【Exclusive Interview】Part 1 : James Zorab – Lowland Bond – Edinburgh Whisky

Lowland Bond is an HMRC-approved independent bonded warehouse, officially called an excise warehouse. The casks are matured, re-racked, re-gauged, and finished there to become the Scotch whisky. James Zorab, the operation manager of Lowland Bond, elaborates on the history of Lowland Bond and shares his early memory and career shaping himself today.

The interview with James Zorab is separated into two articles. Part 1 introduces the work of Lowland Bond and James himself. In Part 2, the focal points are set on the cask management system and the role of the warehouse in the whisky-making process.

The Basic Information of Edinburgh Whisky

Company’s Name	Edinburgh Whisky
Year of Establishment	2013
Owner	Robert Graeme Arnott Kevin Michael Doyle
Location	4 Hope Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH2 4DB
Official Website	Edinburgh Whisky Lowland Bond

The Role of the Excise Warehouse in the UK

Dear WHISKY：
What is the responsibility of the bonded warehouse in Scotland?

James：
We are responsible for storing dutiable goods for HMRC, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custome. The government conducted background checks on our owners, and we’ve proven that we are responsible enough to do this securely. So, we ensure to look after the spirits until they become dutiable, and we arrange for the tax and pay it to the government.

Dear WHISKY：
How many warehouses does Scotland have?

James：
I am not so sure about the exact number because they open quite frequently nowadays as whisky companies expand their production. However, I guess there are a few hundred varying in size. While small ones store around 500 casks, some large ones can hold over a million.

About Lowland Bond

The values of Lowland Bond to Edinburgh Whisky

Dear WHISKY：
How is Lowland Bond related to Edinburgh Whisky?

James：
Lowland Bond is built and owned by Edinburgh Whisky, a family-owned company based in Edinburgh that specializes in the blending and bottling of whisky. 

Dear WHISKY：
Why did Edinburgh Whisky decide to build its warehouse?

James：
There are several merits. First, we don’t have to pay rent. That reduces the bottom line for the whisky release so we can make the price more competitive for our customers. Secondly, we have direct control over the entire process. This keeps the transparency and accuracy of the quality. 

Dear WHISKY：
What are the other merits of having your own warehouse?

James：
We can have more control over the time needed for each process. Before we had Lowland Bond, we used warehouses all over Scotland to store the casks. So, if you wanted to sample or regauge the casks, it took one or two months after making a request. Now, we have our place so I can get the sample for the company as quickly as possible.

History of building the warehouse

Dear WHISKY：
Where is the warehouse located?

James：
It is in Glenrothes, only a few motorways from Edinburgh, and has good access to Glasgow, Speyside, and Edinburgh Airport. It was a perfect site for us because if clients want to see the casks and land at Edinburgh, you can drive straight up here and visit them.

Dear WHISKY：
When was the Lowland Bond built?

James：
We bought the facility in February 2022 and went through all the planning, and the operation finally started in April 2023.

Dear WHISKY：
Do you provide your services to customers outside of Edinburgh Whisky?

James：
Yes. We offer the rent space and provide the same service for people or companies outside. We are trying to create a place where smaller companies can quickly access their whisky.

Team members with various characteristics

Dear WHISKY：
What are the characteristics of the team that you work with?

James：
There is a team of five that I hired myself, looking for with different experiences. So, we’ve got two guys local to the area and an ex-postman who has been a lifelong whisky enthusiast. We’ve also got a gifted forklift driver who used to work at Diageo, a bottling expert from New Zealand, and a guy with excellent knowledge about wood from his cask-selling experience.

Dear WHISKY：
Why do you think Lowland Bond attracts such talented people?

James：
I think it’s because we’re a small company and you can explore more than just doing someone’s job. You will learn every aspect of working in the warehouse. Also, I think Edinburgh Whisky is a great company to work for, as we will accommodate any request you have to make the place fun to perform.

About Mr. James Zorab

Introducing his work in Lowland Bond

Dear WHISKY：
Could you give us a brief introduction of yourself?

James：
My name is James Zorab, and I am a site operation manager at Lowland Bond. My work is related to every aspect of operation in Lowland Bond, such as hiring, team management, scheduling, and visitor support when we have one. I also plan longer-term aspects of our business.

Dear WHISKY：
When and why did you start working at Lowland Bond?

James：
I started working in January 2023. I came on board specifically for this job. I previously worked with one of the directors of Edinburgh Whisky, and he told me what they were doing. That made me want to come aboard and join.

Encountering the Whisky World

Born in a whisky-loving family

Dear WHISKY：
What made you interested in whisky?

James：
My dad is a big whisky fan, so he took me to Talisker when I was eight years old. Those experiences of seeing and smelling whisky were always a part of my life, but I never really thought I could work in it. 

Dear WHISKY：
What led you to the whisky industry?

James：
At university, I studied for a master’s in chemical engineering. That gave me knowledge and understanding of whisky from a malt science background. Although a lot of my friends from there went into the oil, gas, and pharmaceutical industries, those fields didn’t interest me. So, I decided to start working at a small whisky shop.

Worked at Three Companies, Two Countries

Growing with Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Dear WHISKY：
Did you work in other whisky-related places as well?

James：
I worked at Scotch Malt Whisky Society after working at the whisky shop.

Dear WHISKY：
What kind of work did you do at Scotch Malt Whisky Society?

James：
I first worked at the bar with a huge allay of single malt. I talked to customers about whisky and did some tastings as a part of the ambassador work. It was a great place to work because many team members shared great experiences.

Dear WHISKY：
How long did you work there?

James：
I worked there for four and a half years, and my knowledge of whisky went through the roof. My next task was organizing the tasting panels where we nosed and set samples to select whisky. It was an incredible experience to have the panel chairs with Rachel Barry from Brown Forman and Charles MacLean, a Scotch whisky writer. Nosing samples and being part of the selection process was a very interesting experience for me.

A great change in the environment

Dear WHISKY：
What were the reasons that you move on to your next job?

James：
Somebody emailed me about an ambassador’s job in Dubai. I had never really thought about it before, but I thought it was an incredible opportunity to work on the brands Dalmore and Jura. So, I applied for it, thinking I’d give it a shot.

Dear WHISKY：
What was the result of the application?

James：
Everything went quickly after passing the interview. Within two months, I was off to Dubai to work for a whisky-distributing company called African Eastern for three years. I worked on Dalmore and Jura to start with and Glenfiddich and Balvenie towards the end of my time there.

Dear WHISKY：
Was it your first experience living abroad?

James：
My university was in England, but other than that, I’ve lived in Scotland. So it was very interesting to live in different weather. For instance, I turned up on my first day at work in a Scottish woolen suit, and instantly, I was sweating away.

Cask brokering work in Scotland

Dear WHISKY：
What made you go back to Scotland?

James：
I enjoyed the work in Dubai, but it was the memory of being at the tasting panels and assessing samples that I wanted to come back. The only place you can be involved in making Scotch whisky is Scotland. Also, I wanted to live closer to my family in Scotland.

Dear WHISKY：
How did you continue your career in Scotland?

James：
I worked for Cask 88 and managed the overall operations of cask brokering. Without direct access to the casks of clients, it was very frustrating that we had to email many different people just to request a re-gauge. That made me realize the issue of access to casks and reasons to start Lowland Bond in later years.

Dear WHISKY：
Why did you start working at cask 88?

James：
The first time I met the owner of cask 88 was at the Kyoto Whisky Festival in Japan. We had some conversations and exchanged contact information. My former colleague from the Scotch Whisky Society coincidentally worked there, and he later asked me if I wanted to come on board. I took the offer, started working as a sales and operations assistant, and then quickly took over the overall operations.

Passion for Whisky and Pride for Work

Learning as a motivation

Dear WHISKY：
What is your passion for working?

James：
I am happy as long as I am learning in a job. Moving here has been a very steep learning curve, but I feel that my personal progression has been quite huge.

Dear WHISKY：
What was something that you learned in Lowland Bond?

James：
I have learned a lot of things with my career here. However, nosing is one thing that especially makes me feel my progress. The nose is almost like a muscle to me, and the more you use it, the better you get at recalling flavors. By nosing more samples, I can see how butts can affect the whisky. If wood has a negative flavor, we can address it by pouring whisky into a different butt with a new flavor. Nosing and improving the flavor of whisky is always an interesting part of my work.

Dear WHISKY：
What do you feel the most proud of about your job?

James：
I am very proud to be part of the cask selection. When someone has enjoyed a bottle of whisky, I might have been involved in that. That sense of enjoyment is really interesting to me.

Taste of whisky shaped by memories

Dear WHISKY：
What is your favorite whisky?

James：
It’s hard to choose, so I used to say my favorite whisky is the next one that comes.Among Edinburgh Whisky, I love the smoke of Islay 9-year-old. Many of our drinks are light and very drinkable.

Dear WHISKY：
How about whisky from other distilleries?

James：
I tend to like whisky with smoke, so I like Jura Prophecy. I enjoyed my time in Jura in Dubai, but some other distilleries also have special meaning to me.

Dear WHISKY：
What are those other distilleries that you like? Why are they so special for you?

James：
One is Springbank Distillery. My dad, with a few friends, bought a cask together in the 1990s. They bought it when it was 12 years old and got a bottle from it. Another special place in my heart is Talisker, where I went with my dad as a child. The other is Bruichladdich distillery. Me and my brother have a heritage of a cask, 2011 Bruichladdich, from our dad, and we hope to bottle it one day.

Dear WHISKY：
Have you been to Bruichladdich Distillery?

James：
I spent a couple of weeks learning how to distill in 2010. There, I followed a team around, and they involved me in the mashing and maturation process. It was a great experience to shadow their work and learn how the whisky is made. 

Future Prospects

Dear WHISKY：
What is the next goal in your career?

James：
That’s an interesting question because I still feel like I’m settling into this job and want to grow with this Lowland Bond. I just want to keep learning and working as much as possible in this business.

Dear WHISKY：
What are you the most excited about the future?

James：
One exciting thing happening soon is that my friend and I are releasing our first independent bottles. The scale is relatively small, but I have a little whisky brand of my own on the side to expand my warehouse experience.

At Last

Part 1 of the interview introduces us the work of Lowland Bond and James himself by revealing how his passion for whisky started and will project his future. James has devoted his passion to improving the experience of cask owners in the warehouse with his unique career overarching various whisky-related work. With his enthusiastic attitude to learn and grow, Lowland Bond will continue to evolve into a place where owners can store their valuable casks with peace of mind.

In part 2, we focus on the state-of-the-art system for cask management. Please visit part 2 to get to know more about how each cask is stored and managed!