Patient whisky fans give Isle of Arran Distillers reason to cheer as cask sales take off

Isle of Arran Distillers has cheered strong demand for its cask sales programme while online trading has doubled during lockdown.

The opening of Lagg Distillery, the company’s second site on the island of Arran, last year was a significant milestone in the island’s unique whisky story.

Since opening a second site on the island last year – Lagg Distillery – the firm has been offering whisky fans the opportunity to be part of its “unique story” by purchasing the first casks of single malt whisky produced at the new operation.

Bosses said the initiative had led to exceptional growth, with total sales across the business increasing by 62 per cent, in part due to the fact that more than 600 casks of Lagg Single Malt have been sold from the allocation of 700.

Alongside this, the distiller has seen online mail order sales of whisky double during a “turbulent year”.

Cask owners become part of the Lagg Cask Society, which comes with additional benefits, including a golf pass which entitles the owner to play all of Arran’s courses and the gift of a bottle of whisky from Cask Number One when it is bottled at ten years old.

The opening of Lagg Distillery has been hailed as a significant milestone in the island’s whisky story. Its distinctive shape is now a fixture on Arran’s southern coastline.

The spirit produced there is expected to mature into the rich smoky Lagg Single Malt which will be different in character to what the firm currently produces at its original distillery in Lochranza.

James MacTaggart, director of operations and production for Lagg Distillery, said: “Since we opened Lagg Distillery in 2019, we’ve been delighted to see how many whisky fans have already supported our journey by buying a cask and becoming part of our unique Lagg Cask Society.

“It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get involved with a distillery right at the very start of its story and to share in a brand-new island adventure with our pioneering whisky company.

“Purchasing a cask goes much deeper than just the financial benefits and represents an emotional investment, buying into the passionate people on the Isle of Arran that make our whisky and forming a lasting connection – it’s hard to put a price tag on that.”

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