Drams were raised to toast the long and dedicated service of Speyburn Distillery Manager Bobby Anderson today, as his retiral from the Rothes-based distillery after nearly 22 years was announced.
Hailing from Elgin and with a grandfather who worked as Distillery Manager at MiltonDuff, Bobby believed he had whisky making in his genes. After stints at Ardmore, Glentauchers and Glenburgie Distilleries, he joined Speyburn in 2000 as Distillery Manager.
Over the years he balanced a respect for tradition with a drive for efficiency, taking an enormous amount of pride in building his team to craft a globally respected single malt.
As colleagues from across the business gathered at the Speyside distillery to mark the end of his distinguished tenure, Bobby reflected on the highlights of his career. This includes the 2016 refurbishment of Speyburn which saw it become one of the most energy efficient distilleries in Scotland; and the release of a celebratory Speyburn 18 Years Old to commemorate his 18th anniversary – currently the highest aged expression in the Speyburn range.
He said: ‘It has been an honour to have spent so much of my career at Speyburn, with this small but brilliant distillery team. Working alongside them to craft such a special single malt whisky and putting it out into the world for all to enjoy has been a real privilege. I’ve also been so lucky to come to work every day in what is one of Scotland’s most beautiful distillery sites, and it’s satisfying to know that I’ve done everything I can over the years to preserve the environment that surrounds it. Making a whisky of such great quality, with real care and consideration for the natural landscape around us is a legacy that I’m extremely proud to pass on to the next generation. The golf course is beckoning but I’ll be keeping a close eye on Speyburn and look forward to seeing it progress and achieve further success in the future’.
Paying tribute to Bobby’s contribution to the business, Inver House Distillers’ Managing Director Martin Leonard said: ‘Working with Bobby for over two decades has been an incredible journey. He has nurtured Speyburn with so much pride, and thanks to his contribution, it has become a globally awarded single malt whisky that symbolises all that is special about Scotland’s great Speyside whisky region. Speyburn would not have achieved the success it enjoys today without him at the helm.
‘On behalf of everyone in our business, we want to extend a huge thank you to him and wish him all the best for a long and happy retirement. For many years to come, every cask of whisky rolled out of our warehouses at Speyburn Distillery will be a celebration of his devotion, skill, and outstanding stewardship.’
