Graham Eunson

Graham Eunson spent more than three decades mastering the production of Scotch whisky, advancing from a warehouse worker on Scotland’s Orkney Islands to Master Distiller and Distillery Operations Director at Tomatin Distillery in the Highlands. His career encompassed five distilleries, including the restoration of one that had remained silent for 22 years. By the time he retired in May 2025, Eunson had helped transform Tomatin's reputation from a major supplier of whisky for blending into an internationally recognized producer of Highland single malt.

Born in the late 1960s and raised on Orkney, Eunson grew up on his family's beef farm. After leaving school, he began an apprenticeship as a joiner, but a serious leg injury interrupted his plans and led to employment in the parts department of a motor garage. His eventual entry into whisky production began at Scapa Distillery, where he joined the workforce in 1990. Starting in the warehouses, he learned the fundamentals of whisky maturation before progressing into the mash house and stillhouse. In 1992, he became a trainee brewer, beginning the transition from production worker to distillery management.

Eunson's early career coincided with considerable restructuring throughout Scotland's whisky industry. When Scapa ceased production in 1994, he accepted a transfer to Glendronach Distillery in Aberdeenshire, leaving Orkney with his wife and their one-year-old son. At Glendronach, he worked as a brewer in a traditional production environment that still employed floor maltings and coal-fired stills. However, the distillery also ceased production in 1996, forcing another career transition after only two years.

In October 1996, Eunson joined Glenmorangie as Assistant Distillery Manager, working alongside Dr. Bill Lumsden. The appointment introduced him to one of Scotland's most prominent single malt producers and provided opportunities to develop his management experience. When Lumsden moved into a corporate position in 1998, Eunson succeeded him as Distillery Manager. He remained with Glenmorangie until 2008, overseeing production during a period in which the brand strengthened its international standing.

His next appointment presented an entirely different challenge. In April 2008, Eunson became Distillery Manager at Glenglassaugh, a Highland distillery on the Moray Firth coast that had been closed since 1986. The facilities required extensive restoration, including the replacement and refurbishment of production equipment. Eunson helped direct the recommissioning process, working through approximately eight months of preparation before whisky production resumed. He subsequently identified the first mash following the reopening as one of the most memorable achievements of his professional career.

In August 2011, Eunson accepted the position of General Manager at Tomatin Distillery, south of Inverness. Established in 1897, Tomatin had once ranked among Scotland's largest malt whisky distilleries, supplying substantial quantities of spirit for blended Scotch whisky. Its owners had already begun repositioning the business toward greater recognition of Tomatin as a single malt brand. Eunson assumed responsibility for production, maturation, and the development of whisky expressions, bringing experience acquired across four previous distilleries.

At Tomatin, Eunson concentrated on production consistency, wood management, and the development of the distillery's single malt portfolio. He helped establish a more systematic approach to cask selection, emphasizing knowledge of each cask's history before filling. His work included the development of Tomatin Legacy, matured in bourbon and virgin oak casks, and Cù Bòcan, the distillery's lightly peated single malt range. These expressions broadened Tomatin's offerings while preserving the characteristic fruity and gently sweet qualities of its spirit.

Eunson also recognized the importance of Tomatin's unusual relationship with its workforce. Unlike many Scottish distilleries, Tomatin maintained residential accommodation for employees and their families, continuing a tradition established when the distillery was founded. During his tenure, dozens of employees lived in company housing near the production facilities. His management responsibilities extended beyond distillation into the practical operation of a business whose history remained closely connected with its surrounding community.

In 2019, Eunson assumed the dual responsibilities of Master Distiller and Distillery Operations Director. His oversight included production, warehousing, laboratory operations, stock control, maturation, and the visitor centre. He supervised a substantial inventory exceeding 156,000 casks, including historically important stocks preserved in Warehouse 6. His selection of exceptional mature whiskies contributed to the Warehouse 6 Collection, whose 1978 and 1976 expressions received major recognition at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Tomatin achieved additional international recognition in 2022, receiving both Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year and Outstanding Spirits Producer of the Year honors at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. The distillery's continued development also included the relaunch of The Antiquary blended Scotch whisky range in 2024. These achievements reflected the sustained emphasis on whisky quality, maturation management, and brand development that characterized Eunson's leadership.

In May 2025, Eunson retired after 34 years in the Scotch whisky industry, including nearly 14 years at Tomatin. To commemorate his career, the distillery released the limited-edition Legacy Makers – Graham Eunson Edition, combining whisky from a hogshead filled in 1990 with whisky from a French oak barrique filled in 2011. The two casks represented the beginning of his whisky career and his arrival at Tomatin. Responsibility for continuing his work passed to Distillery Manager Jamie Muir and Blender and Global Brand Ambassador Scott Adamson.

Eunson's contribution to Scotch whisky also extended into his family. Both of his children, Scott and Kirstie, entered the whisky industry, with Scott working in production at Tomatin. Throughout his career, Eunson emphasized the importance of employees whose contributions often remained unrecognized outside the distillery. His own professional development followed that principle, progressing through nearly every stage of whisky production before he retired, leaving Tomatin a better distillery than when he had arrived.

Sources:

1. Whisky Magazine, “Graham Eunson Retires After 34 Years in Industry”, 2025, whiskymag.com

2. Tomatin Distillery official website, tomatin.com

3. The Spirits Business, “Tomatin Master Distiller Graham Eunson to Retire”, May 2025, thespiritsbusiness.com

4. FINE+RARE, “Graham Eunson: A Life in Whisky”, Holly Motion, frw.co.uk

5. Whisky Magazine, “Tomatin: The Sleeping Giant”, whiskymag.com

6. The Dramble, “The Softer Side of Graham Eunson”, November 29, 2017, thedramble.com

7. WhiskySpeller, “Tomatin Distillery – Interview with Graham Eunson, Distillery Manager”, August 31, 2014, whiskyspeller.blogspot.com

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee USA