A small preface: This is not a rant. Some of my favorite whiskies are part of this trend to consolidate distilling multiple expressions of whiskies off of a single still. It allows a diverse selection while still keeping prices down for the consumer. It's more that consumers should be aware that just because a bottle has a place name on the label doesn't necessarily mean that it was made in that place.
Because whiskies are aged, it's possible for a closed distillery's product to keep surfacing for decades. These "silent stills" are revered for their scarcity and romance. Locations such as Caol Ila or Bruichladdich became so popular after they closed that the stills came back to life. But then you've got stills such as Longrow that can't really be brought back to life - so what's an owner supposed to do? Well, you can re-jigger your already existing stills and make something that tastes a lot like the stuff from the old place. Thus a silent still's voice comes back from the dead and throws its voice through someone else's still. In short - "Still Ventriloquism"
The boldest example of this is in Ireland. There's about fifteen brands of whiskey produced out of three (soon to be four) distilleries. Kentucky Bourbon has more stills, but about the same average of brands per still. The most diverse would be the Buffalo Trace still that's cranking out at least ten different spirits including Rain vodka.
Scotch is a bit less likely to have its stills throw their voices, but the trend appears to be coming to Scotland. Springbank's multiple brands are the first that springs to mind. There's also Bruichladdich going on a buying spree of closed Islay distilleries; potentially to produce three different Scotches from one primary still.
Then there's Diageo's announcement to build a huge new distillery in Roseisle and you're left wondering what its primary purpose will be. Diageo would have an uphill battle trying to market a new name. Heck, they opened Auchroisk over thirty years ago and they still market it under "The Singleton" name.
Wouldn't it make more sense for this still to produce all of those brands everyone is asking for? Rosebank - back on the shelf. Maybe satisfy those Coleburn diehards that are still out there. It's amazing what you can do with a high-tech still, ample raw materials, and a few juicy trademarks.