Aberargie Distillery

(read part 1.1 of our visit to Morrison & MacKay here)

You may not have heard of Aberargie Distillery. In fact you probably haven’t unless you have kept a watchful eye on new distillery openings or a fan of Morrison & MacKay whisky. Aberargie is one of the latest distilleries on the Scotch Whisky Map. Located on the border between the regions of Fife and Perthshire, this is a distillery with quiet pedigree. Although a separate entity from the Morrison & MacKay independent bottling business, they are beyond the paperwork, essentially one and the same. As we discussed in Part 1.1 of our #IndyScotchWhisky blog, the Morrison family have strong links to whisky, casks and in the case of Aberargie, the land. Following a tour of the new bottling plant for Morrison & MacKay (which will also be used for bottling future Aberargie single malt) we were invited to a have a wee look at the distillery itself.

Aberargie – Potted

Let’s take a quick look at the the creation of Aberargie Distillery. Here at The Whisky Barrel we have been working with Morrison & MacKay for many years. As a relatively local company, we’ve developed a very positive working relationship, which is in strong part due to the company’s very friendly and personable approach.  The Morrison and MacKay names both have strong whisky pedigree, most notably from their time at the helm of Bowmore Distillery on Islay. Consequently, it was no real surprise when they told us they were well down the road with dotting a new distillery on the map. Ground was broken in 2016, and by November 2017 the first new make Aberargie spirit ran off the stills and the first cask filled.

The biggest challenge for all new distilleries opening in the modern era, is to have something different. To be able to offer a whisky that will stand apart from the crowd. At Aberargie it is all about locality. The farm, owned by the Morrison family aims to provide all the barley that goes into making Aberargie Whisky. This will be local barley grown literally on the doorstep. The location of the distillery is rather attractive too. Set among farmland but in close proximity to the Tay River it sits rather picturesquely among its surroundings and with the backdrop of the Sidlaw Hills to the north and the Ochil Hills to the south.

Whisky Space

Standing from the main road with a view north to the distillery nestled among the barley fields and the sun behind you, the two beautiful copper stills glow through the large panel windows. Much like the traditional casks of of the warehouse, the copper Forsyths stills are the prominent marker of tradition and history. Beautiful. These fields are where the barley for Aberargie whisky grows. Literally as close as 50 yards to the stills. There is an instant connection to the land. If you’re looking for terroir with your whisky, then Aberargie will be able to challenge Bruichladdich here. The industrial farming style of the warehouse and distillery sit neatly among this Perthshire/Fife countryside.

The very first thing you notice when standing in the main building of the distillery is that you can see everything. On the spot, a 180 degree turn lets you take in the stills, spirit safe, mash tuns, washbacks and more. This is a modern distillery. For many standing in a distillery like this, initial thoughts might be along the lines of ‘no charm or character’. There are no white wash walls, there are no old stone walls, no aged tools, no walk between buildings. That is besides the point and not what should be expected here.  This is a new distillery with its shiny, modern and efficient set up. And it is not trying to be anything else. It’s gloriously on point.

Still Whisky Stills

Our visit happened to come when the stills were silent. Chilly outside, chilly inside when these giant copper heaters are not working. A simple metal grate walkway leads you from one end of the distillery where the barley is poured into giant hoppers. Alongside run pipe works that takes the various stages of distillation to the next phase. Each part magnificently and purposefully engineered to do its job. And sitting in the windows are the lovely copper stills. Still holding the new look copper hue with the cooler condensers in salmon pink. We were reliably informed this is the colour they should be. If they go darker copper in colour then you might need to send the engineer in.

Inside the stills are some unusual panel heaters, not coils. Apparently, the type of heating element is decided by Forsyths themselves and even the distillery don’t know until they are delivered. They are the expert craftsmen after all. The whisky still is the perfect symbol for this distillery. It is the most recognizable part that makes up a distillery; an age-old design and shape still made with traditional methods in mind. But it is a symbol of modern engineering and practice.

Aberargie distillery and its whisky is the same. With the Morrison & MacKay name behind it we are certain of a high-quality scotch whisky. Their expertise of the industry and in distilling, as well as their incredibly high standard wood policy for their casks, combined with this new set up, bodes very well indeed. But we don’t just need words to tell you this is the case…

Aberargie New Make Spirit

The distillery is set up to make the best whisky possible. We won’t know what it tastes like until November 2020 at the very earliest. But we were fortunate enough to sample some of the new make spirits. And it is unlike any other we’ve tasted. Often New Make is a bit of a kick in the teeth:- very high ABV and rather stripped back with no external flavour influence of casks or otherwise. However, this Aberargie New Make you could nose all day. A lovely level of fruitiness and sweet candy which backs up the unmistakably young spirit. The cereals are dominant but rightly so, nodding towards the barley grown outside. The taste is like a high quality German wheat beer with sweet, melting popping candy.

Every whisky in Scotland has its own character and this Aberargie new make spirit is a glimpse of what Aberargie Single Malt Whisky will be. It’s shaping to be a fine Lowland (only just Lowland) scotch whisky. But in another bid to be different, Aberargie will also produce some heavily peated malts with limited run throughout the year. A big bruising peated lowland Aberargie? Time will tell. There is no doubt this is whisky to look forward to. Aberargie Distillery will progress quietly. No visitors. No gin. No fuss. But you have the wonderful range of Morrison & MacKay Carn Mor bottling to keep you keen at The Whisky Barrel.

Our huge thanks to everyone at Morrison & MacKay for entertaining us and Peter for going the extra mile (but with less haste ). A fantastic day. #IndyScotchWhisky