North British

Introduction:

The North British Distillery is known for its production of grain whisky. While it has not released any official expressions, there have been independent releases by companies like Douglas Laing and Duncan Taylor. These releases, such as the 20 – year – old by Douglas Laing and the 23 – year – old by Duncan Taylor, are rare and expensive, with Douglas Laing’s bottlings retailing at around $700 per bottle. The majority of North British’s spirit is used in blended whiskies.

Production:

The distillery has a production capacity of 12 million liters. It sources its water from nearby Pentland Hills.

Maltings:

North British uses a combination of malted barley and maize as the main ingredients for its whisky. The maize is imported from South West France and transported to the distillery in Edinburgh from the docks in Leith. While the distillery used to have its own malting floors, they were discontinued in 2002 due to economic reasons. However, North British was the first distillery in Scotland to install Saladin Maltings, although they are not currently in use.

Warehouse:

North British utilizes a mix of oak and Sherry casks for maturation. The distillery had a series of dunnage warehouses in the past, but now only Warehouse Number One, which is over 100 years old, remains. The other warehouses can hold 130 million liters of alcohol.

History:

Founded in 1885 by William Sanderson, Andrew Usher, and John M Crabbie, North British was established as a joint business venture. The founders, who came from independent blending backgrounds, aimed to expand their businesses by starting the distillery. Distillation began in September 1887, and the business grew rapidly, becoming one of Scotland’s most popular whiskies by 1897. During World War I, production was suspended, and a part of the distillery was converted into an ammunition factory. Production resumed in 1920 and reached pre-war levels by 1925.

However, the distillery faced challenges during the Prohibition era in America, which led to a significant loss of exports. It took several years for the distillery to recover after the Prohibition Act was repealed. Production was suspended again during World War II but later resumed. In 1993, Robertson & Baxter and International Distillers & Vintners formed a joint venture company called Lothian Distillers, and currently, North British is co-owned by Diageo and the Erdington Group.

Visitor’s Centre:

While North British doesn’t have an official visitor’s centre, enthusiasts can arrange tours of the facility by booking in advance.

Visitor information:

North British Distillery Company Ltd
9 Wheatfield Road
Edinburgh
EH11 2PX
Tel: +44 (0)131-337 3363