Your Invitation to Our And, Eventually, the Interest; All Branded As Reported in the Last SWR, a Trial Dis- Toilet Paper Is the Same
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SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW TM TM EDITION 12 AUTUMN 1999 VARIETY FOR LIFE The acquisitions, mergers and manoeu- vres continue in the Scotch Whisky trade as each egotist jockeys to produce an- other unwieldy brand-dominated mono- lith. Rumours and speculation make for interesting dramming but this column believes that the whisky enthusiast is going to suffer. The combined editorial might of the spe- cialist whisky press (!) is unlikely to in- fluence the strategies of the world’s great brand owners so perhaps we should try to educate the marketeers of the benefit of the independent bottler. There are industry elders who are happy to tolerate the apparent conflict between their trademark distillery bottling and an ‘independent’ selling with the same precious name. This tolerance has a long historical precedent but is mince as the new breed of brand manager seeks to stamp out competition, especially those ‘parasites feeding off his marketing STANDING ON TABLES AND CHEERS budget!’ Highland Honours returns to Inveraray after a considerable absence during our The smug new-breed brand manager Season of celebrity tasting evenings thanks to Jim McEwan of Morrison Bowmore must learn that it is the independents Distillers (left). This traditional toast is described in full on page 9. who have created the highly profitable niche market of malt whiskies—profits that he is in danger of destroying. Once the profits go, so does the excitement GLEN SCOTIA—PROMISING Your Invitation to our and, eventually, the interest; all branded As reported in the last SWR, a trial dis- toilet paper is the same. tillation was conducted at Glen Scotia HEILAN’ BANQUET We accept that there have been some using a team on loan from Springbank The final part of our season of celebrity diabolical bottlings from independents, Distillery. The quality of the spirit was tasting evenings features Iain Stothard both respected and other and this col- so impressive that owners Glen Catrine of Highland Distillers who demonstrates umn hopes that these guys will learn the Bond expect to be producing whisky the pleasures of combining malt whisky importance of policing themselves. there on a regular basis. with superb food prepared by the George Only the independent bottler has the Between April and July 80,000 litres was Hotel’s new super-chef Bruce Mackie. flexibility to deliver single cask bottlings produced using lightly peated malt, in Tickets are £25 all inclusive and the for a cost that enables a novice connois- the Glen Scotia style. The final distilla- event is Thursday 9th December. Places seur (yucky word but none better) to tion involved 15 tonnes of heavily peated are limited so call now to reserve. develop the all important interest in the (30ppm) malt yielding 6,000 litres. Now By way of a taster here is the last menu: artistic output of the distiller. with four months’ maturation complete, • Chilled Ogen Melon with Scottish Berries & Fruit Coulis • accompanied by Glengoyne unpeated Single Malt Whisky Producers, of which there are increas- the spirit is reported to be very encour- • Medley of West Coast Seafood with a white wine sauce • ingly few, should look upon the inde- aging, so much so that a further two accompanied by Bunnahabhain Islay Malt Whisky pendent bottler as a new canvas, an al- months’ distillation is underway now, • Fillet of Beef with Haggis & Wild Mushrooms en Croute • with boats of tasty whisky sauce ter ego, and through them grant the in- using new employees as well as the and Scottish vegetables of the season formed consumer exceptional and ex- Springbank team. accompanied by The Macallan 18 year old traordinary drams for us all to enjoy It is unlikely that the distillery will go • Crème Brûlée • accompanied by more Macallan rather than to see them disappear into into full-time production but will almost • Orkney Cheeses & Oatcakes • another routine vatting. certainly be producing every year. accompanied by Highland Park Orkney Malt SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEW — LOCH FYNE WHISKIES, INVERARAY, ARGYLL, PA32 8UD PAGE 1 so I was determined to broaden my ho- reflecting the prestige of Whyte & THE MASTER BLENDER rizons and I studied with the Wines and Mackay and has been very successful. Spirits Education Trust for three years. LFW: Isn’t it an expensive whisky My first job as a blender was in 1970 to produce? here with Whyte & Mackay and I be- You bet! There are 35 to 38 malts which came their Master Blender when I was we ‘marry’ for four months. Highlands, twenty six, the youngest in Scotland, I Lowlands and Campbeltown are believe. brought together; the main baseline is Now Whyte & Mackay has been my life- from the highlands providing big blood for thirty years. heavier characters but I also let the My grandfather— the old sod—William, Islays play their part. We then bring the started W R Paterson in the thirties, married malts and grain together and (please don’t confuse with Pattison’s of finish it off with a further second mar- Leith). Originally grandfather supplied riage. coal to distilleries up north but when We handle our whiskies with the great- the coal trade started to decline he est respect, giving them plenty of ‘time’; thought whisky appeared to be making time to settle, time to marry before the more money so he moved into distilling, next step. blending and bottling. Eventually he The marrying takes place in our ‘sol- bought the Stockwell Bond which was diers’, over one thousand former oloroso a great old building, sadly now the site sherry butts, standing on end in regi- of the St Enoch shopping centre in Glas- mented fashion in situ at our Inver- gow. I remember vividly as a small boy gordon blending centre. visiting it for the first time, all dark with This is the key to our success. Not only a great smell and the noise of the bot- do the butts provide the final quality, There is no blender in the Scotch tling hall. It’s true, they were good old but more importantly they ensure the Whisky Industry more respected days! consistency of the blend, achieving the than Richard Paterson. quality objectives it has done now for many years. Successful in over 100 LFW: What is your job? Whiskies are countries, the character is acceptable I am the Master Blender for JBB everywhere. The blend is not bold or (Greater Europe), part of Jim Beam brash but smooth, mellow, elegant and Brands World-wide Inc., which incorpo- like people; refined, thanks to the marriage. Some- rates Whyte & Mackay and Inver- thing to be sipped without large lash- gordon Distillers. Our leading products ings of water or ice. include Whyte & Mackay Scotch you get to LFW: But Whyte & Mackay is often Whisky, Jim Beam Bourbon, Glayva cheaper than its main competitors. Liqueur, Vladivar vodka and the single Listen! What more can you want? This malts Isle of Jura, Dalmore, understand is an extremely high quality whisky Bruichladdich, Old Fettercairn, Tam- which is one of the most expensive whis- navulin, Tomintoul and Tullibardine. kies to produce, including the double We also have the grain distillery at them better maturation and which we make avail- Invergordon. able to the consumer at an attractive My job as master blender is ensuring price! that all the products in our portfolio as you LFW: Is it always the same compo- achieve and surpass the quality crite- nents employed? ria that we set out to attain. I am also I always try and maintain the same rig- responsible for the development of new get older. orous formulation, but being realistic blends for clients which is the key part during the last thirty years there have of our group’s business. LFW: Are blenders born or created? been distillery closures, changes in trad- LFW: But you are not the first A bit of both, but what is required is ing arrangements and so, like any other Paterson blender. total and utter commitment; 100% dedi- whisky company, I have to adapt accord- My father and my grandfather were cation, passion, and pursuit of the high- ingly. But it takes years rather than both whisky blenders. I started with my est quality. And time. Whiskies are like months. Our bulk stock manager Nor- father when I was very young. I recall people; you get to understand them bet- man Matheson has built up stocks so that when I was about eight he would ter as you get older. that we can react well in advance when ask, what did I think of this whisky? I The greatest thrill I think is when I pro- we see that in the future there is going could smell it on his breath and I duce something that I think is right but to be a shortfall in certain stocks. Hav- wouldn’t think very much of it! So he is then endorsed by the customer or gets ing so many aged malts in the blend would whack me on the back of the head an award. means component changes can be made and say what do you mean, is it dry or LFW: Who ultimately controls the well in advance. The best part is the long sweet? So it built up from there and gave blend quality, you or the finance marrying period which is a great asset me a very good foundation, as well as a department? to attaining continuity and conformity sore head! My first job was with a small Me. Quality is as important to the com- with all the little edges being smoothed company called A. Gillies and Company pany as it is to me.