The blueprint for a new Scotch whisky maturation site in East Ayrshire has been released.
Beam Suntory, owner of The Ardmore, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch, and Laphoroaig distillers, published the plans, which are set to form proposals that will be submitted to a planning committee during the summer, the Daily Record reported.
A proposal of the application for the £150 million maturation site off the M77 near Kingswell has already been handed to East Ayrshire Council.
If it is given the go ahead, it will provide 70,000 square metres of floor space, which will be able to store around half a million barrels of whisky. It is also thought it could create 40 new jobs, taking Beam Suntory’s employment count to nearly 450 in Scotland alone.
Consultations recently took place in Fenwick and Kilmarnock to gather the public’s opinion regarding the huge enterprise. The local community was able to speak with representatives from Beam Suntory, as well as Energy Conscious Design Architects, who have been hired to complete the project.
Craig Martin, general manager of manufacturing operations – UK and Ireland for Beam Suntory, told the publication: “We were encouraged to see so many people engage with our first round of community consultation events.
“We take pride in playing an active role in the communities where our employees live and work. It’s crucial for us to understand what is important to local people and to receive their feedback.”
More consultation events are set to take place over the next few weeks to raise awareness of the proposal, and answer any questions locals might have about the site.
These include events at Burns Shopping Mall in Kilmarnock on May 20th, and John Fulton Hall in Fenwick on May 22nd. There will also be a live web chat on May 23rd from 1500 to 1800, enabling the public to speak directly with the project team.
Beam Suntory hopes these consultations will help the planning committee accept its ambitious plans, which are intended to help the whisky producer and exporter expand its business further.
One of its most successful whiskies is Browmore, which has been in production since 1779. In fact, it is thought to be the first licensed Islay distiller, located in Lochindaal, in the Hebrides.
Even after nearly 250 years, it is still hand-crafted, which makes its single malt whisky sought after and helps it maintain its high value.
The distillery prides itself on having a combination of fresh water from the River Laggan, barley malted on site, a long and important heritage, a stone warehouse, as well as the “magnificent character of Islay” to produce the impressive tipple.
“This care and attention to detail is what creates the complex balance of not just Smoke, but also maritime minerality and fresh stone fruit notes, which is so characteristic of our timeless house style,” Bowmore states.
Among its most impressive bottles are the 1966 Vintage, of which only 70 bottles were released after it was left to age for 50 years; and the Black Bowmore 50 Year Old.
It also released 12 bottles of the 1957 in 2012, which is the oldest Islay single malt scotch whisky ever to have been released.
These whiskeys will be worth a considerable amount now, giving investors a good return. For more information on cask whisky investment to make money from rare bottles, give us a call today.