The Glengarry

Launched in 2015, The Glengarry is a whisky label produced by powerhouse Loch Lomond Distillery in the northwest of Scotland. Celebrating the heritage symbolized by the Glengarry military bonnet (traditional dress worn for hundreds of years in Scotland’s Highlands), Glengarry is a collection of both blended and single malt whiskies made to satisfy established malt consumers and attract a fresh audience to the genre.  

Though whisky making in this locale, along the edge of the Lowland-Highland boundary, can be traced to 1804, Loch Lomond’s modern era begins much later, in 1964. Born of the 1960s whisky boom, the massive distillery was designed to produce Scotch destined chiefly for value brands. Apart from on-site malting, the estate houses all aspects of production necessary for such an undertaking: A state-of-the-art grain distillery fueled by two column stills—of 151 distilleries operating in Scotland, Loch Lomond is the only distillery to house both grain and malt whisky distillation, allowing the distillery to legally offer The Glengarry as both a blend and a single malt; a fully operational cooperage that repairs and rejuvenates up to 60,000 casks per year; and a formidable lineup of barley-focused stills including a Coffey still, two traditional swan neck pot stills, and six pot stills with straight necks fitted with internal plates (with two more on the way).

New ownership—first in 2014, then in 2019—shifted the focus to single malt production and the nurturing of more distinct house styles. The versatility and efficiency that was imprinted on the operation by the first owners evolved to give the distillery a compelling edge as they sought to re-introduce themselves to the whisky-drinking world. Designed out of necessity, the distillery’s unique configuration now drives innovation.

With four types of stills, barley peated to three levels, and two different proprietary yeast strains, Loch Lomond has the versatility to create dozens of house styles and can produce enough grain spirit to fill their own needs while still contracting to other distilleries. The Glengarry brand simultaneously exemplifies Loch Lomond’s nimbleness derived from its economies of scale and the distillery’s deeper commitment to craft. Loch Lomond Master Blender Michael Henry oversees the brand, which accrues new accolades year over year.