Ricahrd Paterson at Work

A reply to John Hansell and Malt Advocate

There’s been some buzz around the editorial and blog post that appeared in the recent (2009 winter) edition of the US publication Malt Advocate and it has some interesting points and comments afterwards, so feel free to go read it and then come back here for my thoughts. But you may want to pour a dram, this is a long one…

The editor, John Hansell, is a very good friend of mine with one of the longest-running and enjoyable whisky blogs and websites. He is a wonderful ambassador for the Scotch whisky industry in the US and a powerful champion and voice for the American whisky consumer – a hard balancing act to achieve, but one that John does with style, humour and grace.

When he talks, we listen. And like all good editors, his commentary raises some interesting questions and challenges for us in the business of making and selling whisky.

This latest whisky post is not just John speaking, but John reflecting what he is hearing from whisky fans and readers. But in this case, when it comes to rare and justifiably expensive stock, I have to disagree with his comments. His view on making whisky that is inaccessible and “makes your blood boil” would be true if all we did was produce $20,000 bottles and nothing else – but we don’t.

We make a range of whiskies, a range of expressions, with a range of prices, to meet the many and varied needs of ALL our consumers. Some people have the money to spend on exquisite and rare products like The Dalmore Sirius and Oculus, and others don’t.

We would not be doing our jobs properly if we did not meet the needs of the luxury consumer as well as the whisky aficionada, or the collectors, or even the man or woman who wants to enjoy a dram of quality but value whisky at the end of a hard working week.

It’s no different from car manufacturers having a range of vehicles available from $20,000 to $500,000 dollars, or a watch company selling a basic entry level model for $50 but having a top of the range, limited edition available for $100,000.

We are just reacting to consumer demand. We are delivering what the full range of different whisky consumers want. If they stop demanding it, we will stop supplying it!

John also states that only a few people will have an opportunity to sample these rare beauties! I certainly try my best to ensure that is not the case.

I have always been there to support and share as many of our whiskies as possible at masterclasses and whisky festivals – and that includes supporting John’s events – with those very rare expressions when available. We’ve taken these expressions and shared them with people at events – many of which wouldn’t get into countries like America otherwise.

For example, this year I created and donated a rare and commemorative 1969 Dalmore “Moon” decanter which was only available at John’s show in the US.

Finally, John talked about the subject of un-aged whisky.

Again, I think consumers are slowly recognising that an age statement does not guarantee quality, and un-aged products like The Dalmore Gran Reserva, The Dalmore King Alexander III, Jura Superstition and Jura Prophecy (I hope you’ve all signed up as Diurachs on Facebook and the homepage – remember, there’s free vacations in it!) are beautiful liquids that do not need an age statement to verify the quality or justify the cost.

In fact, stating an age can restrict my ability to create whisky which is truly versatile and can met the needs of different palates and tastes.

Whether there is an age statement or not, John and others can be assured that the quality of the product remains sacrosanct, which is why we recently won Global Distiller of the Year. We will always strive to achieve the highest quality, and our record breaking year for medal and award wins is testament to that.