With the release of the first bottling produced by Lochlea, a new distillery in the Lowlands, it is now common knowledge that John Campbell, former master distiller of Laphroaig, has taken the reins of production, succeeding Malcolm Rennie in what is one of the most interesting realities of the new wave of Scotch whisky (and which you will see on these pages tomorrow).
But if Campbell is gone after almost 30 years of service, who is now in charge of the Ileach whisky?
Introducing Barry MacAffer, who, after taking over as interim Distillery Manager last November, has been permanently brought into the production management of Laphroaig.
A native of the island and raised practically on the doorstep of the distillery, he was hired in 2011 and worked as Campbell’s deputy for the last five years of his management, enough to acquire the necessary knowledge to take its place.
It is still too early to say what MacAffer’s imprint on the spirit will be, but there will certainly be plenty of passion and dedication for what is one of the most difficult jobs in the world.