After 18 years of service, John MacDonald, one of the whisky world’s most admired and respected distillery managers, has hung up the keys at Balblair Distillery for one last time as he retires from the industry.
As he put in his final shift on May 3 – nearly 35 years on from the day he joined the whisky industry – colleagues paid tribute to John and the role he has played in leading Balblair’s success around the world, since taking the helm of the distillery back in August 2006.
During this time, the integrity, skill, depth of knowledge and big personality of this lifelong Highlander have earned John a reputation as one of whisky’s greatest champions, who will be missed by all at Balblair, International Beverage and the wider whisky world.
Beginnings at Glenmorangie
John began his career as a warehouseman at Glenmorangie Distillery, where he worked his way up the ranks over 17 years to the post of assistant distillery manager.
He made the move to take up the top job at Balblair as he said “without even reading the contract” such was his admiration for the whisky being made at the Edderton site in Tain.
International Beverage has announced that John’s successor is David Rogerson, who will move from his post as assistant distillery manager at Speyburn to the Balblair Distillery manager’s role.
Born in Dumfries, an early trip to Islay as a teenager inspired David to forge a career in whisky making. He went on to secure a first-class honours degree in brewing and distilling before taking up a position at Marston’s Eagle Brewery in Bedfordshire.
He jumped at the chance to join Speyburn Distillery in 2020, where he quickly developed as a skilled and highly valued member of the international beverage team.
Farewell distillery tour
An event last week gave John, who has probably done every job in the whisky industry, the opportunity to bring the curtain down on a hugely successful tenure at Balblair.
He added: “This is going to be my farewell tour which is quite emotional when you think about it.
“I am not going far, just up the road, and when I wake up in the morning and open my bedroom curtains I can actually see the still.
“I think the most important thing is to make first-class whisky which I think I have done over the years. I have the utmost confidence in David (Rogerson) continuing that process.”
John told of his beginnings, ditching a college course in Edinburgh where he was studying media and publicity to start his journey at Glenmorangie.
“I started my career in whisky by chance.”
‘Start on Monday’
After knocking on the door of manager Ian McGregor, John revealed: “The first thing he did was pull a cork off a 10-year-old Glenmorangie. He poured me a dram and poured himself one, and he said ‘Do you want water in that?’ I said, ‘just a little’, and he said ‘Well, you can start Monday’.
“That was the interview that took me into the whisky business.”
But John says he would never have been a success if it wasn’t for his colleagues who were with him on his journey.
“The people I have here are first class, top class, and I don’t think that’s something that gets recognised enough.
“It’s always been my face – John is Balblair – and that is certainly not the case. I have six operators here who have a combined experience of over 200 years between them.”
International Beverage managing director, Malcolm Leask, said: “In John, we couldn’t have asked for a better custodian of our wonderful Balblair single malt Scotch whisky.
“He has given us his best for nearly two decades and leaves our whisky and distillery in a stronger place for the future.”
