Isle of Arran announce official poem of new Lagg Distillery

The official poem for the Lagg Distillery on the Isle of Arran, which will be displayed at the new site, has been announced.

Following over 80 entries from budding writers across the world, who were tasked with capturing Arran’s history, landscape or spirit, the winning entry is a piece written by David Cover entitled From The Grain.

The chosen poem is well suited to feature at the new island distillery as it details stages of the whisky making process in a beautifully creative manner and was described as a ‘wonderful, playful piece of work’ by one of the competition judges, Kenny Smith, web editor of Scottish Field magazine.

As well as the poem being immortalised at the distillery, it will be exclusively published in the next edition of Scottish

Field magazine, released at the end of February. David will also be invited to the official opening of the new Lagg Distillery & Visitor Centre in Spring this year.

The two runners-up, who have been announced as Bobby Ronnie and Etienne Guilloud, will also receive an exclusive Lagg Distillery goodie bag.

The winner and runners-up were chosen by the expert judging panel, which alongside Kenny included Hamish Whyte, honorary research fellow in the Department of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University, Jim Carruth, Poet Laureate of Glasgow since 2014, Rachel McCormack, a renowned chef and author of Chasing the Dram, Graham Omand, the Lagg Distillery manager, and Faye Waterlow, the Lagg Visitor Centre manager.

The full winning entry by David Cover reads:

Grain plucked, Grain smoked.
Damp peat, Fire stoked.

Hot water, Sugar steeped.
Creature added, Flavour creeped.

Fired copper, Metal manned.
Infant spirit, Wood to hand.

Rest for years, Oak and time.
That we may drink, And whisky shine.

Construction is continuing at the site for the Lagg Distillery on the south of the island, with its distinctive shape now a fixture on the coastline, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, and the copper pot stills in place.

The distillery is expected to be fully operational later this year, increasing Arran’s production capacity to 2 million litres and producing heavily-peated (50ppm) spirit that will, in time, become the flagship Lagg Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

As well as the poetry competition, there are further opportunities for whisky aficionados to become part of the exciting story of the Lagg Distillery, by becoming member’s of the Lagg Cask Society, which includes ownership of one of the first casks to be filled at the new distillery. For more information, visit www.laggwhisky.com