Fife's Hannah Whisky Merchants have awards all bottled up

They were named the Icons of Whisky Scottish Independent Bottler of the Year at an event held at the Signet Library in Edinburgh celebrating the success of Scotland’s vibrant Scotch Whisky industry.

The Independent bottler award is based on a written entry and a submission of whiskies, which are then judged.

Gregor Hannah, who founded Hannah Whisky Merchants Ltd in 2012 and started the Lady of the Glen brand, said: "Winning is a huge achievement and an unexpected one when taken into context the competition and the demands required to win each year.

“We are still the same team of four that won it three years ago, but we have continued to grow our operation with the annex site, which is allowing us to closely manage our casks, so we are only releasing the very best spirit possible.”

There are plans to mark the 12th anniversary of The Lady of the Glen in 2024. (Image: Contributed)

The team at Hannah Whisky Merchants also includes Paul McKendrick as the brand ambassador and the warehouse team of Gavin Routledge and Alex McAndrew. The team operate from the business park in Dalgety Bay.

Gregor acquires rare casks from Scotland’s best distilleries to mature at his discretion. He seeks out casks based on their quality, rarity and flavour potential. Each cask has its own spirit and story to tell.

Cask and oak management are a key part of the process and, where necessary, Gregor and the team re-cask the whisky in personally selected ex-sherry, port, Marsala, Amarone and bourbon casks to create unique flavours.

The success lies in careful cask management and only releasing the spirit when it is ready, offering bottles of exceptional flavour that are unique, drinkable, and collectable.

Next year will be the 12-year anniversary of Lady of the Glen, which all started with support from the Prince's Trust, and Gregor has plans to mark this milestone.