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From
Clydesdales to Casks, indie bottler
Living Souls unveils that working farm
distillery Drummygar marries tradition
and innovation with Clydesdale horses
and Chevallier barley.
The founders of
independent bottler Living Souls have
revealed their latest venture: Drummygar
Distillery, a working farm distillery
that blends time-honoured practices with
modern whisky-making.
The project is spearheaded by John
Torrance, whose 25 years in distilling
include senior roles at Diageo, Douglas
Laing and, most recently, Living Souls.
He is joined by former Young Distiller
of the Year Zak Shenfield—previously at
Strathearn Distillery and BrewDog—who
has taken on the dual role of Operations
Director and Head Distiller.
Drummygar began production in August
2025, setting out on a long-term mission
to establish its signature character.
The first whiskies are expected to
mature in 8–12 years.
The distillery is
located on a small working farm near
Arbroath, where heritage Chevallier
barley is grown and cultivated with the
help of Clydesdale horses. Once the
dominant grain in 19th-century whisky
making, Chevallier is prized for its
rich, malty qualities, though it largely
disappeared from production following
changes to tax legislation.
On-site equipment includes a manually
operated mash tun, three 1000-litre
copper alembic stills, and four
2000-litre fermenters. This setup is
designed to produce a medium-to-heavy
spirit well-suited for long ageing.
Spirit will be matured primarily in
first-fill bourbon casks, with
additional use of sherry, wine, and
specialty casks, and Year 1 output is
projected at 30,000 Litres of Pure
Alcohol (LPA).
"At Drummygar our watchwords are
patience, quality and tradition; the
last thing we want to do is rush things
and compromise the quality of the
spirit,” says cofounder John Torrance.
“Using Chevallier barley and Clydesdales
isn’t a gimmick, we’re keen to honour
the rich tradition of whisky production
while cultivating a recognisable style
that shines through in every vintage."
"As John says, it’s about quality over
haste," adds Zak Shenfield, who at 22
was named Scotland’s Young Distiller of
the Year in 2016. "We’re confident that
with small stills and quality local
barley, we can produce a spirit that
speaks for itself. Given the destination
is a distant point on the horizon, we’re
focusing on enjoying the process and
capturing the rhythm of the farm’s
harvests over the years."
Alongside Torrance and Shenfield,
Drummygar also draws on the knowledge of
Living Souls cofounders Calum Leslie and
Jamie Williamson. Leslie previously
served as Head of Innovation at Loch
Lomond Group, while Williamson held
posts at Old Curiosity Distillery and
Douglas Laing before founding his own
distribution business, Kilninian Drinks
Co. Living Souls itself launched in late
2024 and has already issued three highly
regarded releases, including a
collection of 40-year-old blends.
Though it will be years before
Drummygar’s whiskies reach the market,
the distillery’s close ties to Living
Souls give the new venture immediate
standing, with anticipation already
building around its debut vintage.
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