North Port Distillery

About the distillery

North Port was a Scottish distillery in Brechin in Angus, established in 1820 north of the royal burgh. It began as a family distillery, later came under D.C.L., and disappeared entirely from the landscape when it was closed in 1983 and demolished. For whisky enthusiasts, it’s especially interesting because the name still shows up on a few independent bottlings and in the Rare Malts series as North Port Brechin.

History

North Port was built in 1820 by a family of bankers and landowners and lay north of the royal burgh of Brechin. For more than a century, it operated as a family distillery before D.C.L. took over in 1922. The distillery continued until it closed in 1983, and the buildings were subsequently demolished. Although the site itself is gone, the name lives on among collectors and enthusiasts through occasional bottlings, including an official release under the name North Port Brechin in the Rare Malts series.

Whiskies

There is no current range, because North Port is no longer in operation. What remains is sporadic releases from independent bottlers and the historical Rare Malts bottling North Port Brechin. For the interested whisky drinker, that means a distillery you primarily encounter through bottles and history rather than a living core range.

Visit the distillery

North Port cannot be visited as an active distillery because the site is closed and demolished. Therefore, there are no tours, tastings, visitor center, shop, or café associated with the address today. In practice, the visit experience is historical—about tracking down bottles and reading about the distillery’s past.