A father and son who make whisky together are set to raise a dram together to celebrate Father’s Day.
Their toast will be well earned, as they bookend the whisky-making process at Highland Distillery, Glenmorangie.
Alan Duff Snr joined Glenmorangie in 1995, originally working in the warehouse, before moving to the mash house.
He is part of a team that makes sure that the raw ingredient – the firm’s precious malted barley – is processed and ready for the next stage of its journey.
It’s a real family affair, as once the new make spirit has made its way through the mash house to the still house, it goes into casks for maturing - where Alan’s son, Alan Duff Jnr, takes over.
Alan Jnr is one of the warehouse team, who pick up the responsibility for handling the casks and ensuring that the maturation process is to the highest standards of excellence and craftsmanship.
Having joined in 2016, Alan Jnr is also trained in the still house, which saw him work directly alongside his dad, with his old man passing down his years of knowledge and experience.
And the Glenmorangie team couldn't be happier as this is a key part of their ethos, with skills and knowledge honed for hundreds of years safely passed down from generation to generation.
Speaking about his relationship with his son at the Tain-based distillery, Alan Snr said: “Before I started at Glenmorangie, I knew nothing about whisky making. The man who taught me was someone I had known all my life.
"He lived 100 yards around the corner from where I grew up. Now there’s a younger generation who are joining the distillery and it’s great to share these skills with them.
"I never imagined I would get the chance to teach my son – it’s wonderful to share all my career knowledge with him to help him succeed.”
Alan Jnr was so inspired by years of hearing about his dad’s job and dropping off lunches to him at the distillery that he decided to apply to work there too during his summer holidays from university.
"A few years later having completed a football scholarship in America, Alan Jr decided that Glenmorangie Distillery was where he wanted to kick-start his career.
It’s a decision that has paid off for Alan Jnr. Not only does he get to work with family, he says the wider team feel like a family too.
Alan Jnr continued: “It’s more than a job. I am part of a bigger distillery family of ‘24 people of Tain’, from Jean Mackay in the Mash house, Anna Patterson and Dougie Murray in the still house to Gordy Mackay in the warehouse.”
“Throughout my life and especially during my time at Glenmorangie I’ve always turned to my dad for advice. Over the years I’ve witnessed him seize all the opportunities available at the distillery and I hope to do the same.
"I enjoy having the opportunity work with him and learn from his experience - not all fathers and sons have that chance.
Alan Snr is also grateful that his son has followed in his footsteps, helping cement the family name in Glenmorangie history.
He said: “I’m really proud that Alan Jnr has joined the company and is able to follow in my footsteps. Working at Glenmorangie has been my dream job and it looks like it is my son’s too!”
Inspired by his links with the distillery, Alan Jnr said: “I was always drawn to Glenmorangie whisky because of my dad, but now that I’m working here I really love it.
“Before I started, I didn’t know much about the history of Glenmorangie, but now I realise that I’m part of this fantastic distillery’s story and its future.”
Following in his dad’s footsteps with a lifelong career in whisky, Alan Jnr wants to welcome the next generation of whisky-makers to join the distillery.
“The whisky industry is a great industry to work in," He explained. "It’s always growing and developing and there are always roles opening up. If you apply yourself and work hard, you’ll be able to grow and develop quickly.”
The Glenmorangie Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, near Tain, is part of The Glenmorangie Company, which incorporates five sites across Scotland to bring its two world-renowned scotch malt whisky brands - Glenmorangie and Ardbeg - to a global market.
Its locations, in addition to the Glenmorangie Distillery, include a bottling plant in Livingston, Ardbeg Distillery on Islay, its global headquarters in Edinburgh and its award-winning boutique hotel, Glenmorangie House, outside Fearn.
Current vacancies can be found here: https://www.glenmorangie.com/en-gb/our-people/currentvacancies
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