Ian Macleod Distillers Profile

Ian Macleod Distillers is based at Broxburn, West Lothian, and owns Glengoyne distillery in Stirlingshire and Tamdhu distillery at Knockando on Speyside. Its principal blended brands are Isle of Skye, Smokehead and King Robert, though a range of independent bottlings are also undertaken under the ‘As We Get it’ Chieftain’s and Dun Bheagan banners. As the world’s 10th largest Scotch whisky company, Macleod’s produce and sell over 15 million bottles of spirits every year.

The firm is a major supplier to the ‘buyers’ own brand’ market and has provided own-label spirits to some of Europe's largest supermarket groups for over 40 years. Macleod’s owns 50% of Broxburn Bottlers, with the other 50% being held by J&G Grant of Glenfarclas. The chairman of Ian Macleod is founder Peter Russell, whose son Leonard serves as managing director.

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Ian Macleod Distillers 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.

Contact

Address
Ian Macleod Distillers Limited
Russell House
Dunnet Way
Broxburn
EH52 5BU
United Kingdom
Phone
+44 1506 852205
Map

See also

  • Glen Tress Glen Tress Glen Tress Brand

    Glen Tress

    A ‘pure malt’ established by Ian Macleod & Co during the 1980s.

  • Sheep Dip Sheep Dip Sheep Dip Brand

    Sheep Dip

    Quaintly-named blended malt now owned by Ian Macleod Distillers.

  • The Feathery The Feathery The Feathery Brand

    The Feathery

    Blended malt whisky named to honour the craft of making ancient golf balls.

  • The Six Isles The Six Isles The Six Isles Brand

    The Six Isles

    Blended malt whisky incorporating malts from six Scottish distilling islands.

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