IAN MCDONALD IS HEAD COOPER OF GLENFIDDICH DISTILLERY
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As one of only a few full-time coopers left in the Scotch whisky industry, head cooper Ian McDonald’s craft is rare and cherished at the Glenfiddich Distillery.
Ian joined the William Grant & Sons family in 1969, where he has remained working industriously ever since.
Ian was born and bred in the heart of Speyside, a stone’s throw from the distillery nestled in Dufftown. Even while he was still at school, he developed an interest in metalwork and carpentry and decided he wanted to be a cooper.
At 16, he moved into the cooperage and began training in skilled tasks, learning to change cask heads, replace broken staves and char the inside of the cask, which caramelises the sugars in the wood and helps filter the impurities in new spirit.
He went on to complete a five year apprenticeship, furthering the perfection of his craft.
With over forty years dedicated to traditional craftsmanship, Ian has a passionate commitment to quality and plays a vital role as a member of the tightly-knit family at the Glenfiddich Distillery.
As head cooper, he builds, mends and chars the casks with centuries-old knowledge and tools. Ian and his highly-skilled team of coopers tend to approximately 126 casks every day, and takes pride in working with the oak that will give as much as 65% of the whisky its flavor as it matures.
Seeing Glenfiddich bottles on retail shelves gives Ian a great sense of gratification for the part he played with the maturation of the product, as without the barrel, whisky would not be the same.
Apart the hard work, there is also a less serious side to the coopers which Ian loves--- the wit and banter in the cooperage!
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