Ian Macleod Distillers
The distillery in brief
Independent, family-owned distiller, blender and bottler.
History
Peter Russell’s father Leonard started out in business as a whisky broker in 1936, expanding into blending and exporting. Peter joined the firm in 1956, and the name Ian Macleod & Co and its Isle of Skye blended Scotch whisky brand was acquired by what had become Peter J Russell & Co in 1963. Ian Macleod & Co had been incorporated in 1933. The unspecified Islay single malt Smokehead, with a singularly contemporary image, was introduced in 2006.
The company achieved a long-held ambition of becoming a distiller when it purchased Glengoyne from The Edrington Group for £7.2 million in 2003. A second distillery, Tamdhu, was acquired from Edrington eight years later, and reopened in 2012 having been mothballed since 2009.
In September 2016 the company bought whisky blender and gin distiller Spencerfield Spirit Company for an undisclosed sum, adding the Pig's Nose, Feathery and Sheep Dip blended Scotch whiskies, and Edinburgh Gin brand to its portfolio.
Timeline
- 1933 Ian Macleod Distillers was founded by Leonard J. Russell Sr.
- 2003 The company acquired Glengoyne Distillery from Edrington, becoming a distillery owner.
- 2010 Ian Macleod Distillers acquired Tamdhu Distillery from Edrington.
- 2016 The company acquired the Edinburgh Gin brand, expanding its product portfolio.
- 2017 Ian Macleod Distillers acquired the Rosebank Distillery site with plans to rebuild and restart production.
In catalogue All in catalogue
