Port Ellen Distillery on Islay has appointed Alexander McDonald as its first manager in almost four decades as it gears up for production restart next year.
The distillery, which closed in 1983, is being brought back to life as part of parent Diageo’s investment to re-establish the two ‘lost’ distilleries at Port Ellen and Brora in the Highlands.
Following a three-year restoration, Brora Distillery restarted production last year.
A native of Argyll, having been born and brought up in Lochgilphead, Mr McDonald has lived on Islay for eight years with his young family and is a volunteer in the local fire service when not working for Diageo.
After qualifying at the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, he built his reputation in the Islay whisky industry, starting at Kilchoman Distillery before working as a distiller at both Caol Ila and Lagavulin.
For the past year he has led the Port Ellen restoration project, overseeing the construction work that will eventually bring the distillery back into production next year.
Laura Beadell, Diageo’s senior manager on Islay, said: “In his relatively short time in the industry Alexander has established himself as a highly skilled operator and a committed leader.
“He is passionate about Islay and Scotch whisky and he will make an exceptional manager of Port Ellen.”
Experiments with new whisky styles
Port Ellen will be brought back into production in a combination of modern and heritage buildings, with two pairs of copper pot stills and two distilling systems.
One pair of stills will replicate the characteristics of the original Port Ellen spirit.
A second, smaller pair of stills will produce alternative spirit characters – allowing the Port Ellen whisky-makers to try out new styles.
The experimental stills pay homage to John Ramsay, who owned Port Ellen in its formative years and pioneered many of the techniques and equipment that would become mainstays of the whisky industry.
The buildings at Port Ellen Distillery have gone through many changes since it first opened in 1824, with the distillery closing and largely being demolished in the 1930s before being rebuilt in the 1960s.
‘Historic moment when spirit flows through stills once again’
Following its most recent closure, in 1983, very few of the original structures remain.
The original kiln building, with its pagoda roofs and seafront warehouses, will be restored as part of the revived distillery and a new stillhouse created for distillation.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for everyone at Port Ellen and I look forward to leading the team as we prepare for the historic moment when spirit flows through the stills once again,” added Mr McDonald.
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