After a 30 year closure, Rosebank distillery in Falkirk, Scotland, has once again welcomed guests back onto its grounds on June 7. To celebrate the historical reopening, the distillery has released a 33-year-old single malt, the first exclusive offering and the oldest one to date.

Rosebank Vintage 1989 is taken from the oldest year of the distillery’s stock and bottled at 47.5% ABV. The rare expression only has 650 bottles up for grabs from the distillery, each priced at £3,200 (US$4,091).

The nose of the whisky is said to have notes of tropical fruits, vanilla, aged oak, white grape, melon, upside-down cake, custard, maple syrup and hints of liquorice.

On the palate, it provides flavours of ‘bright lemon, peach, sweet menthol, gentle coriander and pepper spice.

Brand homes director at Ian Macleod Distillers Stuart Hendry 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 newly restored site features modern updates to old features retained from its original run. The distillery’s first visitor experience has also opened, offering tours for those interested.

In 1993, the company that owned the distillery decided it was no longer commercially viable to continue operation as it needed a £2m upgrade to comply with then European standards. United Distillers sold off the distillery's warehouses, and the new owners redeveloped it by 1988.

In 2002, Diageo — who bought over United Distillers —  sold the grounds to British Waterways, which also included turning the malting grounds into housing projects.

2008 saw some hope for Rosebank’s revival as the new owners made plans to reopen the distiller with its original equipment. Unfortunately (and oddly enough), during the Christmas season that year, a good amount of equipment was stolen by metal thieves, including the original Rosebank stills. 

Stolen equipment notwithstanding, efforts continued and even looked promising with governmental approval.

Finally, in October 2017, Lan MacLeod Distillers caught a break, securing an £80 million refinancing package. They promptly bought the Rosebank trademark from Diageo, got back the lands, and started working on what is now the reopened Rosebanks distillery.

Kanpai! 

88 Bamboo Editorial Team 

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