Ardnamurchan

Adelphi began planning the distillery in 2007, and the local council approved the plans in April 2012.^2,7,10 Building began in 2013, or in late 2012 by one account, and the distillery was completed in May 2014.^2,7,10

Distilling began at the end of July 2014 after a couple of months of trials, and the Princess Royal drew spirit at the official opening.^1,2,3 On 1 August 2014 it filled its first cask, a 500 litre ex-sherry butt numbered 1.^1,11,12 Graeme Bowie, who left Balblair to oversee construction, was its first manager.^1,11,12 On 1 August 2017, three years after that first cask, its spirit could be called Scotch whisky.¹¹

Bairds supplies its malt, from barley grown on the estate of one of the owners.^2,5,7 Early plans hoped to use Ardnamurchan peat in floor maltings on site, and Wikipedia says the boiler heats floor maltings there.^2,5,7 Its peated malt has 30PPM, or parts per million, of phenols, which the distillery says gives a gentle nudge to smokiness; some 80PPM spirit is still maturing.^3,5,7 The wort, sugary water from the mash, ferments in 7 washbacks: one of oak, three of Oregon pine and three of stainless steel.^4,5 Fermentation lasts 72 to 120 hours.⁵ The spirit is distilled twice, in one wash still of 10,000 litres and one spirit still of 6,000 litres.^2,3,4 The spirit still's neck has a boil ball for extra reflux.^4,5 Shell and tube condensers, which turn the vapour back into spirit, sit unusually outside the building.^4,5 The distillery says the whole process is designed for a west coast style that is rich and oily.⁴ Water for production comes from springs above the distillery, and the nearby Glenmore river gives cooling water and drives a hydro-electric generator.^2,4,5 A biomass boiler burns wood chip from local forestry, and solar panels also supply energy.^4,5,6

Sources

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