Glen Albyn distillery facts for kids
| Region: Highland | |
|---|---|
| Location | Inverness 57°28′54″N 4°14′50″W / 57.481629°N 4.247189°W |
| Owner | Oliver Haiste |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Status | Demolished |
| Water source | Loch Ness |
| Mothballed | 1850 to 1852, 1866 to 1884, 1917 to 1919, 1983 to 1988 |
| Demolished | 1988 |
Glen Albyn was a famous Scotch whisky distillery located in Inverness, Scotland. It made a special type of whisky called single malt. The distillery operated for many years, from 1846 until 1983. Even though the original building was taken down, the Glen Albyn whisky brand was brought back to life in 2022.
History of Glen Albyn
The Glen Albyn distillery was started in 1846 by a man named James Sutherland. At that time, James Sutherland was the Provost of Inverness. A Provost is like the mayor or leader of a town.
For a while, a very large company called Diageo owned the distillery. This company owns many different drink brands around the world.
Sadly, the Glen Albyn distillery stopped making whisky in 1983. Five years later, in 1988, the buildings were taken down.
However, the name of Glen Albyn lives on! In December 2022, the Glen Albyn whisky brand was started again. A person called Lord French, who is also known as Baron de Freyne, is now the honorary president of the brand.
Rare Whisky Bottles
For most of its history, the whisky made at Glen Albyn was used to create other mixed whiskies, called "blends." This means that bottles of pure Glen Albyn single malt whisky are very hard to find.
Because they are so rare, these single malt bottles are very valuable. They are often sold at special sales called auctions. Famous auction houses like Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams sell them. A single bottle can often sell for as much as $4,000!
In July 2022, a super rare bottle of Glen Albyn whisky from 1852 was sold. It went for an amazing price of $132,000 to a collector from America. What made this bottle even more special was that it was signed by Benjamin Disraeli. He was a very important person who used to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom a long time ago.
