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Brown-Forman revealed the new branding for Glendronach single malt in July 2024. The rebranding follows the company's previous investments in its Scottish whisky portfolio of three single malt distilleries, which it acquired from BenRiach Distillery Company in 2016.
The two other whisky distilleries owned by the American company - Benriach and Glenglassaugh - have already received a facelift, so the rebranding of Glendronach was expected. Benriach was given its generic white-labelled branding in 2020, followed by a new ocean-inspired look for Glenglassaugh in 2023.
Glendronach has been updated to a more 'modern' branding to appeal to a broader audience. For the distillery's fans, the new packaging might be a step towards losing identity.
The new branding features a simple one-colour, one-piece label design and a new signature bottle shape, moving away from the often-used 'stock bottle'. The round tin, matching the expression's colour, has also been replaced with a square box.
According to Glendronach, the core range whiskies have not changed and are still aged in Oloroso and/or Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Along with the new labels, all whiskies are generally called 'sherry cask matured', although the casks used are included in small print. The brand has also defunct the recognisable names for each expression, including Original, Revival and Allardice.
The brand has also removed the Billy Walker-influenced capitalisation of the second half of the distillery name, changing it from GlenDronach to Glendronach. The logo has also gone through a slight simplification.
The rebranded Glendronach range will be available soon, starting with 12, 15, and 18-year-old core range expressions and a 16-year-old PX, Oloroso, and Port cask-aged expression for travel retail. Notably, the distillery has seemingly discontinued all of its non-age statement expressions.
The launch is coupled with a visual campaign celebrating the distillery's heritage, created in collaboration with Scottish photographer and director Rankin. The campaign features Spanish flamenco dancer Rocio Dusmet Orellana as a nod to Glendronach's use of sherry casks.
Following the initial relaunch, Glendronach is said to release the Master's Anthology collection, featuring three new expressions, as well as an ultra-premium range with 21, 30 and 40-year-old editions later this year.
Earlier in July 2024, Glendronach distillery announced that it had submitted plans for restoration and expansion to the Aberdeenshire Council. The planned phased update of the distillery, scheduled to be completed in 2026, involves a multi-million-pound investment to preserve and improve the historic site. The plans include restoring Boynsmill House and walled gardens, intending to convert the building into a luxury guest experience. Additionally, a heritage warehouse will be transformed into a new visitor centre to meet the increasing global demand for distillery tours and tasting experiences.
Here are the newly released official images of the new packaging, which are now available to view on the distillery's official website.
Original Images by The Glendronach
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