Bacardi has released details of a trio of upgrades across its scotch whisky production estate.
The spend, for an unspecified amount, covers the construction of three extra warehouses at the group’s blending and maturation facility in Poniel in the south of the country. The expansion increases the site’s footprint by “over” 15%.
On the production side, the Aultmore distillery in Speyside and the Macduff facility in the Highland producing region have benefited from the investment.
The work at Aultmore, which has been going on for the last two years, has resulted in the implementation of ‘Thermal Vapor Recompression’ technology that “captures, compresses and reuses vapour in the distillation process to improve energy and water efficiency”. A new boiler has also been installed that will able to switch to hydrogen for its power source.
Macduff, meanwhile, has had its mashing equipment and control room updated.
“Our investment in Aultmore and Macduff distilleries and our Poniel blending and maturation centre is an important step in the bold plans we have for our premium and ultra-premium whiskies,” said Europe supply chain VP Keith Hogg. “We are so proud of the … quality of our … scotch whiskies and are investing in its growth for the long-term.”
Bacardi has five distilleries in Scotland, the other three being Aberfeldy, Royal Brackla and Craigellachie.
Last month, Diageo submitted a proposal for its Talisker distillery on the western island of Skye that could see the construction of a new facility “in support of our long-term growth ambitions for scotch”.
