Next time you visit Bruichladdich distillery make sure you don't run into "Ugly Betty". Betty is not a new employee although she did work for other distilleries in the past. I think that's where she got her terrible looks so don't say I didn't warn you. Betty is quite a character, a real iron lady or should I say copper lady? Others describe Betty as “an oversized, upside-down dustbin made of copper”. Now what is it with this Betty, you probably think I've lost my sanity, perhaps you're right! When you read on you'll find Mark Reyniers press release about his latest female addition to the distillery:

Bruichladdich is pleased to announce the installation of an unusual fifth still during recent still house renovations. A Lomand still, a defunct experimental cross between a Coffey and a pot still, was designed with a thick column-like neck with removable sections inserted. The aim was to create more character and variety of styles of spirit by imitating the effect that different lengths of still ?neck? would have. The versatile still had plates, like Roman blinds, which could be "opened" and varying the angle of the lyne arm for lighter or heavier spirit. The first Lomand, a spirit still, was installed in 1956 at Inverleven, part of the ginormous Dumbarton grain distillery complex, on the banks of the Clyde. Inverleven was closed in 1991 and raised to the ground in 2004. But not before we nipped in and removed, among other things, the Lomand.

So, fittingly, the first shall be last: the original, the only authentic Lomand in existence, lives to fight another day. True to its founding principal, it is being fitted with Jim's newly designed neck section, the 'Silver Gattling'. It may be the only one of its type left, but she's no oil painting. Welcome to Ugly Betty.

Tag: distilleries bruichladdich