{"id":5994,"date":"2016-09-21T09:20:37","date_gmt":"2016-09-21T08:20:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewhiskylady.net\/?p=5994"},"modified":"2016-09-21T09:20:37","modified_gmt":"2016-09-21T08:20:37","slug":"weekly-review-lossit-lost-distillery-co","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewhiskylady.net\/weekly-review-lossit-lost-distillery-co\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Review: Lossit – The Lost Distillery Co."},"content":{"rendered":"

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The relationship between Islay and Malt Whisky is as old as the history of the spirit itself; Islay is thought to be one of the first beneficiaries of the old Monks\u2019 distillation knowledge when they came from Ireland to Scotland. As harmonious as the relationship between Island and spirit is, their combined history has been a difficult one often fought between smuggler and authority. Many tales exist about the activities of both illicit distiller and exciseman, celebrating the futile attempts of both parties to better the other. The 1823 Excise Act and the subsequent reforms made legal distillation viable for many illicit distillers who subsequently appeared as respectable and legitimate distillers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Except for the owners of the largest distilleries, whisky represented an additional source of income rather than a sole profession. Rural communities such as Islay therefore saw the striking emergence of a class of farmer-distiller, men who could turn their perishable malt into profitable spirit. These men came to symbolise and progress the taste and style of small-batch Malt Whisky for generations to come. Malcolm McNeill, founder of Lossit Distillery, was one of the leading farmer-distillers of his age. Founded in 1817, Lossit was the biggest producer of whisky on Islay in the industry\u2019s formative years and lasted for half a century until it was silenced in 1867. The longest surviving and most successful of Islay\u2019s farm-distilleries, Lossit was part of the transformation of Islay\u2019s reputation from an outpost of smugglers to a leading force in the whisky industry.<\/p>\n