Ardross

Ardross is a new Scotch whisky distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. Located 30 miles north, the distillery resides on the site of an old 19th-century farm.

The £ 30 million distillery began production in 2019.

 

 

The distillery will produce two whiskies: one peated and one unpeated. The aim is to create a traditional Highland malt with a sweet and fruity flavour profile.

 

The distillery is equipped with six wooden washbacks and fermentation takes an impressive 121 hours. The patient approach encourages lots of fruity esters in the wash.

There is a single pair of pot stills with a production capacity of around 1,000,000 litres per annum.

Casks from all over the world are used in maturation. Sherry casks are sourced from Bodegas Jose y Miguel Martin in Jerez. The Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky supplies the very best Bourbon casks and Mizunara Oak comes from the oldest independent cooperage in Japan. 

Theodore gin is also produced at the distillery. Made with Scottish botanicals, it is inspired by the Picts that once made their home in the glen.

 

 

Ardross is the Scotch whisky arm of Greenwood Spirits Ltd which is owned by Vevil International. In 2015, entrepreneur Barthelemy Brosseau met with industry veteran Andrew Rankin. The two men formed a partnership and set out to create a new Scottish distillery.

Rankin had accumulated vast experience over a distinguished career that included 22 years with Morrison Bowmore. After scouring the highlands to find a suitable site, he settled on a dilapidated farm near Dalmore. Restoration work began in 2017, using the original masonry from the site.

The Ardross distillers were prepared to run tests for several months before arriving at the desired flavour profile. However, from the very first run, the new make spirit was exceptional. Rankin described it as “already 95% of the way there”.

 

In 2020, Ardross established a Single Cask Society that allows customers to invest in their own cask. A Creation Suite will even allow customers to design a whisky to their own tastes. The Single Cask Society operates by invitation only.

Rather than target a specific year, the distillery team intend to bottle the whisky only when it is deemed good and ready.