British alcoholic beverage producer Diageo has launched Brora 40-Year-Old scotch whiskey to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the ghost distillery Brora.

The new limited-edition whiskey expression has been released by the company one year ahead of the distillery re-opening.

At present, the distillery is undergoing refurbishment works and will be opened next year, after 36 years.

Diageo master blender Dr Craig Wilson said: “Of all the stories of Brora, there is one that seemed particularly fitting to tell on its 200th Anniversary. From 1969-83, there was a new experimentation phase in production and the Brora distillers created a smoky malt used heavily-peated Northern Highland barley.

“Used primarily in blends at the time, the few casks that are left from this Age of Peat, matured remarkably well and what remains is a multi-layered and complex Single Malt of astonishing quality. Little did the craftsmen at the time know, they had created a masterpiece.

“It is emblematic of the varied past of the distillery that makes it so special to all that know it: a humble story of experimentation, craft and happy coincidence.”

Wilson added that only 12 American oak hogshead casks were selected from Brora’s vintage stocks from 1978 to produce the new expression.

For identifying these casks, Wilson worked with Diageo archive team that had unearthed original Brora production records.

The company have said the distribution of the product will be limited to 1,819 bottles across the market.

In October 2017, Diageo announced its plans to re-open Scottish distilleries Brora and Port Ellen, which were closed for more than three decades.