Scotland’s oldest whisky family sets the stage for Aberargie single malt with final harvest before launch

Here’s something that’s caught my attention – Aberargie Distillery has just brought in what they’re calling their final harvest before their debut single malt drops in early 2026. And frankly, this is shaping up to be something worth watching.

The Morrison family has been knee-deep in Scotch for five generations, doing everything from grocery and brokerage to blending and bottling. They’ve built Aberargie on their own 300-acre farm near Perth, and what makes this particularly interesting is their commitment to using 100% estate-grown barley. In an industry where most distilleries source their grain from wherever’s cheapest, this farm-to-bottle approach is becoming increasingly rare.

Now here’s where it gets really compelling – they’re growing Golden Promise barley right in front of their stills. If you know your whisky history, you’ll remember this was The Macallan’s go-to variety back in the 1960s. It’s a heritage strain that’s fallen out of favour because it doesn’t yield as much as modern varieties, but what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in character. We’re talking full-bodied profile, buttery texture, and that distinctive oily richness that made it legendary in the first place.

They’re also cultivating Laureate barley alongside the Golden Promise – a modern variety that brings clean, bright spirit characteristics and performs reliably in Scottish conditions. It’s a smart hedge that should give them both tradition and consistency.

Graeme Mackeddie, their Head of Distilling, puts it perfectly: “This barley isn’t known for its high-yielding properties; it’s chosen for quality.” That’s exactly the kind of thinking that separates serious whisky-making from industrial production.

What’s particularly noteworthy is that this marks the Morrison family’s return to actual distilling after selling Morrison Bowmore to Suntory back in 1994. They’re doing everything in-house – distilling, blending, maturation, bottling – and maturing exclusively in first-fill casks.

With their first spirit laid down in 2017, that 2026 release is going to be fascinating to taste. True grain-to-glass single malt with heritage barley varieties and five generations of whisky expertise behind it? That’s the kind of provenance story that gets my attention every time.