Andrew Rankin

Andrew Rankin was born in May of 1957, and while little information has been made publicly available regarding his early life, he entered the Scotch whisky industry around 1978. That event  began a career that would eventually encompass nearly every important aspect of whisky production and maturation. His first jobs in the field included work with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute and with Chivas Brothers. He subsequently went to work for Morrison Bowmore Distillers, where he spent the next 22 years. At Morrison Bowmore, he developed particular expertise in selecting and managing the oak casks responsible for transforming newly distilled spirit into mature Scotch whisky. His responsibilities brought him into contact with suppliers in Scotland, the United States, Spain, and Japan, establishing professional relationships that would remain important throughout his career.

Also at Morrison Bowmore, Rankin contributed to several celebrated expressions of Bowmore single malt, including Bowmore Black, the Trilogy releases, and Bowmore 50-Year-Old. These whiskies demonstrated the importance of long-term maturation, careful cask selection, and an understanding of how wood influences the character of spirit over decades. Rankin's work required knowledge extending beyond blending individual casks to the management of whisky inventories intended for release many years later. His involvement with these prestigious expressions established his reputation as an authority on whisky maturation and the use of exceptional oak.

Rankin's international relationships became an important part of his professional approach. Rather than conduct all negotiations remotely, he made a practice of visiting suppliers personally, learning about their operations and establishing lasting business connections. His travels included Kentucky, where he developed relationships with bourbon distilleries and cooperages, and Japan, where he established access to specialist oak casks, including those made from Japanese Mizunara. He also maintained relationships with Spanish suppliers of sherry-seasoned casks. These connections provided valuable access to different types of maturation wood and would eventually influence the cask program at Ardross.

By 2014, Rankin became determined to establish his own company, beginning a new phase of his career after decades working with established whisky producers. The following year, he joined forces with entrepreneur Barthélémy Brosseau, whose ambitions included developing a new Scottish distillery supported by substantial long-term investment. Rankin became chairman and master blender of the enterprise and was entrusted with identifying an appropriate location. The proposed investment was approximately £30 million, providing the resources to develop a distillery around production quality, careful maturation, and a long-term approach to whisky making.

Rankin's search eventually led him to Ardross Mains, a derelict nineteenth-century farmstead in the Averon Valley, approximately 30 miles north of Inverness. The property occupied roughly 50 acres and included Loch Dubh, a seven-acre body of water surrounded by Highland scenery. Rankin was particularly impressed by the loch, which offered a source of water for whisky production and helped establish the property's suitability for the project. The discovery in December 2015 became the foundation for Ardross Distillery, combining the restoration of historic agricultural buildings with the construction of modern whisky-making facilities.

Planning permission was granted in February 2017, and construction began that November. The development preserved much of the character of the original farmstead, incorporating recovered stone and slate into the restoration while introducing new facilities for milling, mashing, fermentation, and distillation. Rankin worked with an experienced production team that included distillery manager Sandy Jamieson and operations manager Willie Dobbins. Their combined industry experience provided the technical foundation for establishing a new Highland single malt distillery.

Whisky production began in late 2019. Ardross’ two tall copper stills incorporate reflux balls, including the less common arrangement of a reflux ball on the wash still, encouraging the production of a lighter spirit. Rankin also established a maturation program incorporating American oak, Spanish sherry casks, and Japanese Mizunara oak, drawing upon relationships developed over several decades. In 2020, Ardross introduced its Single Cask Society, allowing members to participate in the selection and maturation of individual whisky casks. The following year, three casks of Ardross new-make spirit were sold through Christie's for a combined £245,000, demonstrating considerable interest in the distillery's production before its whisky had completed the legally-required maturation period. Ardross subsequently expanded its experimental capabilities through a separate small-batch production facility, providing opportunities to explore different grains, spirit styles, and maturation techniques. Rankin remained committed to established whisky-making principles while supporting carefully controlled experimentation.

For Rankin, Ardross represents a significant achievement in a career devoted to the production and maturation of Scotch whisky. He has described the distillery as his greatest professional accomplishment, exceeding the scale of the undertaking he originally anticipated. His career illustrates an enduring principle of whisky production: the quality of a mature spirit depends upon decisions made years, and sometimes decades, before the whisky reaches its eventual consumer. At Ardross, Rankin has applied the knowledge accumulated during more than fifty years in the industry to the creation of a distillery intended to produce whisky for generations to come.

Sources:

1. The Ardross Distillery official website, theardross.com

2. The Spirits Business, “Ardross Distillery to Launch Inaugural Spirits in 2019,” April 2019, thespiritsbusiness.com

3. FINE+RARE/Vinfolio, “The Ardross Genesis Story”, vinfolio.com

4. Maltspedia, “Ardross Distillery”, 2026, maltspedia.com

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee USA