Kirsty Black

Kirsty Black grew up on a farm in Aberlour, Moray, where agriculture and seasonal production were familiar parts of everyday life. During her younger years, she worked summer harvests at a local maltings, gaining early exposure to the processing of grain for brewing and distilling. Her academic interests initially took her in another direction, however, and she studied biological sciences, specializing in plant science, at the University of Edinburgh. She subsequently pursued forensic science studies before beginning a professional career in the medical-device industry. And it was in that profession that Black worked for nearly a decade as a quality engineer. The position required technical precision and an understanding of controlled manufacturing processes, skills that would later become valuable in distilling.

Outside her professional responsibilities, she developed an enthusiasm for home brewing. Eventually, that interest prompted a significant career change, and in 2012 she enrolled in the master's program in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. While studying, she worked at Edinburgh's Caledonian Brewery and Barney's Beer, acquiring practical experience in both established and smaller-scale brewing operations. She also became involved in establishing Summerhall Distillery and developing Pickering's Gin, an experience that expanded her interest in botanical ingredients and distillation. She completed her master's degree with distinction, receiving the Watt Club Postgraduate Medal and the Brewers Company Prize for academic achievement.

Her studies also introduced her to Iain Stirling, whose family was developing plans for a distillery on its agricultural estate near Inverkeilor. The Stirling brothers—John, Iain, and David—wanted to produce spirits using crops cultivated on their own land, retaining control over the ingredients from planting through bottling. Black initially became involved through a university project to develop gin recipes for the family. That association developed into an offer to oversee the construction and establishment of Arbikie Distillery, which she joined in January 2014. The project involved converting a former agricultural building into a functioning distillery equipped for producing several categories of spirits. Black participated in equipment selection, production planning, recipe development, and the installation of the distilling operation. During the first five months of her employment, she worked in Edinburgh on development projects and production trials before beginning operations at the estate. Her responsibilities subsequently expanded to include distillery management, production supervision, regulatory compliance, and product development.

Arbikie's first commercial spirit was Tattie Bogle potato vodka, introduced in 2014 using potatoes grown on the estate. Gin production followed, including a product bearing Black's name, Kirsty's Gin, which incorporated botanicals associated with Scotland's coastal and agricultural environment. Although these spirits helped establish the business, whisky production was central to Arbikie's longer-term ambitions. The estate's control over its agricultural operations gave Black opportunities to investigate grain varieties and production methods that distinguished Arbikie from more conventional Scotch whisky distilleries.

In 2018, Arbikie introduced its Highland Rye Scotch Whisky, marking an important development in the revival of commercial Scottish rye whisky production. Black and her colleagues used estate-grown rye and other grains to create a whisky that drew upon Scotland's earlier agricultural distilling traditions while employing modern production techniques. Arbikie's approach incorporated both pot and column distillation, allowing the team to produce spirits with different characteristics and combine them in its whisky-making program. The release established rye whisky as a defining feature of Arbikie's identity.

Black's scientific interests also extended into agricultural sustainability. While managing the distillery, she undertook doctoral research through Abertay University and the James Hutton Institute, investigating the use of legumes in agricultural systems and alcohol production. Her research contributed to the development of Nàdar, a range of spirits distilled from peas, including a gin introduced in 2020. Although Nàdar was not a whisky, the research demonstrated how alternative crops and agricultural practices could influence the environmental performance of distilling operations.

By 2024, Black had completed a decade at Arbikie and had become an advocate for encouraging women to pursue careers in whisky production. She participated in the OurWhisky Foundation's mentorship program, supporting women entering the industry and sharing her experience as a distillery manager. Her professional responsibilities also extended to industry education through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. These activities complemented her continued work in whisky development and agricultural research.

In 2026, Arbikie prepared to introduce its first ten-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, The Signature, while Black continued investigating older barley varieties and their influence on spirit character. Her work also included experimental oat whisky production and research into the relationship between cultivation methods, grain composition, and whisky flavor. More than a decade after helping transform an agricultural building into a distillery, Black remained engaged in questions extending beyond conventional whisky production. Her career illustrates how Scotland's whisky heritage can be preserved while its ingredients, methods, and environmental practices continue to evolve.

Sources:

1. Arbikie Distillery official website, arbikie.com

2. Abertay University, “Abertay Distiller Named Rising Star”, August 18, 2017, abertay.ac.uk

3. The Gin Cooperative, “Women of Gin – Kirsty Black, Arbikie Highland Estate”, July 17, 2018, thegincooperative.com

4. OurWhisky Foundation, “Kirsty Black: It Started with Beer – Whisky Came Later”, Millie Milliken, March 20, 2024, ourwhiskyfoundation.org

5. Decanter, “Meet Scotland’s Young-Gun Distillers”, 2023, decanter.com

6. WhiskyInvestDirect, “A Dram with Kirsty Black”, Tom Bruce-Gardyne, May 20, 2026, whiskyinvestdirect.com

7. Barrel Room Chronicles, “Kirsty Black”, May 20, 2022, barrelroomchronicles.com

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee USA