sixteenth January 2012: The primary time I stepped onto the Isle of Arran.
It was a college meditative retreat to the village of Lamlash, with a great little bit of exploring the island as nicely. My first reminiscence is seeing the island throughout the Firth of Clyde from someplace above Ardrossan. We had pushed up, and I had taken a minibus driving take a look at while at college to have the ability to assist with the drive from Cambridge. Today, I drive continuous from Norfolk, setting off the earliest at 11 PM to reach in time for the 7 AM ferry.
Again then, every part was new. I used to be taking an opportunity with a pleasant however unfamiliar group of fellow college students and our pretty college chaplain Nigel, who organised the annual journey up North, and launched the island – and all its sudden joys – to multitudes of scholars year-on-year. I seemed throughout from the place our minibus was parked and there, within the distance, in some type of twilight was a jagged, snow-capped island.
With the good thing about hindsight, it should have resonated to some deep a part of my soul that was calling out for an island escape: someplace with out cell phone sign; with crystal-clear streams; with out essay deadlines; with golden eagles… the checklist might go on. One ingredient that I used to be not in search of then was whisky. I had not developed the style for something near an appreciation of single malt then; my dad had all the time supplied it up in a night, but it surely had not appealed to my palate.
Just a few days of dawn meditation, walks up the Glenashdale Falls, and journeys over to Holy Island off the shore of Lamlash adopted, and we discovered our group driving into the automotive park of Lochranza Distillery within the early afternoon. I had by no means visited a distillery up till this level. Curiosity in abundance, I keep in mind strolling into the Customer Centre Store, previous the reeds and waterfall show that used to greet the entrants to the Distillery in these days.
Contained in the Distillery store: a dizzying array of bottles. On the upper cabinets have been bottles of the Open Day 2011 bottling and companion Gordon’s Cask 2010 bottling. Displayed up on the highest shelf of the store, in rosewood packing containers and engaging gold leaf impact textual content, these bottles have been priced roughly round £125 per bottle.
I keep in mind considering, “Wowsers ! I can not afford something like that as a Uni pupil. What a worth for a bottle of whisky!” In the long run, I bought a 20cl bottle of a Pinot Noir Wine End to share with my Dad after I subsequent bought again to my parental dwelling. We each very a lot loved that bottle a number of weeks later and the remainder – so far as it goes with Arran Whisky, and whisky consuming basically with me – is historical past. I turned a bona fide convert to something and every part Arran would launch.
Now quick ahead ten years – gulp – and a number of releases later I seemed again on these preliminary unique releases I noticed sat on the highest shelf in Lochranza. I attempted and loved each, have a bottle of every in my long-term assortment, and lately purchased one other of the Open Day 2011 at public sale, to deliver as much as this 12 months’s Malt and Music Pageant 2022 (again after an absence two years because of the pandemic). I’ll open this bottle and share with many buddies – new and outdated – and experience one thing fairly wondrous and particular that may solely be discovered at these sorts of occasions.
Within the time that has handed since that first go to, Isle of Arran Distillers has opened a second distillery down on the south finish of the island in 2019. I used to be fortunate sufficient to go to early this 12 months and have a chat with Head Distiller Graham Omand about how every part was progressing on the new website, and what lay in retailer for Lagg Distillery in 2022 and past.
Malt: Howdy Graham, final time I used to be right here we have been speaking outdoors about orchards however let’s go inside, into the stillhouse, for the primary ingredient of your job right here at Lagg Distillery. Tomorrow is the third anniversary at 14:35 of the primary center reduce. Forged your thoughts again for us to 2019; what was that second like?
Graham: It could not sound that romantic, however that second jogs my memory of hi-vis vests and arduous hats on a building website. The constructing was nonetheless technically underneath building at that second, so I used to be nonetheless underneath the thumb of the location foremen, working in a extremely popular stillhouse in the course of March, coated head to toe in hi-vis, with my head in a spirit protected! It was fairly an expertise.
Malt: How lengthy did it take to get that time the place you determined “OK that is going to be our center reduce?”
Graham: That took practically two weeks. On the nineteenth March 2019, this was our first trial of that particular center reduce. The primary foreshots was usually fairly low, because it takes some time to construct up the low wines and feints. It was nonetheless caskable spirit technically, James (MacTaggart) and I have been simply making an attempt totally different cuts on the time that have been coming by way of.
Malt: Does any of that unique center reduce discover its method into casks? Or have been you purely experimenting and that then will get poured away?
Graham: It was re-distilled once we had settled on our recipe.
Malt: After which what was the date that the primary cask was stuffed?
Graham: The very first cask was stuffed fairly a bit in a while, as a result of we have been solely distilling each two days. We have been underneath fairly a strict regime whereby we might solely work underneath sure specs, as a result of the location was nonetheless stuffed with builders. April 10th 2019 was when Cask #1 was stuffed at Lagg. There was fairly a giant filling on that day. A variety of the spirit we produced up until then had been slowly despatched all the way down to the sprit tank in Warehouse #1. As we refined the cuts we have been in search of, they bought combined collectively, so we bought an image of precisely the model of spirit we needed over these first few weeks.
Malt: What barley and yeast pressure have been used for that preliminary run?
Graham: Concerto barley and M selection yeast pressure from Kerry Group.
Malt: Has that stayed constant during the last three years?
Graham: Sure, we nonetheless use Kerry selection yeast, we’ve simply adjusted the pressure to include an MX selection, which is a barely quicker selection. As manufacturing has elevated, we’ve needed to change the fermentation time barely. What this new pressure does is it nonetheless provides us the identical model of flavour, but it surely permits for barely faster fermentations for some components of the working week. Making certain nothing is getting over or underneath fermented, and a stability is discovered.
Malt: On an emotional stage, what did it really feel like whenever you’d picked that center reduce after which noticed it going right into a cask for the primary time?
Graham: One in all our Venture Managers on the time was behind the stillhouse, displaying some visitors round. He seemed over at me and noticed me leaping across the spirit protected, very excitedly, and he mentioned to our visitors: “Oh there’s the Head Distiller, he’s in his ingredient and so, so joyful!” I didn’t realise on the time they have been all there. I bought a flavour of the center reduce and thought it was implausible, it stood out. I had been gathering totally different cuts up until that time – 5 minutes in, 10 minutes in, quarter-hour in – accumulating small samples in little glass bottles. And this specific combine and ratio of the samples I attempted and thought: ah now that’s good! I despatched it off to James and was actually happy with the way it all blended collectively.
At one level on the condenser there have been practically 30 little bottles all lined up, with unexpectedly written notes on every. That’s how I knew if I used to be taking the foreshots or feints too early, by analysing all of them. If I bought a little bit of a feinty be aware, I might attempt the following day at 62.5, then 63.5, perhaps then the foreshots as an alternative of half an hour in, attempt them at 25 minutes in, or 40 minutes the opposite method. I used to be simply looking for that proper stability for what we have been in search of with a closely peated spirit.
Malt: And whenever you discovered it, it was like Mario hitting that gold block above his head! So this room has been in existence now for 3 years. Has all of it run as anticipated, or have you ever ironed out kinks over these years?
Graham: There’s not a single one that’s ever labored in a distillery would ever inform you that every part all the time works completely. There’s all the time little points and tweaks that may enhance effectivity. It took me about two years to get the distillery operating to probably the most environment friendly state you discover it operating in now.
Malt: What the unique capability for when Lagg first began distilling?
Graham: Our first goal was 250,000 litres of pure alcohol for 2019, however the capability of the distillery is round 750,000 litres.
Malt: So it could actually rise up to that capability like its sister distillery Lochranza did earlier than over time?
Graham: Sure, if we have been distilling 24 hours a day, 7 days every week, with our 4 20,000 litre washbacks, and our present two stills, we determine it will be round 750,000 litres per 12 months. However as you understand, we’ve bought room for growth right here within the stillshouse. There’s house over by the Lagg Cask Society Homeowners Wall of Fame for 4 additional washbacks, and room in entrance of our stills right here by the window for 2 additional stills. It provides us the choice to double capability when the time is correct. I used to be nonetheless working at Lochranza once we doubled the nonetheless capability there and it was tough; they needed to rip up the ground and the body across the stills and take every part aside. Right here, we simply have to take out the window, every part has been futureproofed from the get-go.
Malt: Is that partly all the way down to having the group in place that noticed that occur at Lochranza?
Graham: Ha, sure, a number of of us saying “Proper, we’ll by no means do it that method once more!”
Malt: Let’s stroll over to the Wall of Fame and try the Lagg Cask Society house owners. Is all of it full now?
Graham: Sure, all 700 casks have now been bought. I’ve had individuals are available and search for their title and spent practically half-hour wanting. The centre of the wall options the earliest cask house owners, with the highest and backside that includes the latter folks to get their cask.
Malt: Nice to listen to it’s all totally signed so far! Let’s transfer to someplace barely extra peaceable: Warehouse #1. I see heaps or casks on this warehouse; what’s the method of choosing casks for the primary Lagg Whisky launch? Are you earmarking casks that you just suppose can be appropriate or do you may have a particular image that you just wish to paint?
Graham: We’ve a particular image for the primary few releases this 12 months. It’s presently confidential, however all can be revealed quickly.
Malt: We’re roughly three weeks away from these first casks of spirit turning three years outdated and turning into legally outlined as whisky. Are there any tax implications that change in a bonded warehouse from storing whisky versus maturing spirit?
Graham: No, despite the fact that it’s technically not a whisky in response to Scotch Malt Whisky Society, it’s casked as a whisky. It doesn’t change at a sure age.
Malt: What kind of casks are predominantly saved right here in Warehouse #1?
Graham: We’ve a great cocktail of casks right here. It’s our operations warehouse, with half of the warehouse storing casks on a racking system. This racking was particularly designed for ease of entry and use. Predominantly it’s used for the Lagg Cask Society’s 700 casks, which gave us roughly one other 1,200 areas, so with that we’ve determined to retailer particular casks and vattings right here, together with a little bit of house for Lochranza’s particular casks too.
Malt: Is that this like Warehouse #6 at Lochranza, the diddy baby?
Graham: Sure, a racking system like that is excellent for finishes. The very last thing you wish to do is create a end, palletise it, stick it within the nook of a warehouse and never be capable of entry it for 9 months as its been buried behind different casks. The primary 10 rows listed here are all Lagg Cask Society after which past that your specialist and strange casks.
Malt: Is that the place your Calvados Venture casks are sitting?
Graham: Sure, and varied wine casks like Amarone and Sauternes. Over on the left-hand facet of the warehouse we’ve a little bit of a dunnage system, storing in the meanwhile a majority of Lochranza casks. They’ve been juggling a variety of house points at Lochranza lately, so now we’ve bought extra space down right here, we will share warehouse house.
Malt: You talked about that to us final 12 months that the entire website was initially deliberate for warehousing.
Graham: Sure, initially that was the concept after which we realised we might make a small craft distillery right here, after which small rapidly turned massive. The casks over right here spent the vast majority of their lives in Warehouses 1 and a couple of at Lochranza, that are additionally our dunnage warehouses at that website. A few of these casks will hopefully discover their method into future bottlings of our White Stag releases, and particular annual launch, that type of factor. A variety of the are 1996, 1997, and 1998 casks, some good age to them. Sherry Butts and Sherry Puncheons.
Malt: What does it imply to you to know that very shortly you’re going to have Lagg Whisky versus simply Lagg Spirit in a few of these casks?
Graham: It’s been the quickest three years of my life. I keep in mind the day we stuffed Cask #1; it was myself and two of the warehousemen. It’s gone in a blink of an eye fixed. Let’s go and take a look at that cask in actual fact.
Malt: Is Cask #1 at Lochranza nonetheless in existence in some type?
Graham: It’s, I do know the place it’s, however I can’t share that data. In contrast to Cask #1 right here at Lagg which we’ve assured can be bottled in 2029, one thing that I’ve by no means heard of taking place earlier than within the trade. Will probably be bottled and go to the Lagg Cask Society as a thanks for believing in us, and for being buddies of the corporate.
Malt: Since final July I see you’ve added three extra warehouses on website. How a lot additional capability does that provide you with, and the way lengthy do you suppose that can be sufficient storage capability for the 2 distilleries?
Graham: Every of these warehouses, in the event that they’re full to the brim, will in all probability give us near 7,000 barrels of space for storing every. So, you’re taking a look at an additional 21,000 casks we will retailer because of these new warehouses. It feels like quite a bit, however keep in mind that Lagg Distillery alone will want house for round 5000 casks per 12 months if we preserve ramping up manufacturing. So, we’re projecting these new warehouses give us ample house for the following three to 4 years at max.
On the similar time, we’re all the time emptying casks too, it’s a fragile stability. You ideally need a situation the place you’re filling and emptying of casks are nearly an identical. There was a degree at Lochranza the place we vastly noticed a rise in gross sales, which noticed our 10-year-old whisky improve in gross sales. It was about 10 years in the past when Lochranza first ramped up manufacturing, so we’re capable of fairly comfortably provide heaps extra of the 10-year-old launch now.
Malt: Perhaps a 14-year-old launch once more sooner or later?
Graham: I couldn’t presumably say, although I do miss it on our customer centre cabinets.
Malt: It’s gone from being the inexpensive bottle you could possibly all the time discover on a go to to the distillery, to being the one you see on public sale websites with a little bit of a cult following now.
Graham: It has fairly a legacy because it was one among James Mactaggart’s flagship first bottlings. The ten-year-old got here out earlier than James joined, which he then tailored to his tastes. Nevertheless it was the 14-year-old that allowed him to plant his flag with the distillery.
Malt: Now you’ve had three years of the location being open, what are you noticing with the kind of customer making the journey to the south finish of Arran? Is it nonetheless a lot of first-time guests or are you beginning to now get repeat guests?
Graham: It’s a combination of each; a good variety of our White Stag group pop over frequently and I’ll get a cellphone name within the workplace to pop down and say hello and catch-up. The island can also be ideally suited for household holidays the place folks like to return over yearly and find yourself discovering themselves again right here at Lagg, not simply due to the whisky, however the website is gorgeous, you get a stunning lunch, an important tour, and the employees are all so pleasant.
Malt: Are you noticing that by having the enterprise right here within the south finish you’re bedding in working relationships with the native farmers and folks contemplating a job right here after they’ve left faculty?
Graham: We’ve bought a great relationship with farmers throughout; we provide them with draff they usually provide us with barley. We even have two uni college students who come and work for us each set of holidays they get; they’re coming again once more this 12 months. It’s nice as they’re coming to work in an trade that they could wish to additional their careers in after college. Us being right here means much less individuals have to essentially go away the island to get that first job in a profession they could want to pursue within the whisky trade.
Malt: It feels like a implausible first job to have! My first jobs have been on farms, a petroleum station, and in a grocery store. I’d have beloved so as to add a distillery to that checklist.
Graham: Mine was as a KP in a neighborhood resort and a grocery store too, all of us have to start out someplace.
Malt: Shall we glance into Warehouse #4 as nicely, that’s one that’s palletised?
Graham: So, this warehouse has a mixture once more of casks from Lochranza and Lagg saved in it on pallets. It ought to be capable of saved practically 7,000 casks in whole. LG casks are Lagg on the left, and LO are Lochranza casks on the correct. Warehouses 5 and 6 are empty in the meanwhile, however Warehouse 2 and three are already full to the gunnels.
Malt: It’s fairly one thing, it makes you’re feeling very small stood right here amongst these 1000’s of casks. What occurs when all these warehouses are full, the place do you retailer your future casks then?
Graham: It’s going to be time to look out for extra space on the island then. Rising up on Islay, I heard from my Mum and Dad that there was a degree the place you couldn’t even give away farmland as nobody needed to be farmers. Now, it’s a special story and each sq. acre is wanted.
Malt: 2022: the 12 months of inflationary strain and provide chain points. How is it affecting Isle of Arran Distillers?
Graham: The provision chain is a little bit of a problem proper now, and that’s not simply being felt by us, it’s being skilled by each single particular person within the trade. There are only a lot much less containers of barrels accessible proper now. The whole lot’s getting held up in ports, with issues not getting loaded on time due to COVID-related points. The barrels are nonetheless on the market, you simply can’t get them to the place you need them in time. It’s important to plan forward as finest you may. It’s the identical for lots of fellow impartial producers. Our key suppliers are all very apologetic, and we’ll all must work by way of it. We’ve been lucky in that we’ve not had any shutdowns or extreme shortages due to it as myself and my colleague Stewart up at Lochranza are all the time considering two steps forward.
Malt: I’m happy to listen to. So, what’s to stay up for at Lagg Distillery in 2022?
Graham: We’ve some very particular releases coming as much as have a good time our three-year-old whisky. I can’t give any extra data but, but it surely’s practically right here and I promise you received’t be dissatisfied. We’ve bought some actually particular issues within the works to have a good time this 12 months.
