PRESS

ROLLING STONES GUITARIST BUYS SCOTTISH DISTILLERY

Edinburgh, April 2007 - On March 30, well-known guitar hero Keith Richards acquired Brora Distillery, Brora, Sutherland. The acquisition of Brora Distillery fulfils Mr Richards’ strategic objective to become a fully integrated distiller, bottler and boozer.
The distillery and limited stocks were purchased from Diageo plc, with whom Mr Richards has an excellent ongoing relationship as a customer. This will allow Diageo to increase its focus on its numerous core brands: Lagavulin, Cragganmore, Talisker, Caol Ila and the nearby Clynelish to name but a few.
Brora Distillery, situated at Brora on the north-eastern coast of the Highlands, has been distilling whisky since 1819 but was closed in 1983. The single malt it produced was of award winning quality. The small town of Brora also has an excellent golf course, attracting many visitors each year. The Brora single malt portfolio consists of only a 30 years old whisky that was voted top of the Highland malt category several times in the famous Malt Maniacs’ annual Awards. Brora is a well-known and long established brand among connoisseurs.
Mr Richards, born 1943 in Kent, has always had strong interests in Scotch single malt whisky. The acquisition of Brora Distillery secures a future for Mr Richards’ private stocks.
Mr Richards commented: "As I have demonstrated, with my recent purchases of 2,357 cases of Ardbeg and 1,312 cases of Laphroaig, I have the commitment, the experience and the resources to represent a major market for Brora. Furthermore, as an integrated distiller, bottler and boozer, I shall be a stronger party partner for all fellow rock and roll musicians in the UK and overseas."
Keith Richards also announced that he won’t continue to work with the existing distributors around the world, the limited stocks being just sufficient for his own consumption. It is still unknown whether Mr Richards is planning to restart distilling or not, but the local community has deep hopes. – Trisha McPeehar