Is John Lawrie, MD of the Glenturret Distillery and the Michelin Starred Lalique Restaurant, the future of the Scottish whisky industry? His approach to business certainly reflects the sort of elements which will take the whole sector forward: a respect for tradition, a refreshingly international outlook and an innovative marketing spirit, full of entrepreneurship and imagination.
I cannot recall my first experience of tasting Single Malt whisky, but there is a very strong likelihood it was Glenmorangie. Probably around the summer of 1988 before I was old enough to drive. A taste given as part of my wine and spirits course at college.
Green Spot Irish Whiskey is without doubt one of the finest whiskies available. It has a unique smooth but intense flavour that makes it stand out from the crowd. Widely considered by whisky connoisseurs to be up there with the very best and at £52 a bottle it's pretty reasonable for such quality.
A selection of fine whiskies from around the world to buy now. Most are not peaty whiskies (apart from the Lagavulin), but more akin to a fine cognac, easy on the nose and palate, with a soft mellow flavour.
Ron Butlin , former Edinburgh Makar / Poet Laureate sums it up best with this beautiful poem.
Wring the Scottish rain clouds dry;
Take sleet, the driving snow, the hail;
Winter twilight; the summer's sun slowed down
to pearl-sheen dusk on hillsides, city-roofs,
on lochs at midnight.
Bruichladdich (pronounced Brooik Laddie) is one of the finest single malt scotch whisky distilleries in the world and its master distiller is a legend in the whisky world. So I was delighted to be invited to a whisky sipping party for him at Quaglinos, where he was hosting a Bruichladdich tasting for a very select few. The Bruichladdich distillery is based on the Scottish island of Islay on the upper west coast of Scotland and is famous for both the breath taking scenery and its Scotch whisky. They are also well known for the Botanist Gin they produce for Remy Cointreau.
My career started in 1983 when I worked for a small whisky company on the east coast of Scotland. I had the best of both worlds working there; I was 18 and I had a job, but I was also given the opportunity to go and study chemistry in Aberdeen at the same time. Working for such a small company gave me an incredible range of experience so, when the opportunity came up to join the Pernod Ricard family, I already had a very solid grounding in the whisky business. I became Master Blender of Ballantine’s at the end of 2005, and there is no better job as far as I’m concerned.
