Bruichladdich Distillery, has today announced the retirement
of its Co-Founder, Simon Coughlin.
Simon will officially retire at the end of this month, after
more than 23 years with the progressive Hebridean distillery.
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| Bruichladdich's Co-Founder Simon Coughlin announces retirement |
One of the original founders, Simon was responsible for resurrecting the Islay based distillery in 2001, alongside Co-Founder Mark Reynier. The pair purchased and rejuvenated the then mothballed distillery in 2000 - together with Master Distiller, Jim McEwan.
Bruichladdich, which brands also include Port Charlotte, Octomore
and Botanist Gin, was bought by Remy Cointreau 2012, marking the French
company’s return to the single malt Scotch whisky market. Stepping down from
Bruichladdich Distillery CEO in 2017, Simon became the CEO of the Whisky
Division and member of the Remy Cointreau Executive Committee.
Over the past two decades Simon has been integral to the
success and growth of Bruichladdich Distillery, which is now home to just under
100,000 casks and ships over 1 million bottles of single malt Scotch whisky
around the world.
Since reopening in 2001, Simon has spearheaded the distillery’s
commitment to redefine what it means to be a whisky business, challenging the
status quo, reconnecting whisky with its agricultural roots and putting value
back into the local community.
Commenting on the news, Simon Coughlin said: “Back in 2000
the industry was in a very different place. Distilleries were being mothballed
or even demolished, and opportunities for new distilleries to open and thrive
were almost non-existent. Some of those early years were extremely difficult.
We were breaking down many of the misconceptions in the whisky category – not
to mention with a very old and neglected distillery - and were committed to
carving out a more honest, transparent, and progressive vision for our
industry. We’ve always believed in terroir, championing flavour, and harnessing
our raw ingredients – while ensuring the island community is at the heart of
our decision making. It was undoubtedly a steep learning curve but having a laser
sharp focus and never compromising on our vision has got us to where we are
today."
He went onto say: “It’s incredible to look at where the
industry is now; an explosion of new distilleries globally, people talking
flavour, provenance and even terroir. 23 years ago, people thought we were mad!
None of this potential could have been realised without a dedicated team –
often bemused by our vision and methods, but always unwavering in their
support.”
During Simon’s tenure, Bruichladdich became one of the first Scotch malt whisky and gin distilleries to receive B Corp certification.
Posted by Steve Rush