Founded in 1895, Coleburn Distillery sits in the heart of Speyside, and the single malt distillery has been brought back to life with Keith Cruickshank at the helm of the revival. A man whose name is quite literally written into the landscape of Scottish Whisky, Keith was born and raised in Keith and spent 27 years overseeing production at Benromach, bringing that too back from silence. Now as Master Distiller at The Distillery at Coleburn, he’s doing it all over again. In this interview, Keith talks to us all about craft, character and what it means to wake a sleeping distillery.
You were born and raised in Keith, a town that literally bears the name of Speyside whisky country. Did you ever feel that your path into the industry was inevitable?
No, although members of my family — including my father and brother — worked in the industry, choosing to join it was never a conscious decision on my part. It was a combination of circumstance and luck that led me into whisky, and the opportunities I was given along the way are what ultimately shaped my career path.
You began your career in 1991 as a Warehouseman with Chivas Brothers before moving to GlenGrant and Caperdonich. How did those early years in the warehouse shape the distiller you became?
Working alongside experienced warehousemen and distillers provided me with the strong foundation I have today. This allowed me to grow professionally in the whisky industry and ultimately pass on my knowledge and insights I’ve gained with others throughout my career.
You’ve described the restoration of The Distillery at Coleburn as returning something to the landscape. Please share the overall vision for this project. And what does it feel like to walk a site that’s been silent for forty years and know you’re about to wake it up?
I would say having the opportunity to start one mothballed distillery is rare, but having the chance to be part of a second one is an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime that I just couldn’t turn down.
In 1998 you began a 27 year career at Benromach, which was also an inactive distillery for a number of years. What are the key experiences you learned from your time here that will influence your approach at The Distillery at Coleburn?
Keep everything simple. Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and what style of spirit you want to create. Making sure you keep the distinctive flavour profile for your distillery true to its heritage and its future.
What does a master distiller do differently when they know they’re building a legacy from scratch, not inheriting one, but creating one?
Look to see the heritage of the old distillery. Working with the vision of the master plan is what guides decision-making throughout the project. Making sure to keep some of the heritage alive within the new distillery.
The Local Heros collection launches with three blended malts: Sweet Peat, Big Smoke, and Sherry Bomb. Can you talk us through the flavour profile of each one, and what you want drinkers to experience?
Sherry Bomb we wanted to achieve the rich whisky flavour given from oloroso and refill casks, combined with the aromas of spice, honey, red apple and cinnamon over toasted malt.
The flavour profile from Sweet Peat presents a gentle introduction to smoky whisky, while combining sweeter notes like caramel and vanilla before being balanced out by light smoke and tobacco.
Big Smoke is our boldest expression, which combines notes of cherry, vanilla, lemon and coastal notes before being finished in a rich smoky character.
For the three Local Heros we want drinkers to experience the whole flavour profile that whisky can give you, delicate fruit sherry notes, a sweet character with delicate smokiness, and a full-bodied, smoky, rich whisky.
Sherry Bomb is drawn from Oloroso and refill casks. What is it about Oloroso in particular that makes it such a powerful vessel for Speyside malt?
Oloroso seasons the cask, giving it that deep fruity profile, which is very characteristic for Speyside whisky.
Sweet Peat is described as a gentle introduction to smoky whisky, caramel, vanilla, plum pudding on the nose, honey and banana on the palate. For someone who has never tried a peated dram, why is this the right starting point?
I guess traditionally peated whiskies can be deemed to be very powerful on the palate, not always but in most cases a subtle introduction of a lightly peated whisky is the best way to try peat for the first time.
Big Smoke is your boldest expression, medicinal, coastal, sea salt on the palate. Where does that coastal character come from in a whisky made deep in landlocked Speyside?
The coastal notes is a description; normally, the difference in the peat used can reflect these coastal notes in many different ways. If the peat comes from more coastal areas, then this can highlight the coastal notes on the palate, as opposed to using peat from more traditional inland heather peat bogs.
The name Local Heros is a celebration of the people and communities who have shaped Scotland’s whisky story — past and present. Who are the unsung heroes of Speyside that you feel the world doesn’t hear enough about?
The older generation of warehousemen and stillmen has a vast array of stories to tell about the area and the communities they lived in. They didn’t just work in the distilleries; they lived here with their families and made many traditions that have lived on through generations.
Which three words best describe the Local Heros collection?
People, Product, Place
What is your life moto – if you have one?
Don’t take yourself too seriously, and you’ll never achieve anything without help.
