Happy birthday - Kilkerran comes of age

When a cask of spirit is three-years-old it becomes whisky, that.s as good an excuse as any that.s been heard in Campbeltown to throw a party, especially a party in a distillery. People came from around the world to celebrate.

 

MALT whisky enthusiasts from around the world came to the world-famous distilling town of Campbeltown at the weekend and joined in toasting a new dram from the Mitchell's Glengyle Distillery. 

Owned by J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd, Glengyle Distillery is the sister distillery of the renowned Springbank and was reopened by the company in March 2004, the first 'new' distillery of of the Millennium.

The first casks of spirit filled at the distillery turned three years old last week, offcially coming of age as a single malt under the laws governing the producing of single malt Scotch whisky. 

The company held a celebratory party in a specially-converted warehouse at Glengyle on Saturday (May 5) for staff, customers and invited guests from across the world, including representatives from many leading whisky publications. As well as the efforts of the J&A Mitchell staff, members of the local community also joined in the celebration.

Pupils from Campbeltown Grammar School painted excellent whisky-related murals for the warehouse and there were performances from the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band and young Fiddler Frank Rochford, while further music was provided by local band Canterach. Elaine's Food For You chip van was on hand to feed the hungry guests.

 

The party was the culmination of a day of specially-organised events, which included open-top bus tours around Campbeltown, tours of the distillery and tastings of the distillery's new-make spirit.

 

 

 

          

 

 

Although there will not be an official bottling of Kilkerran until at least 2012, a small cask has been installed in The Tasting Room, where visitors to the company's distilleries can enjoy a dram and fill their own bottle.