Clynelish & Brora: Two Distilleries, One Story

Clynelish and Brora, two distilleries intertwined by a shared history and location on Scotland's northern coast, each hold a unique place in the world of whisky.
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Clynelish and Brora, two distilleries intertwined by a shared history and location on Scotland’s northern coast, each hold a unique place in the world of whisky. While Clynelish continued to produce its signature waxy and maritime malt, primarily for blending, Brora lay dormant until 2021, its legacy preserved in a limited number of highly sought-after bottlings.

This article explores the intertwined narratives of Clynelish and Brora, from their origins in the tumultuous era of the Highland Clearances to their contrasting fates in the modern whisky market. We’ll delve into the factors that shaped their production styles, the economic forces that led to Brora’s closure, and the recent efforts to revive this iconic distillery. Whether you’re intrigued by the historical significance of Clynelish and Brora or simply curious about their distinctive whiskies, this exploration offers a comprehensive look at their shared past and divergent futures.

Clynelish Origins: From ‘Clearance’ Distillery to Wartime

Clynelish is one of a number of distilleries (also including Talisker) established as a result of the ‘Highland Clearances’ which occurred in the early 19th Century. These ‘Clearances’ occurred as landowners realized the profit to be gained by converting their lands to large-scale sheep farming, compared with the low income gained from small-scale food growth under traditional Scottish croft farming. 

Under the ‘Clearances’ thousands of tenant farmers were forcibly evicted from land which their families had resided upon and tended for generations. In Sutherland the Marquis of Stafford alongside his wife, (from 1833 the 1st Duke and Duchess of Sutherland) and their estate managers oversaw the forcible eviction of 15,000 people, and the burning of over 500 croft farms across an estate of 500,000 acres. Many of those evicted were either sent abroad to America, Canada, or Australia or resettled on the coast in new settlements such as Brora, where many farmers were expected to become fishermen.

In the years following the ‘Clearances,’ the Marquis of Stafford established a number of new businesses in Brora, to be staffed by the former farming tenants, including a brickworks, weavers, and salt panning, while also expanding the existing coal fields. 

In 1819, the Marquis spent £750 to build a new distillery on one of the farms outside Brora. Aside from creating another source of employment, the distillery would also provide a stable market for local barley produced by tenants ‘cleared’ to the coast and provide competition against the illicit distillers creating social unrest in the area. The local availability of a water source, coal, and a labor force for coal mining were all likely factors influencing the choice to establish the distillery at Brora. The new distillery would go on to become known as Clynelish, derived from the Gaelic for ‘sloped garden’.

Clynelish was not a success in its early years. In an early setback, the coal from the Brora coalfields turned out to be poor quality and not fit to fire the pot stills for malting unless mixed with peat from nearby bogs. The distillery’s first recorded licensed manager, James Harper, went bankrupt in 1827, before regaining the license in 1828 and running Clynelish until 1834. Clynelish passed between a number of licensees until George Lawson & Sons took over in 1846, running the distillery until 1896 and providing a period of stability. Visiting Clynelish in 1886 Alfred Barnard, the Victorian writer and distilling historian, recorded seeing an impressive operation with an exceptional reputation.

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In 1896, Glasgow blenders James Ainslie & Heilbron in partnership with John Risk purchased Clynelish from the Sutherland estate. Ainslie and Risk expanded the site building new warehouses, rebuilding and enlarging Clynelish into a classic Victorian distilling plant, crowned with pagodas. 

Clynelish was taken over by John Risk and the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) in 1912 when Ainslie was forced to sell his interests in the distillery to survive bankruptcy. The whisky merchant and blenders company John Walker & Sons also purchased an interest in the distillery in 1916, mainly to safeguard regular supplies for their own blends. Although highly regarded as a filling malt for blends, Clynelish was available as a single malt at this time and was one of the malts referenced by Charles Saintsbury in Notes on a Cellar-Book (1920).

After John Risk was bought out in 1925, a merger with John Walker & Sons allowed DCL to become the sole owner of Clynelish. In 1930 DCL transferred the distillery to its subsidiary company Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD). Clynelish was closed from March 1931, during the depression years of the 1930s, before resuming production in September 1938. Wartime restrictions on the supply of barley to distillers forced another closure lasting from May 1941 until November 1945, although rumors persisted that the popularity and demand for Clynelish meant low-level production continued during the Second World War.  

Boom and Bust: Clynelish and Brora 1960s-1980s

Brora and Clynelish are situated right next to each other in the Scottish Highlands. Credit: Martyn Jenkins, Flickr

During the 1960s, DCL expanded and rebuilt many of its existing distilleries to meet a continually increasing demand for blended Scotch whisky, as the whisky market enjoyed a boom in the post-war period. At Clynelish the first improvements and refurbishments occurred in 1960 when the distillery was converted to electricity and internal steam heating for the stills, ending the use of locally mined coal from Brora. These modernizations were not sufficient to increase production as Clynelish continued to operate using only a single pair of stills, ensuring demand continued to far outstrip the distillery’s supply capabilities. 

In 1966 to increase the capacity at Clynelish, DCL began the construction of a new modern distillery with six stills alongside the old production buildings. The new distillery was completed in August 1967, although to benefit from the brand’s reputation both distilleries would temporarily operate under the name Clynelish.

For a short period from August 1967 until August 1968, both distilleries were producing simultaneously with the new distillery named ‘Clynelish A’ and the old ‘Clynelish B’, although whisky casks produced by either distillery were stenciled and later used for blending as Clynelish. The old distillery ceased production as ‘Clynelish B’ in August 1968 and was mothballed. From this time only the new modern distillery at the site would produce whisky as Clynelish.

In 1969 the old distillery at Clynelish was reopened with the aim of producing a heavily peated Islay-style whisky for blending purposes. It was now renamed Brora, as the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) had raised concerns about two distilleries carrying the same name. Forced to change the name of one of the Clynelish distilleries, DCL had opted for the older one reverting to a name allegedly used during the distillery’s early history; Brora. Legislation enacted in 1975 would subsequently make it illegal for two or more distilleries to operate under the same name.

Brora’s transition to the production of heavily peated malt was the result of Islay suffering from periods of drought, combined with the closure of DCL’s Islay distillery Caol Ila for rebuilding work between 1972 and 1974. Brora’s heavily peated years continued until 1973, after which the smoke was cut back although the distillery’s peating levels dropped again after 1977. Peating levels are determined by measuring the Phenol Parts per Million (PPM) of the malted barley used in the distilling process. At Brora the ppm level varied from 7ppm to as high as 45ppm, peaking between 1970-77. It is suggested when producing at its most heavily peated Brora shared maltings with Caol Ila and Talisker, while decreasing peat levels at the end of the 1970s reveal when Brora began to use the same barley as Clynelish.

The 1970s recession, combined with a younger generation turning away from traditional spirits impacted the sale of Scotch. The whisky industry failed to adapt effectively, maintaining a consistently high production despite declining sales. 

By the 1980s, the industry held an excess of maturing spirit, known as the whisky loch, although the market had not yet recovered. This forced distillery owners, including DCL, to make cutbacks including the closure of a number of distilleries, a decision often based upon the size of production capacity and duplication of malt style. Brora, by this time one of the smallest capacity distilleries owned by DCL could not compete with Caol Ila or Clynelish for producing Islay or Highland-style malts, and was permanently closed on the 17th March 1983.

Clynelish – The Hidden Malt

Following Brora’s closure, Clynelish remained active producing large amounts of spirit for blending, mainly for use in DCL’s Johnnie Walker range of blended whiskies. The importance of Clynelish for blending is due to the malt’s unique oily and waxy textured character which gives a distinctive mouthfeel to blends, particularly for blenders to maintain consistency. 

Although Clynelish remained a core blending malt, the recovery of the Scotch whisky market in the late 1980s and 1990s was driven by a significant growth in demand for single malt. A series of single malt bottling collections were released by United Distillers, (formed after the takeover of DCL) the Classic Malt collection in 1988, and the Flora and Fauna range with the first expressions released in 1991.

In 1995, United Distillers first released the Rare Malts Selection, a series of cask strength single malt bottlings mainly from distilleries that had either closed or been demolished. The whiskies had to be aged between 18 and 30 years old and distilled in the years 1969-1981. The last release of the Rare Malts Selection was in 2005, with later bottlings including malts from United Distillers-owned distilleries which were rarely bottled as single malts. These expressions would include a Clynelish 1972 aged 24 years, and a Clynelish 1974 aged 23 years both included in the 1997 releases.

One of the Broras in Diageo’s Rare Malts Selection.

The establishment of Diageo (successor to both United Distillers and DCL) in 1997, was accompanied by the business strategy to more seriously promote a number of whisky brands as single malts. Clynelish was amongst the distilleries targeted for promotion, a 14 Year Old single malt would briefly be added to the Flora and Fauna range in 2001. 

In 2002, Diageo unveiled the Hidden Malts range, a collection of single malt bottlings from distilleries that traditionally produced malt mainly for blending, including Glen Ord, Caol Ila, Glen Elgin and a 14 Year Old expression from Clynelish marketed as a coastal malt. The Clynelish distillery would open to the public with the emergence of whisky tourism, allowing visitors to view the silent Brora distillery and its stills at a distance.

Diageo has also continued to promote the Clynelish distillery and brand through the release of limited bottlings, the annual Special Releases have featured Clynelish Select Reserve bottlings for two years in 2014-15. Clynelish was briefly closed in 2016 for a year-long upgrade which was completed in June 2017, equipping the distillery with an improved mash tun and washbacks which have increased the capacity to 4.8 million litres of alcohol. As part of a £150 million plan to upgrade tourism facilities at Diageo distilleries across Scotland, in 2018 it was announced that Clynelish’s visitor center would receive a comprehensive upgrade including a new bar and tasting area. 

Brora – A Lost Distillery Revived

Following Brora’s closure in 1983, the majority of equipment was removed from the distillery. Only the oil-fired stills, receiver, and two worm tubs remained in place, left to slowly decay as Brora fell silent and seemingly destined to join Scotland’s lost distilleries. Brora has instead gained the status of a cult malt due to a growing interest amongst whisky consumers for single malts from closed distilleries, combined with the decision to make Brora’s last remaining stock available as special limited bottlings. 

In 1995, United Distillers (formed after the takeover of DCL) first released the Rare Malts Selection, a series of cask strength single malt bottlings mainly from distilleries that had either closed or been demolished. The whiskies had to be aged between 18 and 30 years old and distilled in the years 1969-1981. The first releases of the Rare Malts Selection in 1995 included a Brora 1972 aged 20 years, and a Brora 1972 aged 22 years (bottled at three different cask strengths) which are now incredibly sought after by collectors keen to own these historic bottlings. 

In 2001, Diageo created a new range of annual Special Releases, a selection of limited-edition cask strength whiskies from famous and closed distilleries. The 2002 Special Releases featured the first introduction of Brora, a 30 Year Old expression, although highly anticipated bottlings from the distillery have since been included in the range every year up to 2017.

In October 2017, Diageo announced plans to reopen the Brora and Port Ellen distilleries, both previously closed in 1983, as part of a £35 million investment. The plans included refurbishing Brora’s original buildings and stills, alongside the creation of a dedicated visitor center to establish a Brora ‘brand home.’ Brora officially reopened in May 2021, marking the culmination of years of meticulous restoration.

The distillery now has a capacity of approximately 800,000 liters of alcohol per year, similar to Oban Distillery. Brora’s original stills, carefully refurbished, remain at the heart of its production, while the restored 19th-century still house offers a striking blend of heritage and modern functionality.

The Brora Triptych.

To celebrate its reopening, Brora released a special Brora Triptych in 2021, a collection of three rare single malts—Elusive Legacy, Age of Peat, and Timeless Original—that highlight key eras of the distillery’s history. These expressions demonstrate Brora’s commitment to maintaining its storied legacy while embracing its revival.

In addition to the Triptych, Brora has continued to release sought-after expressions, including a Brora 1982 39 Year Old in 2021, which received critical acclaim for its rich and smoky character. The distillery has also drawn praise for its sustainable practices, incorporating renewable energy and conservation efforts to preserve the surrounding Highland landscape.

Now fully operational, Brora has firmly re-established itself as a beacon of traditional craftsmanship and one of the most revered names in scotch whisky. Its revival not only preserves an iconic piece of whisky history but also ensures Brora continues to captivate enthusiasts for generations to come.

Mark Bostock

Mark Bostock, an integral part of the Mark Littler LTD UK content writing team since 2019, brings a genuine passion for whisky, especially independent bottlings, to his work. His commitment to expanding his knowledge through attending tasting events and building his own collection enriches his contributions, blending expertise with enthusiasm.

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