A Dram With Graham Omand, Lagg Distillery: ‘Welcoming Ewan McGregor and gifting him his very own cask was some achievement’

From welcoming Ewan McGregor to the distillery to gift him his own cask and celebrating five years in business, it’s been a busy year for Lagg Distillery Manager Graham Omand. We caught up with him to find out more about his career in whisky and why it’s no longer an ‘old mans game’.

Hello Graham. Can you introduce yourself?
I am Graham Omand, Distillery Manager of Lagg Distillery which is owned by Isle of Arran Distillers on The Isle of Arran in Scotland. Lagg Distillery is the newest distillery on the Isle of Arran and is the home of the award-winning Lagg Single Malt. It opened in 2019, its presence reunites whisky distilling with the South end of the island, which has a rich history of illicit distilling dating back to the very earliest days of whisky-making.

What inspired your career in whisky?
I was raised around whisky. I grew up on the island of Islay renowned for its peated whisky production and everyone I knew worked in and around whisky. It was part of life growing up, so it was very natural for me.

Did you have any misconceptions about the industry before entering?
The biggest misconception I had was it was an old man’s game. That’s what I saw growing up, but it is not like that today at all; times have changed.

How has the trajectory of your career shaped your views on whisky?
I have a much greater appreciation for it. I didn’t quite appreciate what fully went into it and the details involved. There is so much to it, from the unique blending process, getting the recipe just right and I have learned so much along the way.

Can you breakdown your role as Distillery Manager at Lagg Distillery?
I oversee all areas of production from malt to barrel and consistency throughout the process. Overseeing the whole team, testing samples to quality control, it is such a broad spectrum.

Having just celebrated six years in March 2025, Lagg is a relatively new distillery on the scene. What is Lagg doing differently?
Well, of course, it’s tempting to conform and to fit neatly into a box. But at Lagg we choose to see things from both sides because that’s where the magic is. It takes darkness to appreciate light, quiet to appreciate loud, etc. When you dare to combine opposing ideas and philosophies, you open your mind to finding something totally new. Something you maybe weren’t expecting. Lagg is such a delicious clash of contrasts. A brand-new distillery steeped in history, an innovative mindset and a traditional approach.

What achievements have you celebrated with Lagg in the last year?
It would have to be our big 5th anniversary. We launched our 5-year-old in the distillery, which was a Distillery Exclusive bottling. And probably most exciting of all was welcoming Scottish actor Ewan McGregor to Lagg for the first time and gifting him his very own cask of Lagg Single Malt. This was presented to him in August last year following his visit to the island and collaboration with Lagg’s sister distillery at Lochranza. Ewan worked with our team and the teams from Leith, Whisky Auctioneer and CHAS (Childrens Hospices Across Scotland) to raise £135,000 for CHAS by auctioning bottles from his cask of Arran Single Malt.

Which Lagg whisky is your favourite?
The small batch, distillery exclusive Tokaj, our very first ever small batch. The Lagg Corriecravie Edition, which is one of our core range whiskies will always hold a very special place in my heart. It has everything I want in a peated malt. Sweetness and smoke, delicious!

What upcoming release are you most excited about?
We have got a couple of more small batch releases coming out this year. We have another beautiful Distillery Exclusive finished in Tequila casks – we did say we like to do things a wee bit differently! We also have a new Palo Cortado Sherry Finish Lagg Single Malt which will be enjoyed by some of our top global markets. A lot of exciting new editions!

What is a unique or unexpected flavour note that immediately draws you to a dram?
I do have quite a sweet tooth. I always like the sherry notes. My absolute favourite is a mouth feel, that is more important to me than a flavour note.

Where is the most interesting or unconventional place you have enjoyed a dram?
Probably in the back of a bus in Islay. I was offered a 23-year-old Campbeltown and I couldn’t refuse. This was a few years ago, following the Whisky festival on The island of Islay.

What is your controversial/unpopular whisky opinion?
One that I think is important, and I’ll never forget, age means nothing to me in the whisky world, I never need to know the age of a whisky. As long as I enjoy the taste and smell, then the whisky alone should stand on its own two feet.

What is your go-to dram and what is the dram you have as a treat?
The dram as a treat is always the Arran 18. It’s always been something special and always felt like a luxury to me. If I wasn’t allowed to choose either an Arran or a Lagg dram, I would say that my go to dram would be Lagavulin 16. Having said that, I also always make sure there is a bottle of Lagg Corriecravie in my cupboard for anyone that fancies a treat.

What international dram are you enjoying at the moment?
I do like Japanese whisky. I like Hibiki Harmony.

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