as I understood it, is to improve the working conditions for the production staff.
The two new stills; the wash still on the right and the spirit still on the left (Photo: Whisky Saga)
Close-up of the wash still (Photo: Whisky Saga)
Somewhat closer close-up of the wash still (Photo: Whisky Saga)
The spirit still (Photo: Whisky Saga)
Getting close and intimate with the spirit still (Photo: Whisky Saga)
The new stills have a very high energy efficiency with advanced heat recovery.
As a bonus I will also add a picture of this beautifully restored old sled that was used during the winter way, way back when. This felt like a little bit of Norway in the GlenDronach courtyard.
A beautiful old sled (Photo: Whisky Saga)
Sláinte!
- Thomas
