To visit our website, you must be of an age at which the purchase and consumption of alcohol is permitted according to the legislation in your country of residence. If there are no laws on this matter then you must be at least 18 years old.

Stewart oversees every bottle of Arran Single Malt from grain to glass. Here, we grab a dram, sit down and talk about everything from his day-to-day as Distillery Manager, to fond Lochranza memories. 

Can you tell us a little about your background and how you ended up here, at Lochranza?

I actually never intended to get into whisky. I studied a pure chemistry degree at university, but quickly realised I wasn’t digging it too much. A close friend of mine was studying brewing and distilling at the time, and within a year, I transferred over and never looked back. 

Fresh out of uni in 2006, I happened to meet two guys at the Good Food Show in Glasgow, who were launching this new beer called BrewDog. For the next eight years, I worked with them as Head Brewer and we had a lot of fun. But while I loved the brewing industry, I felt drawn to whisky. I guess, even subconsciously, I always have. We used to drive past Clynelish Distillery on the way to school every morning, and two generations of my family previously worked there. 

I learned the art and trade of whisky during my time at Cragganmore in Speyside, then over the years, worked with Clynelish (that makes three generations) and Brora Distillery, which is owned by Diageo. It was only through a mutual acquaintance that I heard Lochranza was looking for a Distillery Manager. Within three short months, I met the team, got the job and moved my family here, to Arran. We’ve lived here for a few years now and have really settled into the place. It’s pretty magical here. You’ve got stags and eagles and castle ruins. You couldn’t get more quintessentially Scottish. 

What does your role as Distillery Manager at Lochranza look like?

In a sentence, my job is to keep the distillery functioning. But if I was to break it down further, I’d say I have five main priorities:

1. Managing the team (making sure everyone has what they need to do their job)
2. Team communication (between all of us in production, the visitor centre and our Stirling office)
3. Operations (as you can imagine, there are some logistical challenges with living on an island)
4. Regulations (trading standards, tax—all that exciting stuff)
5. The process (making sure every bottle that goes out the door embodies the character that people have come to expect from an Arran Single Malt)

Number five is a big one. How do you and the team manage to keep the flavour and quality of our whisky consistent? 

We’ve got several key metrics that measure our quality of spirit. Whisky can be quite volatile. You use all the same raw materials, but factors like ambient temperature can cause them to  change from season to season. That fruity character of our liquid is absolutely critical to what we do, and it takes some amount of fine tuning to keep it. 

While a lot of it is science (bacterial cultures and cut-points etc.) so much of our whisky-making process is sensory. If we lift the lid on the washbacks, and it’s not smelling correct, we know it’s not going to give us that fruity flavour we’re looking for. And so, we close the lid and wait a bit longer. 

Something that makes me really proud of Lochranza Distillery is that we’re quality first, efficiency second. If efficiency was all we cared about, we could change a lot about our whisky. Drop our cut-point from 63.5% down to 60%. Make each stage in the process more cost-effective. But people are really discerning. They know the difference between a bad glass of whisky and a great glass of whisky. It’s integral to all of us that we maintain our quality and character. If we don’t have that, we don’t really have anything. 

For you, how does Arran Single Malt differ from whisky made in other regions?

The place has a lot to do with it. I used to read a lot about terroir—you know, stuff like “how the salt in the air impacts these briney flavours in the liquid”. And before, I was a bit sceptical, I have to admit. But now, when I can see and smell and taste the liquid from end to end, I think the whisky we make is the perfect encapsulation of where we are in the world. 

On a separate note, it’s quite unique for an island distillery like ours to not have a peated whisky as one of our core expressions. We’re all-in on this distinct, orchard fruits flavour. 

What’s your favourite memory from working at Lochranza? 

The first time I went to pick out some whisky with James McTaggart, our former Production Director (it was the White Stag 7th Release, if I remember rightly). In my mind, we were going to some sort-of clinical lab setting, with 100 glasses all lined up. But no. James just took me out there [to the warehouse] and opened a couple of casks. Again, it was this totally sensory experience. He was just so natural and instinctive with everything he did. Nose to glass, he’d be like “not quite there”, next one “no, not yet”, and then “Ah, this is the one”. I really loved the honesty and integrity of it. Because there’s no pretence or over-analysing. Just great-tasting whisky. 

In the same day, I saw a golden eagle landing in the field next to us and said “f**cking hell James, that’s a golden eagle” and he was like “Ach come on Stewart, you’ll see them every day”. That one always makes me laugh. 

What’s something you wish everyone knew about Lochranza and Arran Single Malt? 

We talk a lot about the area and the liquid, and that’s great. But most of all, I wish every person who ever held a glass of Arran Single Malt in their hand knew just how amazing our team is. I sit here, and get interviewed, and get my photo taken, but there are so many incredible people who make our whisky happen. From our visitor centre side, to production, to our admin team. They’re the unsung heroes of Arran Single Malt. It wouldn’t exist without them. 

What’s one project you’re really excited about?

Our Signature Series. It’s a four-part limited-edition series of Arran Single Malts, chosen by myself and the team, with my seal of approval. We launched the first bottling in autumn 2023—the Remnant Renegade. And we’ve just released edition #2—Barrel Bonfire. 

What’s your favourite…

…bar?

Bon Accord in Glasgow. My wife used to work there and we’ve all been there a few times for team nights out. Great selection of whisky too. 

…way to drink whisky?

I always taste it first, neat. That’s how the distillery team designed it. Then I add a splash of water to dilute the ethanol a little, and really open up those other flavours. 

…Arran Single Malt?

The 10 year old. It’s beautifully balanced and so accessible. For me, an unbalanced whisky tastes “spiky” but the 10 year old is so well-rounded. 

Try Stewart’s recommendation and find him on LinkedIn.