Lagmore - The Story Behind the Name You've Seen on the Whisky 

If you’ve spent any time exploring independent bottlings, you may have come across the name Lagmore and wondered what exactly is it? A distillery? A brand? A mystery Speyside malt?

The answer is a bit more interesting than any of those.

What is Lagmore?

Lagmore isn’t a distillery at all; it’s a trade name used for a “teaspooned” single malt sourced from Ballindalloch Distillery.

In simple terms, Lagmore is Ballindalloch whisky… with a tiny twist.

What is a “Teaspooned” Whisky?

A teaspooned whisky is a single malt to which a very small amount, literally a teaspoon, of another single malt is added before bottling.

That tiny addition does something important: It legally prevents the whisky from being labeled as a single malt from its original distillery.

Why would anyone do this?

Because many distilleries, especially newer or highly controlled ones like Ballindalloch, are selective about how their name is used in the market. By “teaspooning” the whisky, they allow independent bottlers to release it, just not under the distillery’s official name.

So instead of “Ballindalloch,” you get names like Lagmore.

Why Teaspooned Whiskies Are a Great Value

For whisky drinkers, teaspooned malts are one of the best-kept secrets in Scotch.

They offer:

• Access to rare distilleries that otherwise have little or no independent presence
• Lower prices than official bottlings
• Unique cask expressions often unavailable through the distillery itself

And here’s the key takeaway: That teaspoon of another malt has virtually no impact on the flavor. You’re essentially drinking the original whisky, just without the official label.

For savvy buyers, it’s a way to experience sought-after distilleries without the premium price tag or scarcity headaches.

Ballindalloch: Scotland’s Single Estate Pioneer

Although Ballindalloch Distillery is one of Scotland’s newer distilleries, its roots run remarkably deep.

The Macpherson-Grant family, custodians of Ballindalloch Castle since 1546, have been intertwined with Speyside and the whisky trade for generations. Their story stretches back to 1869, when Sir George Macpherson-Grant leased land to John Smith to establish Cragganmore Distillery.

After decades away from production, the family revived its distilling legacy in 2011 under Guy Macpherson-Grant. Production began in 2014, and the distillery was officially opened in 2015 by Prince Charles and Camilla.

What makes Ballindalloch truly unique is its single estate model, the first of its kind in Scotland. Every step of production, from barley to bottle, happens on the estate. This grain-to-glass philosophy, combined with traditional methods and small-scale output, creates a whisky that is both precise and expressive of its origin.

Naturally, that also means limited supply. Ballindalloch has only recently launched in the U.S., and official bottlings are still scarce.

The Story Behind the Name “Lagmore”

Here’s where things get even more interesting.

Because Living Souls was the first independent bottler to work with Ballindalloch, they were in a unique position to select the trade name for this teaspooned release.

They chose Lagmore, inspired by the nearby Lagmore Stone Circles: two ancient, 4,000-year-old sites that sit quietly in the landscape surrounding the distillery.

These stone circles are part of the rare North-East Clava passage grave tradition, dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age.

• Upper Lagmore sits on a hill near the A95, with surviving standing stones overlooking the countryside
• Lower Lagmore lies below, set roadside in a field

Together, they form a significant prehistoric burial site, deeply rooted in the same land that produces the whisky today.

It’s a fitting name: one that connects the spirit not just to a place, but to thousands of years of history embedded in that place.

Why Lagmore Matters Right Now

Because Ballindalloch is so tightly controlled and newly available in the U.S., independent expressions are almost unheard of.

That’s what makes Lagmore so compelling.

Even more notably, Living Souls has bottled the first independent Ballindalloch, making it one of the only ways for U.S. whisky drinkers to experience this distillery outside of its official releases.

Lagmore might look like just another name on a label, but it’s actually a clever workaround, one that opens the door to some of Scotland’s most tightly held whisky.

For those in the know, teaspooned malts aren’t a compromise. They’re an advantage.

And when the source is something as distinctive and limited as Ballindalloch, paired with a name rooted in ancient Speyside history, that advantage becomes even more compelling.