ARDGOWAN Distillery Company is celebrating the filling of its first cask following completion of building work at Inverkip earlier this month.
Founded in 2017, the west coast firm is led by whisky entrepreneur Roland Grain and distillery manager Laura Davies, who spearhead a team with combined experience spanning more than seven decades in the industry.
The historic milestone for the distillery at Bankfoot saw Ardgowan’s first oak cask filled with new-make spirit ready for maturation.
Following eight years of development, planning and construction, it is the first new distillery to open in Inverclyde for more than a century.
Ardgowan’s signature ‘Infinity Casks’ are oak casks which have hosted sherry for three years prior to production commencing and are intended for maturation periods of 18 years or more.
Grain said: “After a lengthy build, the team and I are thrilled to now be in full production and filling casks with our own distillate, including private casks for our Clan Ardgowan members. Ardgowan’s ultimate goal is to revive the golden age of Scotch whisky with long sherry cask maturation in European oak.
“Our commitment to quality is demonstrated by investing millions of pounds in our signature Infinity Casks years before the distillery was built. These bespoke oak casks were created exclusively by renowned Bodegas Miguel Martín and Macallan’s former Master of Wood Stuart MacPherson. Producing whisky is all about time and patience, so, as we fill our first casks and open the site to the public, we look forward to steadily perfecting our single malt in the years to come.”
Ardgowan Distillery’s visitor centre is due to open later this summer.
