Founded in 1812, Brackla, also known as Royal Brackla, became in 1998 the property of John Dewars & Sons Ltd (Bacardi). In the 19th century, it was one of the three distilleries to be granted the royal distinction by King William IV and then Queen Victoria in 1838. At that time, Brackla enjoyed a very high reputation. Its malt, highly prized by blenders including Walkers and Dewars, was the source of the first commercial success in the blend industry created by Andrew Usher in the late 1850s.