An up and coming independent bottler have revealed their new distillery, joining the ranks of other bottlers recently taking the helm at their own production facilities.

Living Souls recently opened their new Drummygar Distillery near Arbroath. Production started at the site back in August.

Despite being relative newcomers to the whisky scene - having only launched their inaugural independently bottled single malts and blends in 2024 -, the Living Souls team have plenty of experience in the whisky industry.

Co-founder Calum Leslie previously worked as Loch Lomond Group’s head of innovation, while fellow founder Jamie Williamson has previously worked for Douglas Laing and Old Curiosity Distillery.

Joining the pair at Drummygar is John Torrence, who brings with him 25 years of experience. His previous roles include distilling for Diageo and Douglas Laing, as well as working with Leslie and Williamson at Living Souls.

Finally, Zak Shenfield has been appointed operations director and head distiller. Shenfield has worked at Streathearn Distillery and Brewdog, and was previously named Young Distiller of the Year in 2016.

Drummygar is being positioned as a ‘farm to glass’ distillery, combining traditional techniques and ingredients with modern craftsmanship.

Notably, the site is home to a small working farm. The distillery will utilise Chevalier barley tended by Clydesdale horses. Chevalier is a heritage variety of grain that was commonly used in spirit production in the 19th century but has fallen out of favour.

While modern and new, the distillery’s equipment also has an old-fashioned flavour. The site features a traditional, manual mash tun, three 1000-litre copper alembic stills (which are small compared to many in the industry), and four 2000-litre fermenters.

This approach might seem quaint, but the team at Drummygar insist that it serves a purpose.

Torrance said: “At Drummygar, our watchwords are patience, quality and tradition. The last thing we want to do is rush things and compromise the quality of the spirit. Using Chevallier barley and Clydesdales isn’t a gimmick; we’re keen to honour the rich tradition of whisky production while cultivating a recognisable style that shines through in every vintage.”

Shenfield agrees, saying that everything at the distillery is geared towards “quality over haste.”

He added: “We’re confident that with small stills and quality local barley, we can produce a spirit that speaks for itself. Given the destination is a distant point on the horizon, we’re focusing on enjoying the process and capturing the rhythm of the farm’s harvests over the years.”

Indeed, this mantra of “quality over haste” is reflected in the distillery’s decision to wait a considerable length of time before bottling their spirit. It is expected that no whisky will be released until it is between eight and twelve years old.

Bourbon casks will be the main method of maturing their whisky, while other casks such as sherry and wine will be utilised to balance and compliment their spirit’s flavour and character.

Living Souls are the latest indie-bottler to try their hand at distilling. Thompson Brothers have recently set out plans to build a new distillery in Dornoch, while in 2023 Brave New Spirits received planning permission to build their Witchburn Distillery in Campbeltown.

Elsewhere, Hunter Laing own Ardnahoe on Islay, Douglas Laing took over Starthearn in 2019, and Adelphi operate Ardnamurchan. This is just a selection.

Likewise, in 2023 Gordon and MacPhail (G&M) announced that they intended to move away from independent bottling and focus their resources on stock from their own Benromach and Cairn distilleries.

G&M won’t be disappearing any time soon - it was estimated that they still have 10-15 years worth of stock that they can bottle and sell -, but it was nevertheless a shocking revelation from one of the best known names in the whisky scene.

In our previous article “End of the Independent Era? Gordon & MacPhail to Cease Licensed Releases,” we speculated on some of the reasons for this move, saying at the time:

‘Many independent bottlers pride themselves on offering something different from what you would normally expect from a certain brand.

As Scotch whisky has grown in popularity this has been harder to achieve. Distilleries are expanding their ranges, often offering a variety of ages, cask finishes or limited small batch expressions.

Similarly, lesser known brands are increasingly available. It’s easy to forget, but once upon a time whisky from distilleries such as Longmorn, Mortlach or Strathisla were only available as a G&M offering. Nowadays these brands are well established and ‘official’ bottles are significantly easier to get a hold of.

In light of Scotch whisky’s growth in popularity the world over … it’s not surprising that distilleries will look to keep more of their stock for themselves… While each company will have their own modus operandi, it’s not hard to imagine that scarcity of stock is a motivating factor for many bottlers to move into distilling.’

Two years on, this doesn't seem to have changed. Indie bottlers owning their own distillery is not just a way of complementing their bottling output, but potentially safeguarding their business against any future issues.