Diageo pauses malt production at a major whisky distillery

Diageo has made a drastic decision: production at Roseisle Maltings has been completely halted. It appears the distillery’s supply chain is being partly reshaped as a result. What exactly is going on?

The whisky market is shifting, and demand for the water of life has dipped. As a result, several distilleries have already paused production. Others have closed their doors or undergone restructuring.

Diageo has now taken a decisive step regarding the well-known Roseisle Distillery. The distillery’s maltings, Roseisle Maltings, is temporarily suspending all operations and entering a production pause.

No new barley will arrive at the malting floors, and malting is on hold for the time being. Discussions with suppliers are underway to map out a plan for the future—one that will cover at least until June 2026, given the length of the shutdown.

The reason? A drop in demand for Scotch whisky that’s affecting Roseisle as well.

Diageo stresses this is a production pause, not a permanent closure. The building next to Roseisle Distillery will remain in use, but production plans will be reassessed over the coming months.

A Diageo spokesperson says the shift in demand calls for an adjustment.

Until the distillery’s malting plant restarts, staff will remain employed in alternative roles. For some that means a different location; for others, a new position within Roseisle. It’s not yet clear whether they will return to their previous posts once operations resume.