As a former marketing director of Glenmorangie, and a whisky aficionado, Alex Nicol knows a thing or two about selling drams to the mass market.
But in a change of direction, what Alex now prides himself on is providing a quality niche alternative to the more conventional mainstream brands.
Family and heritage lie at the heart of the Spencerfield Spirit Company operation in Fife, which Alex runs with his wife Jane and other family members.
Steeped in fascinating heritage, the 16th century Spencerfield Farmhouse, overlooking the Firth of Forth and Forth Rail Bridge, near Inverkeithing, is home to an industry which carves a niche in the locally produced spirits market.
And it’s this ability to create their own brands, and to be more experimental in the 21st century market place, that Alex has found most rewarding.
He said: “The flexibility and creative nature of smaller business has allowed us to be more involved in all layers of the organisation. This is something that you wouldn’t be able to do in the bigger distilleries. It has been an exciting time for gin distilleries in Scotland, being involved in that early on and seeing the fruits of our labour has been very rewarding.”
Spencerfield’s flagship product Sheep Dip was developed in 1970, with it stablemate, Pig’s Nose, launched three year later. Both award winning whiskies have recently been joined by Edinburgh Gin and the 1990 Old Hebridean, a first vintage for Sheep Dip.
Yet despite its modern-day take on spirits, the history of distilling at Spencerfield actually stretches back more than 300 years, and this is important to the brand and ethos.
James Anderson, who farmed the Spencerfield land around the mid-to-late 1700s with his wife Hannah, was partly responsible for the inspiration behind the US bourbon industry.
James was also a trained distiller. He left Spencerfield farm in 1791 aged 46, as he was affected by a law being passed at the time that banned spirits from being distilled outside London. With his wife and five children, he set sail for a new life in Virginia. Upon arrival, James quickly gained employment as George Washington’s Farm Manager at Mount Vernon.
James persuaded the industrious Washington to build a pot still at Mount Vernon, which quickly become a major contributor to the farm’s prosperity producing 11,000 gallons of “whiskey” a year. The first dedicated distillery on the Spencerfield Farm estate was built in 1795 by Duncan Montgomery, next to the Keithing Burn. The business flourished, and by 1860 was employing a working Coffey’s Patent Steam Still producing a Lowland malt whisky for the English and local markets.
Alongside Finlay Nicol, Hattie Nicol, and other members of the Spencerfield team, Alex says that having family at the heart of the operation in such a beautiful setting makes every day a bonus.
He added: “Craft distillers have identified a market for premium products made with local produce. People are willing to pay for a premium spirit made with more care and with local sustainable produce. This sets us apart from larger spirit producers as we are able to develop a relationship with the local consumers and build a brand that they trust and feel a part of. This will contribute to our long term success.”
*Edinburgh Gin are one of over 300 exhibitors at the The Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair which is running at SECC, Glasgow from November 19 until November 22.