Donald 'Doc' Livingstone
Distiller Since 2021
"Music's creative, and traditional music is certainly part of around here - and whisky is very much part of that."
DONALD LIVINGSTONE
Donald āDocā Livingstone joined the distillery team in 2021 after two years as a tour guide. Originally from Glasgow, heās called Skye home for over two decades - first running hotels, then touring as a full-time musician.
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A lover of rock, blues and now traditional Scottish music, Doc brings that same rhythm and character into the stillroom. By day heās on the spirit run, by night heās still performing - and heās even been known to serenade the mash tun with his fiddle.
DOC'S JOURNEYMAN DRAM
Base Malt : Medium Peated 9 23.6 (35.6 HPLC) (Simpsons Golden promise)
Speciality Malt : Simpsons Light Crystal
Yeast : 8.5kg Distillamax XP
Fermentation Time : Long Fermentation 90 - 125 (1 at 137hrs)
Foreshots Run : Standard (28-32)
Spirit Run : Standard (10 minutes)
Spirit Cut Point : Standard (3hrs45)
Spirit Phenols : Standard( 60%)
First Filling : Refill Bourbon + 12 STR s
Recasking :TBC
Iāve gone with Golden Promise and a bit of light Crystal malt ā an older combination you donāt see much anymore, but one Iāve always wanted to try. Itās unpeated, but I was still aiming to get some body and character through the process.
The fermentation was on the longer side, and I used a fruity yeast strain to try and pull out some brighter flavours. Early signs were good ā sweet and malty in the wash, and the spirit came off the still with a nice balance of sweetness, light fruit, and just a touch of peat in the background.
Thereās an oiliness to it that I think comes from the Golden Promise, and the final spirit feels rounded with a soft phenolic finish that lingers. I cut a bit earlier and ran a little deeper to see how it would shape the flavour ā and Iām pretty pleased with how it turned out.
This oneās gone into a mix of reused casks, including some STRs, so weāll see how it develops from here. Curious to see what a bit of age and oak will do with those caramel and fruit notes.
