Distell to invest in distillery upgrade at Tobermory

PRESS RELEASE

South African spirit and wine producer, Distell Group Ltd, which acquired Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull as part of its award winning malt whisky portfolio, is planning to invest in the distillery and its visitor centre.

In order to carry out the proposed upgrade works, the distillery will stop production on Friday 31st March 2017 for a period of up to 24 months. However, the visitor centre will remain open and continue to welcome guests and host tours throughout this period.

The distillery is very unusual in that it operates two production cycles during the year in order to produce both Tobermory and Ledaig malts. These are both well-known and respected brands in the international whisky arena and Distell intends to invest further in their future as premium malts following the upgrade.

During the refurbishment programme, although the distillery will not be in active production the roles of the Tobermory team will be protected as far as possible.

Sales of Ledaig 10yo and 18yo will continue, with Tobermory 10yo being available to purchase from the visitor centre. A range of limited editions from both brands will be released over the next two years.

Commenting on the exciting future plans for Tobermory, Distell’s European Managing Director, Fraser Thornton said:

“Whisky tourism continues to thrive with numbers across the industry increasing on average by 20% over the past five years. Tobermory has demonstrated even stronger growth in visitors and we want to invest in the only distillery on the island and continue to ensure it produces some of the best island malts in Scotland, as well as a truly memorable experience for visitors.

“We recognise the time during which the refurbishment is taking place will create substantial change for the distillery team and that is why we have come up with different options to accommodate people’s personal situations and continue to financially support them during this time. We are delighted to have a new General Manager for Malts joining us in the coming weeks who will provide some fresh impetus for our malt portfolio generally and Tobermory and Ledaig specifically. An exciting new chapter will be revealed at the end of this and we want everyone to continue to be part of this journey.”

About Distell

• Distell is Africa’s leading producer of wines, spirits, ciders, scotch whisky and ready-to-drinks (RTDs) with a portfolio of close on 100 brands.
• It is the world’s second biggest producer of ciders, the sixth biggest producer of brandies and the 12th biggest marketer of wines.
• With a global network of offices and distribution partners, the company employs over 5,000 people worldwide and has an annual turnover of R21.4 billion. (£1.19 billion)
• Distell owns three single malt whisky distilleries and has a strong portfolio of Scotch whisky brands
• The three distilleries include: Deanston in Doune, Perthshire; Bunnahabhain on the Isle of Islay and Tobermory based on the Isle of Mull.
• In Scotland, the company’s operations are based in East Kilbride where it has a bottling hall, with blending and warehousing facilities at Airdrie, both near Glasgow.

For more visit: http://www.distell.co.za