Speyside Life - Alistair Miller celebrates forty years at Glenfarclas

Spirits were high at Glenfarclas at the end of December as Alistair Miller, Mashman, celebrated forty years employment with J. & G. Grant. As noted by John Grant, Chairman, Alistair is one of just six employees (as opposed to members of the Grant family) in the distillery’s 176 year history, to reach this milestone, the others being Bill Strathdee, Alistair Stronach, Bob Greig, Eddie Thompson and most recently Philip Hutcheon, who retired in 2004.

Warmly respected by his colleagues, Alistair is known for his modesty and good humour. Asked to describe the role of Mashman by whisky writer Ian Buxton in 2011, Alistair joked, ‘I walk about and watch what happens’.

As is traditional on these occasions Alistair was presented with a sample of some of his earliest work, a gallon bottle of 40 years old Glenfarclas, with a personalised label illustrating his long career at the distillery.