In the foggy outskirts of Glasgow, under a full moon, Port Dundas Distillery appears as a ghostly figure. Once the largest distillery in Scotland, Port Dundas came to Sir Lawrence Dundas in a dream and soon became a thriving powerhouse for exceptional malts. You can still hear the workers feeding the distillery’s massive three Coffey and five pot stills under the shadow of what was once the tallest brick chimney in the world.

Port Dundas, the History, the Legend

Port Dundas opened its doors in 1811. It survived the World Wars and two fires before getting lost in the shadows to join the illustrious Scottish ghost distilleries — Port Dundas blessed the world with the most wonderful whiskies for 200 years before being dismantled in 2011.

The colossal distillery was once a force for malt and grain whisky production and worked with peated and unpeated malts, corn barley and rye. By 1902 Port Dundas grew to absorb the acclaimed Dundashill distillery, the largest pot still distillery at the time, and had its own cooperage on-site. Diageo set its hands on the legendary Port Dundas and renovated the historic estate. By 2010, though, the conglomerate migrated its grain whisky production to Cameronbridge and sang Port Dundas’ last song.

The Last Port Dundas Barrels

Of the 39 million litres of extraordinary whisky created in Port Dundas, only a few barrels remain, and they’re longed by whisky enthusiasts and collectors alike. The rare whisky market has skyrocketed in the last few years, and ghost distilleries have certainly played a role in this quest to bring back to life the most exclusive blends. There will never be whisky like Port Dundas, and once it’s gone, it will be gone forever.

The grain whisky that once made Port Dundas famous was used to produce the most spectacular Blended Scotch, including the finest from Johnnie Walker, J&B, Vat 69 and White Horse. The unmistakable character of the distillery’s whisky is now considered a valued asset that might come to life in the future with exclusive blends of limited production. The last barrels of Port Dundas Whisky are worthy of the most exclusive portfolio, and the secondary market is eager to see the distilleries last breath in what will surely become a unique expression of Scotch whisky’s golden age.

Own Scottish History

Elite Wine & Whisky owns some of the few remaining casks of Port Dundas grain whisky with a pristine provenance and stored in state-of-the-art storage facilities. These authentic time capsules capture the spirit of the distillery’s greatness. The market for cult whisky grew at a rate of 13.1% in 2020, over performing luxury collections in the past decade, and this is still a young market.

Scotland will always produce striking whisky, but the most thoughtful investment opportunities involve spirits that have been frozen in time. Whisky that can’t be replicated and that will forever live in our memories — that’s the type of whisky to covet and cherish. That’s where the real value lies, in Scotland’s ghost distilleries like Port Dundas fading away into the night.

Please get in touch if you would like to talk to one of our team members about this distillery or others available.