Our In Focus series offers you a deep dive into some of the distilleries featured across our store. This instalment comes courtesy of Geraldo's Whisky Ambassador, James Gillies.
Thirty years ago, at 14:29 on the 29th June 1995, the first new-make spirit was diverted into the Spirit Receiver at the Isle of Arran Distillery, as it was then known. This was the first legal spirit produced on the island since the original Lagg Distillery fell silent in 1837!
Harold ‘Hal’ Currie and the consortium that he led were brave in building a distillery back then, as only one other malt distillery had been opened during the twenty years beforehand [can you name it?]. However, both the whisky and the Visitor Centre (which opened two years later) have been award-winning ever since.
Interestingly, the distillery's construction was halted for a short period to allow a pair of golden eagles to nest in the hills above the site, which is reflected in the branding. With the modern-day Lagg Distillery opening in 2019, the Isle of Arran Distillery was re-named to become Lochranza Distillery.
Geraldo's has a long history of partnering with both Arran Distilleries. In 2017, the team took a trip over the water to visit Lochranza and learn about the history of the brand. In 2020, we were fortunate to be one of the only retailers to get hold of the 25th Anniversary whisky before the COVID-19 lockdowns! We also marked our 20th Anniversary in December of 2020 with a Private Cask Release from the Isle of Arran.
This year, we're delighted to raise a dram to observe their 30th Anniversary. Slàinte!
For the inquisitive: The only other malt distillery to have opened between 1975 and 1995 was Kininvie (in 1990).
