Distilling through the seasons
The Cabrach summer so far has been characterised by long days, incredible visitors, and a wonderful rhythm of activity in play across Inverharroch Farm. Certainly, at this time of year winter feels like a distant memory, so we thought this a good moment for Euan our distillery manager to share some thoughts… Euan Christie, 30, joined The Cabrach Distillery in August 2024 and it’s been an exciting and challenging (almost) first year. Here, he reflects on our whisky-making journey from the depths of winter to the height of summer
I joined The Cabrach Distillery as distillery manager when the final installation and fit out of the kit was going on. We then took the first load of malt in late September, a proportion of which was our own-grown Inverharroch barley which was significant for us. This not only demonstrated that we could grow our own barley in our Highland setting but also brought to life our commitment to full traceability on raw materials and producing a spirit of The Cabrach.
Filling our first cask in November was incredible. This was of course a major, personal and professional moment, but to witness our Chairman Grant and farmer Derek fill this cask together was powerful. This moment signaled the resumption of whisky making proper in The Cabrach for the first time in over 170 years, but also the start of a new chapter.
Then winter arrived early.
Our first winter was quite challenging – a combination of early snows, the learning process associated with new kit and new team, and the temperature swings we experience at Inverharroch. During this time we really learned the kit and tested and refined our cold weather processes and procedures. All that learning has been invaluable and despite it now being the height of summer, we’re better prepared for our first frosts of the year.
I’ve really enjoyed the challenge and discipline of “dialing in” our processes which are so important to achieving our target spirit quality and character. Take milling for example. We started out with the industry standard of 20% husks, 70% grist and 10% flour ratio, but since then and because we’ve had really positive yields in our mash, we’ve been grinding finer with about 13% flour.
Mashing is where the whisky making craft really starts to come alive. But our exploration of fermentation across the seasons has been just as important. Whether that be understanding seasonal and climatic variations in The Cabrach or yeast variety and pitching rates or fermentation times, we’ve travelled a long way in a short time.
I’m relishing the challenge I must say – one of the greatest successes for us will be when we’re all gone but this distillery is still here and has delivered a lasting benefit for The Cabrach, delivering a unique business that makes something beautiful, employs a local workforce, attracts people to the area, and generates an impactful income, but also a distillery that has delivered a Single Malt Scotch Whisky of the highest repute and acclaim.
We’re now at a crucial stage in the production process. We’ve battled through winter, and we’ve come out stronger. We’ve refined our production process and we’re producing spirit that we’re excited about. We’ve benefited from critical friendship and high praise from some very trusted and respected people. Now, it’s about marginal gains across production, final adjustments to maturation strategy, working even more closely with our growers group, further strengthening our passionate team, and welcoming more and more visitors to Inverharroch who are intrigued or inspired by what we are doing in The Cabrach.
I think I forgot to mention our third still “The Buck”… More on that a different day.
I’ve really enjoyed the challenge and discipline of “dialing in” our processes which are so important to achieving our target spirit quality and character. Take milling for example. We started out with the industry standard of 20% husks, 70% grist and 10% flour ratio, but since then and because we’ve had really positive yields in our mash, we’ve been grinding finer with about 13% flour.
Mashing is where the whisky making craft really starts to come alive. But our exploration of fermentation across the seasons has been just as important. Whether that be understanding seasonal and climatic variations in The Cabrach or yeast variety and pitching rates or fermentation times, we’ve travelled a long way in a short time.
Mashing alongside our six wooden washbacks, whilst running our two stills, fills the stillhouse with heat and smells. A bombardment on the senses which leads our handcrafted approach. Overall, our focus is on a patient, gentle style of production that focuses on quality of spirit, attention to detail, and creating something truly of The Cabrach. A slow vorlauf and draw off from our mash gives us a clear wort the creates the perfect canvas for our blend of brewers and distillers yeast to work together, delivering a plethora of flavours. Our extended fermentations, 1 week in total, further allows the natural micro flora and fauna present in our environment to further imbibe our wort with complexity. This is followed by our slow distillations, gently cooled by our worm tub condensers, to create a spirit that has exceptional body and weight behind it. The end result is a fruit forward, oily whisky backed by subtle peat and sweetness.
I know it’s a privileged position I’m in here at the distillery, and even more privileged because it’s a new distillery and I’m really getting to put my mark on that process. There’s a 170-year-old hiatus that we’re addressing as well, so the historical significance of The Cabrach’s whisky heritage and lore is never lost on me, nor the part I’m playing in that revival story. The local response in The Cabrach has been great and the distillery is already becoming a beacon of hope amongst our wider programme of work and projects to regenerate the area.
I’m relishing the challenge I must say – one of the greatest successes for us will be when we’re all gone but this distillery is still here and has delivered a lasting benefit for The Cabrach, delivering a unique business that makes something beautiful, employs a local workforce, attracts people to the area, and generates an impactful income, but also a distillery that has delivered a Single Malt Scotch Whisky of the highest repute and acclaim.
We’re now at a crucial stage in the production process. We’ve battled through winter, and we’ve come out stronger. We’ve refined our production process and we’re producing spirit that we’re excited about. We’ve benefited from critical friendship and high praise from some very trusted and respected people. Now, it’s about marginal gains across production, final adjustments to maturation strategy, working even more closely with our growers group, further strengthening our passionate team, and welcoming more and more visitors to Inverharroch who are intrigued or inspired by what we are doing in The Cabrach.
I think I forgot to mention our third still “The Buck”… More on that a different day.
