Whisky maker John Dewar & Sons loses Scotch down the drain after machine error

A whisky maker in Glasgow has lost bottles’ worth of Scotch down the drain due to a machine error.

The BBC understands supplies of a 12-year-old reserve produced by John Dewar & Sons accidentally flowed into a factory drainage system, alongside rainwater and waste water, following a mechanical fault last Wednesday.

Environmental watchdog Sepa has launched an investigation into the incident, which occurred at the firm’s bottling hall and office complex on London Road.

The building is situated near the River Clyde but drinks-maker Bacardi – the parent company of John Dewar & Sons – said there was no environmental impact from the mistake.

BBC Scotland understands the company believes the whisky would have gone through the same process before reaching the Clyde as any waste would have.

This means it would undergo treatment to purify it before being returned to the environment.

Newspaper reports suggested the drink lost was worth around £200,000 and was equivalent to more than 5,000 bottles – but the company has dismissed those figures as heavily exaggerated.

It declined to give an exact estimate of the amount of whisky lost when asked by BBC Scotland.

Bacardi is understood to be carrying out a full investigation into how the mechanical mistake happened.

A spokesperson for Bacardi said: “As per our official notification to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency last week, no whisky was discharged into the River Clyde and there has been no safety or environmental impact as a result of a mechanical fault that occurred on Wednesday 17th September.

“We prioritize safety, and go above and beyond compliance requirements to protect the environment, working closely with Sepa and all relevant authorities.”

A spokesperson for Sepa said: “Sepa is investigating an incident and as investigations are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The business was formed in 1846, and the company has five distilleries throughout Scotland.