(Photo: Glenglassaugh)
On Monday, an employee at the historic Glenglassaugh Distillery indicated that the scotch whisky producer is preparing for temporary closure. If true, it'd be the latest in a series of layoffs spearheaded by Brown-Forman as the spirits conglomerate struggles against industry headwinds.
Distillery production operator Tijay Salhotra announced on Instagram that his three-year tenure at the company has come to a close, claiming the producer is "halting production" amid a "change in corporate activities." Salhotra repeated several times that the closure is temporary and that operations will recommence before the end of the year with a new team at the helm.
Brand owner Brown-Forman, the Kentucky-based company behind Jack Daniel's and Old Forester, has yet to comment publicly on the alleged closure.
"Just like that my time at Glenglassaugh and Brown Forman has come to an end," Salhotra wrote. "Due to the decline in the whisky industry and a change in the corporations activities, Glenglassaugh is halting production for a while making my role redundant. It's not closing for good and it should restart towards the end of the year... It's been an amazing 3 years with the company, beginning from my time at Glendronach in the visitor centre and the last 2 years at the helm of Glenglassaugh."
Glenglassaugh is located in the town of Portsoy, Scotland, where the distillery was founded in 1875 by entrepreneur James Moir and his nephews, Alexander and William Morrison. The brand sources its water from the nearby Glassaugh Spring and is best known for its 12-Year, Sandend and Portsoy expressions, all of which were redesigned and relaunched in 2023.
The distiller has gone through a tumultuous series of closures and openings over the decades. Due to a scotch whisky bust in the early 20th century, Glenglassaugh was forced to shutter its doors between 1907 and 1960. Operations wound down once again between 1986 and 2008. Its temporary closure at the hands of Brown-Forman, who acquired the brand in 2016, would be the third in Glenglassaugh history.
It's the latest in a trend. Earlier this month, Brown-Forman informed investors that it'd be laying off 12% of the company's global workforce, equivalent to about 648 employees. The move coincided with a restructuring of its executive leadership team and the closing of a Louisville-based cooperage. In addition to Jack Daniel's and Glenglassaugh, the conglomerate owns a varied catalog of brands including Woodford Reserve, Herradura tequila, Chambord liqueur and Korbel Champagne.
As of 2025, the company has a market cap of $15.95 billion, down a precipitous 39.52% from the previous year. Alongside industry leaders like Diageo and LVMH, Brown-Forman is one of several facing downtown in the global liquor economy. Speculated causes include trade tensions, inflation and a decrease in alcohol consumption among younger generations.
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