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There are five main whisky-producing regions in Scotland. Each region has its own unique terroir, water sources, and production methods that contribute to the distinctive flavours and characteristics of its whiskies:

Campbeltown: A small town on the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland, Campbeltown produces whiskies that are often described as having a salty, briny, and oily character.

Highland: The largest whisky-producing region in Scotland, covering a vast area with a wide range of styles from light and fruity to rich and full-bodied.

Islay: An island off the west coast of Scotland, Islay produces powerful, peaty whiskies with strong smoky and medicinal notes.

Lowland: The southernmost region, known for its lighter, gentler style of whisky, often with floral and grassy notes.

Speyside: Located in the northeast of Scotland, Speyside is known for its sweet and rich whiskies, often with notes of honey, nuts, and dried fruit.

The Scottish whisky regions are important to whisky enthusiasts, as they provide a way to categorise and compare different styles of Scotch whisky. Each region has its own unique history, production techniques, and flavour profiles, and these can be useful for understanding and appreciating the complexity and diversity of Scotch whisky.

The classification of Highlands and Lowlands as regions was as a result of legislation – the “1784 Wash Act”. The Act aimed to reduce illicit distilling and stimulate legal distilling in the Highlands. Accordingly lower rates of duty were applied to small scale distilleries north of the Lowland/ Highlands dividing line. Highland distilleries paid taxes based on the size of their still, meanwhile Lowlands distilleries were taxed per gallon in the wash. As a result, Lowlands distilleries paid much higher high duty rates than their colleagues in the Highlands.

However, it’s important to note that these regions are not a set of rigid rules that all Scotch whiskies must follow. While whisky production in Scotland is highly regulated, there is still a lot of room for experimentation and innovation within each region. Some whisky makers may choose to blend whiskies from different regions, or to create new styles that don’t fit neatly into any one category. Many distilleries outside of Islay now produce peated whiskies – indeed any particular whisky profile can probably be produced from any region – but getting a coastal / maritime terroir may be a challenge if the distillery and maturation warehouse is located inland many miles from the sea.

Ultimately, the most important thing when it comes to Scotch whisky is the flavour and experience that it provides to the individual drinker. Whether you prefer a peaty Islay whisky or a fruity Speyside dram, what matters most is finding a whisky that you enjoy and that speaks to your own taste and preferences.

The regional classifications can also help consumers to better understand and appreciate the diversity of Scotch whisky. By understanding the different flavour profiles associated with each region, drinkers can make more informed choices about which whiskies they might enjoy.

In summary, the regional classifications are not a set of hard-and-fast rules, and there is still plenty of room for experimentation and variation within each region. However, the classifications can be a useful starting point for understanding the characteristics of different whiskies and appreciating the rich history and traditions of Scotch whisky production.

Slàinte mhath

Martin

Well, as you might imagine, any whisky called Scotch must be produced in Scotland. But more than that, as a registered ‘Geographical Indication’ (like Champagne) Scotch Whisky must be produced according to strict regulations set down in law.

To understand this better, our starting point the Scotch Whisky Regulations (SWR) 2009. Here in law is the exact definition of what Scotch Whisky is. According to the SWR, whisky can only be called Scotch if it has been produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added). Furthermore, Scotch Whisky can only be so defined if:

• The malt and grains are processed at that distillery into a mash

• The mash is fermented at that distillery only by adding yeast

• It’s distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8%

• The resultant spirit is wholly matured in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres, for at least three years

• The whisky retains the colour, aroma, and taste of the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation.

• It contains no added substances, other than water and plain caramel colouring.

• It has a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40%.

According to the regulations there are only two basic types of Scotch whisky, from which all Scotch is made:

• Single Malt Scotch Whisky – a Scotch Whisky produced from only water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation in pot stills

• Single Grain Scotch Whisky – a Scotch Whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in addition to water and malted barley, may involve whole grains of other malted or un-malted cereals.

There is a little wrinkle in the above definitions for a distillery producing both single malt and single grain. Excluded from the definition of “Single Grain Scotch Whisky” is any spirit that qualifies as a Single Malt Scotch Whisky or a Blended Scotch Whisky. The latter exclusion is to ensure that a Blended Scotch Whisky produced from single malt(s) and single grain(s) distilled at the same distillery does not also qualify as a Single Grain Scotch Whisky.

At the last count Single Malt Scotch Whisky accounted for about 12% of total Scotch Whisky production. Using the two productions methods we can arrive at a total of 5 different Scotch Whisky types:

Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
Blended Scotch Whisky
It is worth expanding a wee bit more on blends:

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky means a blend of two or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky means a blend of two or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.
Blended Scotch Whisky means a blend of one or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies with one or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies.
Creating blends is something that requires great skill. A master whisky maker like Max McFarlane loves the challenge. He loves Single Malt Scotch Whisky, but not every single malt is created equal. Using his skills, he can take a number of average single malts and create a splendid blended malt with the best characteristics of all its parts.

There is much disagreement about what is the best whisky. It will come down to personal taste. Some people choose to only drink a single malt, others will only drink a blended whisky.

Given the number of distilleries and whisky types – there is a lot of choice out there!

Slàinte mhath,

Martin

The Distillery has commissioned Bodegas Miguel Martín to construct the sustainably sourced European oak casks, at a cost of between 30 and 40 times more than standard whisky casks.

As construction of our £20m distillery building project begins, Ardgowan has also appointed our new Master of Wood, Stuart MacPherson, who joins us from Edrington and brings 43 years of experience at some of the world’s most successful spirits companies, including more than a decade as Master of Wood at The Macallan.

Martin McAdam, CEO of Ardgowan Distillery, said:

“With up to 80% of whisky aromas and flavours deriving from casks, it’s imperative to have a Master of Wood as experienced as Stuart to perfect our maturation process. The cask supply contract is an enormous commitment from Ardgowan and demonstrates our dedication to quality and our desire to create a fantastic whisky.

“The Ardgowan Infinity Cask is specifically designed for us and is the first unique cask design for the Scottish Whisky industry in over a century. The casks are specifically designed for long-maturation and will be seasoned with organic sherry for 27 months – far longer than the industry standard of 12-18 months.

“While others hurry to take their whisky to market Ardgowan has made a conscious decision to delay the introduction of our single malt to market to make sure we’re getting the most out of these special casks.”

Roland Grain, principal shareholder at Ardgowan and Director of Investments commented:

“Our partnership with Bodegas Miguel Martín is indicative of our commitment to creating what we hope to be the finest whisky in the world. The first batch of Ardgowan Infinity Casks have already been manufactured and are now seasoning for at least two years in Bodegas’ dunnage warehouse in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

“While many distilleries tend to just finish their spirits in sherry casks, our whisky will be matured for its whole life in these first-fill Infinity Casks. We have already spent more money on our casks than many others are investing into building a distillery.”

We have already revealed plans for our £20 million distillery, our ‘cathedral of whisky’, with first production scheduled for 2024. A total funding package of £24m has been secured for the project so far, with the distillery recently raising in excess of £3.6m via a convertible loan note to shareholders.

Roland added:

“We’re fortunate to have received excellent financial support from investors so far as we commit to delivering to a true low carbon distillery, and shortly we will be announcing our Clan Ardgowan programme enabling whisky lovers around the world to join our crusade.”

In addition to creating 47 local jobs for Inverclyde, we have invested in leading technologies to put sustainability at the heart of our plans, partnering with Heriot-Watt University and engineers Briggs of Burton to develop pioneering technology to capture all of the CO2 in its fermentation process and transform it into green biomethane. The technique has never been used in a Scotch whisky distillery before.

Ardgowan’s success comes just one week after the distillery was awarded some of the highest marks from the independent taste panel at the Scottish Whisky Awards, with a total of three Gold Medals – Clydebuilt Sailmaker, Discovery No.4 and Inverdarach Potstill Editions Aon.

Reflecting on the win, Martin McAdam, CEO at Ardgowan Distillery, said:

“We’re delighted to have won Best Blended Malt at the Whisky Magazine World Whisky Awards. We’re pleased Sailmaker has been so well received, and a big thanks to our team who made it all possible. It was also such an honour to win three Gold Medals at the Scottish Whisky Awards. Our team’s dedication, passion and commitment make us proud every day, and we couldn’t be more pleased to see this recognised.”

The World Whiskies Awards, which took place at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh on December 8th, commends the best whiskies in sixteen categories, covering style and production methods, and aims to recognise the best Scotch whiskies by celebrating the people working to deliver Scotland’s national drink. The competition is judged by a panel of industry experts, bringing together market knowledge and industry experience to identify excellence and innovation in Scottish whisky distilling.

Ardgowan will compete in round two for the title of World’s Best in the World Whisky Awards and will begin production at its eco-friendly single malt whisky distillery, gin distillery and visitor centre in 2024.

Clydebuilt Sailmaker is a unique blended malt combining six distinctive whiskies from Highland, Lowland and Speyside Distilleries. Each of these whiskies has matured in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks, personally selected by Max McFarlane, Master Whisky Maker at Ardgowan Distillery.

NOSE: Peppery, with an intriguing balance of dried spices, stone fruits, fresh nectarines, chocolate truffles, and Seville orange marmalade.

PALATE: Relaxes slowly to reveal long-lasting butterscotch, marzipan, mangoes, and a hint of vanilla essence.

FINISH: Rich sherry pervades – raisins and spice.

Clydebuilt Sailmaker has been bottled at 48% ABV, without colouring or chill-filtering. It retails at £52.50 via the distillery’s online shop.

The first winner of the evening was Clydebuilt Sailmaker, winning Gold in the ‘Blended Malt’ category. Sailmaker follows and surpasses the successful footsteps of the other two Clydebuilt releases, Coppersmith and Shipwright, which previously won Silver in the same category. Sailmaker is a unique blended malt combining six distinctive whiskies from Highland, Lowland and Speyside Distilleries. Each of these whiskies has matured in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks, personally selected by Max McFarlane.

When we released Sailmaker, Max McFarlane said: “I think Sailmaker is The Clydebuilt Collection’s best whisky yet. It’s the first time we have incorporated Lowland whisky alongside Speyside and Highland single malts, which adds significant depth and richness to the flavour profile.” Tonight’s Gold award proves he was 100% right!

NOSE: Peppery, with an intriguing balance of dried spices, stone fruits, fresh nectarines, chocolate truffles, and Seville orange marmalade.

PALATE: Relaxes slowly to reveal long-lasting butterscotch, marzipan, mangoes, and a hint of vanilla essence.

FINISH: Rich sherry pervades – raisins and spice.

Clydebuilt Sailmaker has been bottled at 48% ABV, without colouring or chill-filtering. It retails at £52.50 via the distillery’s online shop.

The second winner was Discovery No.4, in the ‘Single Malt Under 12 Years Old’ category. This Highland single malt Scotch whisky has been maturing in first-fill sherry hogsheads for 8 years, waiting to be revealed and, most importantly, enjoyed. It has received great feedback from customers in our recent festivals and tastings, becoming a favourite from the start.

NOSE: A light sherried warmth, cinnamon sticks, sugar almonds, barbecued pineapples and delicate florals.

PALATE: Rich, waxy, sweet, butterscotch to the fore, sherry trifle, plump sultanas and treacle tart.

FINISH: A long, lingering finish on the tastebuds.

Discovery No. 4 has been bottled at 60% ABV, without colouring or chill-filtering. It retails at £69.99 via the distillery’s online shop.

The third winner was Inverdarach Potstill Editions Aon, winning Gold in the ‘Single Cask 12 Years Old and Under’ category. Inverdarach Potstill Editions Aon is an 11-year-old Glentauchers (2010) matured in a sherry cask. A true gift for sherry bomb lovers.

NOSE: A rich nose of dark orange marmalade, Christmas cake, and candied pecans alongside a floral edge of spicy, aromatic tulips.

PALATE: Dried fruits, bramble jam, butterscotch fingers and clingy honey notes.

FINISH: Lingers beautifully and showcases the sherry wood in spectacular style.

Inverdarach Potstill Editions Aon has been bottled at 54.2% ABV, without colouring or chill-filtering. It retails at £124.99 via the distillery’s online shop.

The first release of limited-edition Inverdarach Potstill Editions consists of three beautiful casks selected by our Master Whisky Maker Max McFarlane.

The first whisky in the inaugural release is an 11-year-old Glentauchers matured in a single sherry butt. This Speyside single malt has been bottled at 54.2% ABV.

NOSE: A rich nose of dark orange marmalade, Christmas cake, and candied pecans alongside a floral edge of spicy, aromatic tulips.

PALATE: Dried fruits, bramble jam, butterscotch fingers, and clingy honey notes.

FINISH: Lingers beautifully and showcases the sherry wood in spectacular style.

The second whisky in the inaugural release is a beautiful 9-year-old from an undisclosed ‘Secret Speyside’ distillery, matured in a single sherry butt and bottled at 55.4% ABV.

NOSE: Soft and gentle with Christmas cake, sultanas, sliced almonds, and a slightly floral note.

PALATE: Opens up slowly, revealing dried apricots and then exotic sandalwood and tea leaves.

FINISH: More floral notes, which linger beautifully.

The final whisky in the inaugural release is a 9-year-old Caol Ila, from a single refill hogshead, bottled at 56.1% ABV.

NOSE: A brilliantly beachy nose – salty, with pineapple chunks as well as a whack of woodsmoke and whisky-laden oak.

PALATE: Starts delightfully peaty, then moves into warming liquorice, toasted charcoals, and a touch of pipe tobacco.

FINISH: Long and zingy, lighting the whole mouth up with the heat of chili peppers.

Inverdarach Aon, Dhà, and Trì (One, Two, and Three in Gaelic) can be found in our Ardgowan Distillery Shop.

Slàinte!