Uisge Beatha Whisky prices compared

Whisky from closed distilleries

These bottles were distilled at distilleries that have since closed; for one that has reopened, only spirit made before the closure counts. The full page, with a map of the lost sites, a directory and the 1983 closures, is whisky from lost distilleries.

46 bottles in stock, with the best current price from the UK retailers we check.

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Questions

What is the cheapest whisky from closed distilleries?
The cheapest whisky from closed distilleries is Cambus (silent) Woodrow’s Of Edinburgh - Single Cask #103260A 1991 34 year old Whisky (34 years old, 52% ABV, 70cl), at £96.95 from Master of Malt. That is £101.90 delivered to the UK mainland for one bottle. Next cheapest: Cambus (silent) Darkness - Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Single Grain 29 year old Whisky 50cl (£169.95) and Caperdonich (silent) Secret Speyside Batch #2 Peated Single Malt Scotch 18 year old Whisky (£239.95).
How much does whisky from closed distilleries cost?
Whisky from closed distilleries costs from £96.95 to £14,995.00, with a median of £750.00 for a full-size bottle. The dearest is Port Ellen 1981 Islay Festival 2008 Limited Edition Single Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl.
What is the oldest whisky from closed distilleries you can buy?
Benromach Heritage Single Cask #1269 1977 41 year old Whisky, at 41 years old, from £2,099.95.
What is a closed or lost distillery?
One that has stopped producing, usually for economic reasons. A mothballed distillery keeps its equipment and can restart, while others, such as Littlemill, have been demolished. Some are preserved, like Dallas Dhu, which is now a museum.
Why did so many Scotch distilleries close in the 1980s?
Demand fell in the recession of the early 1980s, after big expansions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Whiskipedia counts 16 distilleries closed by the company now called Diageo, 11 of them in 1983. Glen Albyn, Glen Mhor and Millburn in Inverness were among the casualties.
Can a closed distillery reopen?
Yes. Port Ellen on Islay, closed in 1983, reopened as a new distillery in 2024, and Rosebank, mothballed in 1993, filled its first new cask in 2023 and opened to visitors in 2024. A revived distillery may share little with the old one beyond the site and name, so its new spirit won’t simply replace the old stock.
Where does whisky from a closed distillery come from?
From casks filled before it closed, which owners and independent bottlers release over the following years. Casks from Caperdonich, closed in 2002 and demolished by 2011, still appear occasionally, and Glenury Royal, closed in 1983, turns up in rare releases from Diageo’s stocks.