Islay’s Newest Distillery, Laggan Bay, Offers a Rare Whisky Opportunity
NewsFriday, 29 May 2026 at 09:20
Laggan Bay Distillery is the newest distillery on Islay. They haven’t bottled a whisky yet, but they’re already offering fans of the water of life a unique opportunity. Under the banner The Hundred – Founding Casks, the distillery gives you the chance to own one of the very first Islay whiskies to come from their stills.
With production now officially underway, Laggan Bay Distillery is launching straight into its cask program. With only one hundred casks available, you can secure one of the distillery’s very first spirits.
Own a piece of whisky history on Islay
As a brand-new distillery, no one can say exactly how the whisky will taste once it’s ready, but the casks already tell part of the story. The spirit goes into first-fill ex-bourbon barrels made from American oak, each holding 200 liters. It will mature there for at least three years on Islay’s coast, resting in seaside warehouses.
According to Laggan Bay, the character of the whisky will be shaped by the union of a peat-driven spirit, the freshness of first-fill bourbon casks, and the briny sea air that defines Islay.
Quality overseen by an Islay native
The name The Hundred points directly to the scale of this debut: there are one hundred casks in the program. Casks are offered at £5,500.
That investment buys more than just a cask of whisky; it secures your place in the distillery’s origin story. According to Malcolm Rennie, founder and owner of Laggan Bay, cask ownership is about more than whisky. it’s about being involved in shaping a new brand from day one. Rennie himself will oversee the quality of the maturing spirit.
More information about Laggan Bay’s cask program can be found here.
FAQ
- Where is Laggan Bay Distillery located?
Laggan Bay Distillery is on Islay, the Scottish whisky island famed for peat smoke, sea air, and powerful single malts. - What kind of whisky does Laggan Bay Distillery make?
Laggan Bay crafts a peat-forward Islay whisky with maritime influences. The spirit matures on the coast, where the salty Atlantic air helps shape its character. - Who leads production at Laggan Bay Distillery?
Production is led by Malcolm Rennie, an Islay native with deep experience in peat, maturation, and the character of Islay whisky.
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LATEST COMMENTS
- There is no distillery equipment there and also no licences to produce or sell alcohol.TRC19-12-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your response and for sharing the video. Unfortunately, the evidence you referred to consists only of two people talking about the whisky, without any explanation or identification. We have not spoken to the individuals in the video ourselves, nor can we verify who they are. We describe it as a Chinese whisky because it is released by a Chinese distillery. As you mentioned, the distillery has chosen to label the product as “pure malt” instead of “Chinese whisky.” Based on that, we do not believe they are doing anything illegal.M0nkey16-11-2025
- So - you have the proof......where's your write up?Yvonne16-11-2025
- You are absolutely right. Luckily that doesn't matter for the taste of the whisky. Have you tried it yet?M0nkey05-11-2025
- Guess what? Finland is not part of Scandinavia.Gray105-11-2025
- Throw in the towel? You mean restructure to compete and win in a challenging industry environment.WestwardFounder21-10-2025
- There is nothing legally to prevent the English whisky GI from coming into force, it complies with all the relevant laws and the single malt definition follows the precedent of Welsh whisky and US whiskyChefBear15-10-2025
- Three emails sent (two with videos, linked to a Google Drive Share). 1. The original video. 2. The video with subtitles as it was shared on YouTube 3. Screen grab of the YouTube channel where the video was blocked due to Pernod Ricard lobbying. The story was covered on Drinks Intel at the time - link here - https://drinks-intel.com/subscriber-news/pernod-ricards-the-chuan-pure-malt-whisky-not-sourced-solely-from-china-global-drinks-intel-exclusive/Yvonne10-10-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your interesting comment. Could you share your copy with us, so we can adjust our item accordingly? Mail us at [email protected]. Thank you in advance.M0nkey09-10-2025
- Let's keep this factually correct. Pernod Ricard DID NOT release a Chinese whisky. Their first output from The Chuan (the name of the distillery in Sichuan, China) wasn't fit for bottling. What they actually bottled was imported Scotch whisky. This is why the product is called "PURE MALT" and not "Chinese Whisky" - because Pure Malt is not a regulated term - this is not a secret. This was exposed about a week after they released it. There were even videos about their own staff on site admitting it was made from imported whisky - which Pernod Ricard got the lawyers onto to get the video pulled. I've got a copy if you want it.Yvonne09-10-2025
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