Bruichladdich Distillery reimagines a greener future for a historic Scottish island
In the Scottish island of Islay, Bruichladdich Distillery has been a beacon of the community for centuries. This remains as true as it was years ago. It connects Islay’s past to its present in many ways – employing much of the original 19th-century machinery it first had when it began in 1881 while simultaneously retrofitting greener solutions for a more sustainable future.
As far as distilleries go, it’s become a centre of innovation in the whisky region. After all, it’s the first Scotch whisky and gin distillery in Europe to receive B Corp certification.
This year, the brand retained the title once more. B Corp-certified companies are held to the highest standards for social and environmental performance. When Bruichladdich Distillery first obtained the recognition, it garnered an Impact Score of 83.2 points. Now, it has reached the three-digit mark.
“Bruichladdich is a Victorian distillery reimagined for the future, and it’s about preserving our rich history and tradition while making tangible progress,” Bruichladdich Distillery CEO Douglas Taylor says. “Our new Impact Score of 100.7 points is an incredible step forward. It’s a moment for us to celebrate where we are now but also acknowledge how much more we can do to drive change.”
The distillery owes its 21% increase to its reduction of packaging CO2 emissions, the collaboration with the people within the island community and the overall progress toward decarbonising production by 2025. B Corporations are measured in five categories: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
In Bruichladdich’s case, the distillery was honoured particularly for how it contributes to the employees’ financial, physical, professional and social well-being. It’s also worth mentioning that half of the people who work across the island’s distilleries choose to work here.
Of note, too, is how the business balances the economic, environmental and social welfare in the island community. It remains committed to distilling, matures and bottles all single malts on Islay, as well as using more sustainable materials, including the redesign of Bruichladdich’s signature Classic Laddie bottle.
It’s a testament to the distillery’s vision when it revamped in 2001. Credited for reviving the Islay’s barley production, Bruichladdich wanted to produce single malt whisky reflective of the terroir of Islay. While terroir is often associated with the wine-making world, it can offer added depth to the drinking experience by emphasising the environmental context of the product.
The distillery made it a point to experiment by distilling identical varieties of barley in separate regions in mainland Scotland, covering Aberdeen, the Black Isle, and the Lothian. Hence the richness of its Port Charlotte and Octomore single malts and The Botanist gin.
What comes next for the distillery is sensitive land management and regenerative agriculture and conservation initiatives to further future-proof the land. Recently, it started with investing in a large-scale soil mapping project on Islay to do so. Taylor concludes, “We are continually striving to do things better across every facet of the business – committed to making improvements for our team members, the wider Islay community, and the planet.”
For more information visit bruichladdich.com
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