Production has commenced at new distillery Drummygar. The distillery has been launched by the team behind independent bottler Living Souls, which released its first whisky collection in November 2024.
The distillery will be led by Living Souls co-founder John Torrance, whose previous roles include head of operations at Douglas Laing and general manager at Tullibardine. Joining as operations director and head distiller is Zak Shenfield, formerly of Strathearn Distillery and BrewDog, who in 2016 was named Scotland's 'Young Distiller of the Year'.
Production at the distillery began in August 2025, although whisky isn't expected to to be bottled for a long time: the first whiskies from the distillery are planned for 8–12 years' time. The distillery plans to use a field-to-glass process, using Chevallier barley grown on the Drummygar farm, and tended by Clydesdale horses. Other nods to traditional methods include a manual mash tun.
Torrance commented: "At Drummygar our watchwords are patience, quality, and tradition; the last thing we want to do is rush things and compromise the quality of the spirit. Using Chevallier barley and Clydesdales isn’t a gimmick, we’re keen to honour the rich tradition of whisky production while cultivating a recognisable style that shines through in every vintage."
The distillery is fitted with three 1,000-litre copper alembic stills and four 2,000-litre fermenters, with the aim to distill a medium-to-heavy spirit that will suit long ageing. The cask profile will be primarily first-fill bourbon, with sherry, wine, and other additions as needed to create the desired flavour profile — something the distillery is working towards as it crafts its house style.
Shenfield added: "As John says, it’s about quality over haste. We’re confident that with small stills and quality local barley, we can produce a spirit that speaks for itself. Given the destination is a distant point on the horizon, we’re focusing on enjoying the process and capturing the rhythm of the farm’s harvests over the years."
