03/02/2024
Chapter 32
A chat with...Fiona McFadyen (Glengyle distillery) - #28
This time we move to Campbeltown, to talk about Glengyle, perhaps my favourite distillery, and currently the most present in my collection counting around 50 different Kilkerran bottles.
Campbeltown, is a little town (A.K.A. the Wee Toon) at the bottom of the long Kintyre peninsula (see also: Jack’s Chapter 6). It was once a very active whisky town with 34 distilleries producing renowned whisky with a smoky and oily profile. The situation is much quieter now, with only three producers, namely Glen Scotia, Springbank and Glengyle which reopened only in 2004 under the same ownership of the sister Springbank distillery, Mitchell’s Glengyle Ltd.
Drampath is quite sure about Glengyle. Given the value they put in their bottles and their progression since launch, they’re going to be the next big thing for whisky enthusiast who struggle to get hold of Springbank.
We’ve had the pleasure to have a wee chat with Fiona McFadyen, their Regional Sales Manager. Let’s see what she told us.
Hi Fiona, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Please introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about your whisky journey so far.
Hello! I’m Fiona and I’m the regional sales manager for Mitchell’s Glengyle. My whisky journey began two years ago when I started working at Glengyle/Springbank as a newcomer to the industry.
The past two years have been spent learning and developing an appreciation for whisky through many tastings, distillery tours, time spent with others in the industry and travel to our key markets.
Not a bad way to learn!
When and how did you join this growing industry?
Having spent a number of years living and working in the city, I decided during lockdown that it was time to take the plunge and move back to my hometown of Campbeltown.
After a good bit of job searching, a role in the sales team at J&A Mitchell in Campbeltown was advertised and I decided to apply. Having interviewed with both the Cadenhead’s and Springbank/Glengyle team, a job with the latter as a sales & marketing executive was what thrust me into the whisky world.
Now tell us a bit more about Glengyle distillery and Kilkerran, what is it that makes it stand out in the whisky industry?
We operate quite differently to most distilleries, producing for only three months of the year resulting in an output of around 92,000L annually.
For the other nine months of the year, our production team spends their time producing at our sister distillery, Springbank. Despite the small volume and short production period, we have a large production team of around 20 people which is required for the traditional processes used, namely the floor maltings which are carried out at Springbank distillery for both Springbank and Glengyle. One benefit of using these traditional processes is the local jobs that this creates and sustains, which is a huge value of J&A Mitchell as a company.
Fans of Kilkerran would always like to see more whisky produced, but at the same time I think they appreciate the unique way we operate and the intention behind it.
Can you tell us what Glengyle distillery's and Kilkerran's target audience is?
It’s quite difficult to pinpoint a target audience as we have a pretty varied range, from unpeated to heavily peated as well as a wide range of casks used.
Predominantly we attract people who enjoy quality single malts and the typical Campbeltown style, but that said, being a young distillery we are fairly versatile and have done things like cocktail masterclasses with Kilkerran which often opens us up to new audiences.
Anyone who appreciates good whisky is welcome!
Can you tell us how you select your casks, and anticipate anything about what we can expect to see next?
This isn’t my remit so the production/blending team would be able to give a much better answer! For the bulk of our casks, we have long-term partnerships with trusted suppliers, and any new additions tend to be taken on through recommendations in the industry.
There have also been a few instances of our staff meeting suppliers whilst on their travels and sourcing casks from wineries around the world.
What advice would you give to a beginner that is approaching this world and perhaps starting his/her own collection?
I think for many people the social side of the whisky world is a huge part of the appeal.
Going along to whisky shows and tastings is not only a great way to learn more about different distilleries and regions, but introduces you to interesting people who likely have plenty of recommendations for a good dram.
Lastly, what is, generally speaking, your favourite whisky style (cask type, ageing, peated/unpeated etc.)? What’s your dram of choice at the moment and/or your go to drams on a Friday evening?
I found sherry casks to be a nice introduction to whisky, but more recently my preference has been bourbon matured whisky.
At the moment I’ve been enjoying a mixture of those two cask types in Campbeltown Loch, which is a blended malt consisting of all five Campbeltown malts.
Official website: https://kilkerran.scot/
Drams
and more...
Today's drams
- Kilkerran 12 yo – 46%
- Kilkerran 16yo – 46%
- Kilkerran 8yo cs Bourbon – 55.8%
- Kilkerran Heavily Peated – Batch 7 – 59.1%