Iona Macphie
Distiller since 2017.
"I’ve learned small changes to the process can make a big difference to the spirit"
IONA MACPHIE
Iona discovered her love of whisky when she was a tour guide with Talisker, loving not only a dram but also the enthusiasm of everyone throughout the industry. When she saw a new distillery opening in Sleat advertising for distillers she jumped at the chance.
IONA'S JOURNEYMAN DRAM
Base malt : Concerto
Speciality malt : 10% Chocolate Malt
Yeast : Distillamax MG
Fermentation time : Long (90-120 hrs)
Fermentation temp : Warm (30-34 max temp)
Foreshots run : Long (15-30 minutes)
Spirit run : Long (3hrs30)
Spirit cut point : Low for unpeated (64%)
Spirit phenols : Unpeated
Base malt : Concerto
Speciality malt : 10% Chocolate Malt
Yeast : Distillamax MG
Fermentation time : Long (90-120 hrs)
Fermentation temp : Warm (30-34 max temp)
Foreshots run : Long (15-30 minutes)
Spirit run : Long (3hrs30)
Spirit cut point : Low for unpeated (64%)
Spirit phenols : Unpeated
"My thought process behind my Journeyman’s began at Crisp maltings in Portgordon. I tried a variety of speciality malts, one of which was a chocolate malt that had a rich and slightly bitter taste, and it was definitely moreish – I managed to eat a couple of handfuls! When the opportunity came around to create my own whisky, I instantly knew I would be including chocolate malt, but I didn’t expect that my worts would come through almost entirely black and, once fermented for my chosen minimum of 120 hours, look more this Guinness than wash. I was pleasantly surprised with my spirit result, instantly smelling and tasting the chocolate malt after just 15 minutes of foreshots, so I cut onto spirit. I kept my final cut point low to include deep, rich flavours in the final dram."
"My thought process behind my Journeyman’s began at Crisp maltings in Portgordon. I tried a variety of speciality malts, one of which was a chocolate malt that had a rich and slightly bitter taste, and it was definitely moreish – I managed to eat a couple of handfuls! When the opportunity came around to create my own whisky, I instantly knew I would be including chocolate malt, but I didn’t expect that my worts would come through almost entirely black and, once fermented for my chosen minimum of 120 hours, look more this Guinness than wash. I was pleasantly surprised with my spirit result, instantly smelling and tasting the chocolate malt after just 15 minutes of foreshots, so I cut onto spirit. I kept my final cut point low to include deep, rich flavours in the final dram."
