Isle of Arran Distillers has announced the release of their Inaugural Limited Edition Single Malt from Lagg Distillery – a new heavily peated whisky distillery located on the southern tip of the Isle of Arran. This release comes in three separate limited–edition batches, each with a robust, complex, and earthy “west coast” style that brings a contemporary twist to traditional methods of producing peated whisky on Arran.
Lagg Distillery is the sister of independently owned Lochranza Distillery. The building of the new distillery and its magnificent visitor centre was completed in 2019, where they opened their doors for the very first time to customers and award nominations alike. The architects have designed a spectacular building that echoes the contours of Arran as you’d see it from Ailsa Craig and celebrates the unique geography of the surrounding environment by using dramatic roofs which are covered by a sedum blanket of seasonal plants.
In August 2018, their custom-made copper pot stills were installed, and they now sit alongside the mash tun and four traditional wooden washbacks. The very first middle cut of spirit was recorded at 14.35pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, marking a new chapter in the history of whisky-making for the southern shores of Arran.
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Lagg creates a heavily peated, modern and characterful Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Their Inaugural Releases use Concerto malted barley, water from their own borehole and sourced peat from the highlands of Scotland which gives the perfect gentle, aromatic, woody smoke to the spirit of Lagg. The primary purpose at Lagg is to produce a top quality peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
They are also committed to supporting local projects that are focused on preserving peatlands for the good of the planet. Peatlands are highly efficient, compact carbon sinks. Although they cover only 3% of the global land surface, they store nearly 550 billion tonnes of carbon –which is as much carbon as in all terrestrial biomass and twice as much as in all the world’s forests. Despite the power that they hold, peatlands are still under threat globally from drainage for agriculture, forestry, and resource extraction. This destruction is accelerating global warming. Only by restoring these peatlands to health, by rewetting and rewilding the bogs and removing the incumbent agricultural and forestry projects, will the carbon stay locked in the ground where it’s meant to be.
Graham Omand, Lagg Distillery Manager, who oversaw the construction of Lagg Distillery and leads a brand-new team, will be captaining the new distillery. Graham worked as a stillman at Arran’s Lochranza Distillery for several years, gaining knowledge and experience in producing earthy, peated Lagg Single Malt. He is looking forward to interpreting and adding his own style to the spirit to ensure it is of the highest possible quality.
Graham comments: “It’s every stillman’s dream to be given such an amazing opportunity to manage a beautiful site like Lagg. I am going to make sure it’s a legacy that I’ll be proud to say I helped build. We are delighted to finally announce the very first inaugural Single Malt release from Lagg.”
