‘As the oldest and rarest Loch Lomond single malt whisky ever released, the Loch Lomond 50 Year Old is very
significant for the business’ Colin Matthews, CEO Loch Lomond
C
olin Matthews wants to tell me a secret. It’s a line he has no doubt used several – if not many – times
before but he likes it and he’s going to use it again. It’s about the established Scottish company, based on the banks of Loch Lomond, he and his backers took over in 2014. “We’re the Scotch whisky industry’s
best kept secret,” says the Loch Lomond Group’s chief executive. “Few consumers had heard of us up until three years ago. Since the new team took over in 2014, we have invested heavily in developing premium brands and engaging with consumers. Now the challenge is to persuade them to try our products and we are making great progress on that front. “We have significant growth aspirations and we have been successful so far in
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achieving what we set out to do. Our key focus has been on expanding the product range and growing our international presence. I am pleased to say we’ve made terrific progress and Loch Lomond whiskies are now available in over 120 countries around the world. We’ve also introduced a variety of new products, including our first ever bespoke global travel retail range, and most recently our “pinnacle”, the top of the range Loch Lomond 50 Year Old.” So what tempted him to buy the
company? “Having worked for nearly 25 years in the tobacco industry it was time for a change,” he says. “Tobacco was becoming increasingly challenging and I decided to change industries with the hope of having more fun and to develop and grow a new business with different dynamics.” Matthews and his team have overseen
many changes since taking over, investing significantly in their distilling, bottling and maturation infrastructure, including six new warehouses in Ayrshire. They also opted to invest heavily in marketing to introduce their brands to consumers across the world. One of the key investments the group has made in 2017 is in the Loch Lomond 50 Year Old. Bill White, the group operations director, takes up the story. “Our master blender Michael Henry found the cask when he started working at the distillery 10 years ago and has nurtured it carefully ever since. One of the first things he did was move it to a cooler warehouse as the cask must be kept in the best possible conditions to maintain character and strength. As the oldest and rarest Loch Lomond single malt whisky ever released, the Loch Lomond 50 Year Old is very significant for the business. R
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