Lowland single malt distillery Aberargie was founded by a whisky dynasty – and now its Inaugural Release is here. Kristiane Westray travelled to the maker to celebrate its first pour, and discovers that sometimes quiet innovation is the most profound.

There’s something magical about visiting a distillery you’ve not been to before. That enchantment only deepens when it’s an entirely brand new whisky maker, and the reason for your visit is to be among the first in the world to taste its inaugural single malt.

That’s exactly why I found myself at Aberargie last month, bouncing along in a minibus from Edinburgh to the distillery on the outskirts of Perth. I was there with a group of fellow whisky writers, all chattering excitedly as we turned into the driveway. It was dark by the time we approached, but even in the Scottish gloom you could make out the 300 acres of barley fields that surround Aberargie, and the rolling hills that inspired its design (more on that shortly).