Lancaster Spirits Firm declares partnership with main whisky maker
Lancaster Spirits Co., an impartial craft distillery situated on the sting of the traditional Forest of Bowland, an Space of Excellent Pure Magnificence and solely a stone’s throw from the two,000-year-old port metropolis of Lancaster, has launched into a defining partnership with one of many world’s main single malt whisky specialists.
Max McFarlane is certainly one of Scotland’s most revered whisky makers, with a profession spanning over 45 years within the Scotch whisky trade, a lot of it with the Edrington Group, the place he turned lead whisky maker for iconic manufacturers together with Glengoyne, Well-known Grouse, Cutty Sark, Bunnahabhain and Tamdhu.
All through his profession, Max has earned quite a few accolades, together with the celebrated Icons of Whisky Scotland Grasp Blender of the Yr award. His whiskies have persistently received prime honours on the World Whiskies Awards and the Worldwide Spirits Problem, the place his experience in wooden choice, maturation and flavour profiling has set a benchmark for excellence. In 2017, he was honoured as a Keeper of the Quaich, a mark of remarkable standing amongst whisky friends.
Following his retirement from Edrington in 2018, Max returned dwelling to Inverkip on the River Clyde and joined the founding crew at Ardgowan Distillery, bringing his experience to their Lowland coastal mission. He was tasked with shaping the distillery’s wooden coverage, manufacturing schedule and early mixing initiatives, together with the acclaimed restricted version Clydebuilt and Inverdarach whiskies.
In his new place at Lancaster Spirits Co., Max will play a central function in shaping the flavour, character, and id of the distillery’s future whiskies. He’ll lead the event and execution of the distillery’s brief and long-term lay-down technique, assess and monitor the standard of maturing shares, and craft new whisky expressions that replicate the ambitions of the model.
Max will oversee the implementation of an in depth cask administration coverage, making certain that the corporate’s vary of current casks are utilised to their full potential and that future acquisitions meet the best requirements.
His appointment is very becoming given Lancaster Spirits’ dedication to conventional whisky-making practices and processes. Utilising the infrastructure, experience and conventional brewing tools of its sister brewery, the distillery produces a posh, flavoursome wash that ends in a spirit with its personal distinctive tasting profile.
There isn’t any automation in both the brewery or the stillroom. Barley is freshly milled every day, the mash is turned by hand, water is drawn from the corporate’s personal nicely, and the brewery’s personal reside brewer’s yeast is used, giving a particular character to the spirit. These time-honoured practices are more and more uncommon in trendy business whisky manufacturing and are central to the character and high quality of Lancaster’s output.
Max McFarlane stated: “The second I met the crew at Lancaster Spirits Firm and tried their new-make spirit, I knew I wished to be concerned on this thrilling new distillery. A distillery constructed upon refined brewing and distilling ideas, all underpinned by flavour enhancement. Specializing in creating an distinctive spirit constructed upon these ideas is the precedence; my job is to search out casks that may harness this distinctive distillery character. Lancaster Spirits Co. will sooner or later be famend for its ester-rich, advanced, and fruity spirit, matured in hand-selected first-fill bourbon, sherry, and wine casks. Look out for our first Founders Reserve launch within the coming months.”
Phil Simpson, MD of Lancaster Spirits Co., stated: “Lancaster Spirits Co. is constructed on a deep sense of provenance. Each step we take is guided by a real dedication to craft the best spirits doable. From the water we draw to the fastidiously chosen English-grown barley, each ingredient is chosen with precision. Our mashing and fermentation processes, utilizing Lancaster Brewery’s 200-year-old reside yeast, permit us to extract wealthy, advanced ester profiles distinctive to our spirits.
The arrival of Max McFarlane marks a pivotal second in our journey. His unparalleled expertise and deep understanding of wooden maturation and flavour improvement convey a brand new dimension to our work. With Max’s enter, we’re assured that our single malt won’t solely replicate the distinctive character of Lancaster but additionally stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s greatest.
As we look forward to the discharge of our inaugural English single malt whisky in 2027, we’re proud to say that each aspect – from grain to glass – has been formed by ardour, experience, and a relentless pursuit of high quality.”
Christopher Pateman, Industrial Supervisor at Lancaster Spirits Co., stated: “Our Distillery Supervisor, Joan Casals, has taken distinctive care in shaping the flavour profile of our distilled spirit, laying the foundations for a single malt that guarantees each complexity and character because it matures. Max has been tasked with analysing and evaluating the entire casks we’ve crammed up to now and serving to us to make knowledgeable choices about every cask’s future, in addition to making certain we persistently fill high-quality casks that meet our long-term aims.
Max’s expertise is unquestionable. His deep information of wooden administration and flavour improvement will likely be invaluable in refining our maturation technique and making certain our future whiskies obtain the best doable customary of high quality and distinction. As we method the launch of our inaugural single malt whisky in 2027, we’re assembling a crew with the imaginative and prescient and talent to provide excellent whisky. Each a part of the method has been engineered with care and a spotlight to element. Now we have stayed true to conventional manufacturing strategies which can be more and more uncommon within the trade. We aren’t chopping any corners. We’re constructing one thing with actual integrity.
The appointment of Max McFarlane rounds off a outstanding twelve months for Lancaster Spirits Firm. In that point, as a crew, we now have laid down over 200 casks and secured extra warehousing for future inventory. Full particulars of this improvement will likely be introduced later within the 12 months, underscoring the corporate’s long-term ambitions.”
To search out out extra about LSCO’s vary of spirits or to affix a distillery tour, please go to: https://lancasterspirits.co.uk
