Angels Whisky Club – the big whisky interview;

Paul McLean (Angels) was chatting to Stewart Buchanan, Distillery;.BenRiach and GlenDronach Title; Brand Ambassador

Hello Stewart, many thanks for talking to us at Angels. Might I start with; How long have you been in the industry? A; I have been in the industry for almost 20 years now.

Q; What is your current role? A; I am the Brand Ambassador for both distilleries, covering all of the world markets.

Q; how did you get into this industry? A; I started off as a stillman in Tobermory Distillery and it has basically just snowballed from there and I’m lucky to have covered most roles within the company from production and warehousing to distillery management and everything else in-between. My new role as Brand Ambassador is the first time I have worked outside of production and it’s great to see this totally different side of the industry and experience firsthand the whisky markets across the world.

Q; unpeated V peated, do you have any preferences for your own brands? A; I like both styles but with the peated BenRiachs being such unique expressions I feel they really stand out among the other peated styles on the shelf. The Curiositas has been a favourite of mine since its creation back in 2004. I suppose I am quite lucky that we have an expression for every occasion and that when I do tastings I have a great portfolio to choose from, so every tasting is different, I love putting together a tasting with the fantastic range we can offer from both distilleries.

Q; any major plans/announcements coming soon? A; This year we have been concentrating on reinstating the traditional floor maltings at BenRiach, they last worked in 1998 and luckily since then it has remained relatively untouched so it has just been a case of sorting out the water supply and drainage at the steeps then oiling everything up and replacing any worn belts and bearings. We did think we were going to have to replace the perforated drying floor at the kiln head but our engineer Les Shand has done a great job getting it into a usable condition which should at least get us started and hopefully last a few years. Another lucky twist is I managed to get in contact the old maltster, so we took a walk around and he has passed on some invaluable production information. The thing now is physically finding the time to give it a try I would hope it will all come together by the end of the year.

Q; do you have any “special” whisky coming soon? A; We are just about to release this year’s batch of single casks from BenRiach covering some fantastic vintages from 1976 through to 1990 as usual we have a great mixture of cask styles including finishes in Sauternes, Port and Rioja as well as the full maturation in traditional barrels, hogsheads and butts. We are also working on a cask strength bottling at GlenDronach which will be hitting the shops soon and will be a fantastic addition to the portfolio so keep your eyes open for the official press release.

Q; what are your views on “Jubilee” whisky releases, anniversary releases etc, are they a collectors bottle or just an “excuse” for another release? Any comments? A; I think the idea of these types of bottling are fine as long as there is exclusivity to them and the whisky is of a superior quality, I personally wouldn’t just buy a bottle just for the label. Every bottle of whisky I have at home is for drinking. Although some on more special occasions than others.

Q; Have you /planning to, take any whisky risks? A new ideas, innovations, a new concept, or just stun the whisky world? A; I think at BenRiach Billy Walker has been experimental from day one, sometimes you have to push your casks to the limit to find out how they are going to react and it takes a brave man to do that but with our cask evaluation programme and quality control over the last 8 or so years we really know our whisky inside out. At GlenDronach the focus is on tradition and to maintain that classic sherry expression it is really a case of a huge financial commitment to bring to the distillery the best casks possible. As Billy says ‘we have only scratched the surface at GlenDronach’ the next 3 to 4 years at GlenDronach are going to be extremely interesting, so watch this space.

Q; Why do you think people are so curious and interested in your brands? What makes you stand out from the pack? A; Obviously I’m going to say it’s all about Quality,Quality,Quality  I think when you start a distillery you will automatically take on the “new kid on the block” tag so year 1 and 2 could give you some deceiving figures but with both our brands the markets continue to grow and grow. Getting the core range right is key to longevity, offer good value, quality and a diversity in the portfolio and you have won a watch as we say. From Heavily Peated and Classic Speyside to a good old traditional sherry casks all warehoused at BenRiach and GlenDronach I feel we do have a whisky for every palate. Also, being a small independent distiller we don’t work with a multimillion pound advertising budget so it’s just about covering the ground and getting the whisky to the drinker and hopefully when they hear our story and have a dram or two our passion rubs off on them and they connect with what we are trying to do in the industry, word of mouth has always played a great part in our growth.

Q; how does a person ”learn” to nose a whisky? Or is it within already? A; Related; I have a feeling that some “experts” make up a nosing/expression and use this so they appear a hell of a lot “better” than we can ever do, do you have any thoughts on this? EG; has a nose like diesel from a submarine been at sea for 6 months. Nosing is such a personal thing, you can only work with the palate you have so you don’t particularly “learn” how to nose, you learn how to expand your palate. I’m sure most people as adults are reminded of smells from their childhood so the trick is to try and train your brain to recall the smells and tastes you experience throughout your life time. Wherever I am I try and hold on to what smells are around me and put them in a wee box in the back of my mind wither it’s the sea air, pine forests, tobacco, cigar box, different fruits, nuts and desserts the list is endless. Just get out there and smell everything is all I can say, although I would tend to stay away from “wet socks and sandshoes” etc or you’ll end up getting some funny looks or even arrested!!

Q; if pushed what is the next best whisky making country after Scotland? A; I suppose the natural country next to Scotland would be Japan, with their history and presence in the market they are the next big player, they really do produce some great expressions. My world whisky of choice would be from the Indian Amrut range; I admire how the deal with maturation is such difficult climatic conditions and the care they take in their cask selection, and it’s always on my dram list on a night out.

Q; would you say there is an age that any good whisky has to be bottled? In other words, is there a cut off point (in your view) where a whisky HAS to be bottled? A; Obviously there are limits as far as how well a cask holds its strength, below 40% and it’s no longer whisky. Some whiskies and also different cask styles will take up the “wood” note in different degrees over time which is a line I personally wouldn’t over step. We will bottle a 1966 hogshead at BenRiach in the near future which is still bursting with big tropical fruit notes and has maintained a great strength of around 44% which is great for a cask that age. Our philosophy is to bottle when the whisky is at its best and not just to aim for an age statement to put on the label. The 66 for example probably could stay above 40% until 50 years of maturation but with the lower alcohol the risk is it would become too one dimensional. At the end of the day it’s about good cask management, constantly evaluating your casks no matter what age and trying not to get caught up in the age game.

Q; what are your views on; adding water to a dram, ice, coke etc? A; I like my whisky straight but that’s probably after many years of sampling from the cask (officially of course). If anything I would take down a young peated whisky just to release its full character but just a drop at a time. More and more around the world you see single malts be used in cocktails, this might be sacrilege to some but it is something I enjoy although wouldn’t particularly pay for myself.

Q; if water is acceptable, is this bottled water, tap water? A; It all depends where you stay but if in doubt I would always use bottled spring water.

Q; does winning a gold medal really help sales of a whisky? A; It’s always fantastic when any of our whiskies have won medals or awards; it lets us know that we are doing something right. You also gain additional press coverage which is always good, I don’t know the figures but I’m sure it does have an impact on sales at the end of the day.

Q; If you HAD to enjoy a dram not of your own making, where would this come from? Or shall I rephrase that; what did you last drink, your company did not make? A; I first tasted both the Auchantoshan Valinch and Glenlivets Nadurra at Whisky Ships Show in Zurich last year and always have a bottle of each at home, the cask strength bourbon style is right up my street and being a “tight Scotsman” it’s even better that I normally get a free dram of them as I go through duty free when I travel.

Q; finally, how do you relax after a hard week? A; If I’m not chilling with family and friends I like being outdoors as much as possible so festivals and camping are always a laugh. I don’t do or watch any sports particularly but give me a motorbike, snowboard or even a horse  and I’ll get it going flat-out, I can be a bit of an adrenalin junky sometimes.

Q; finally finally; I like humour and am known as a wee bit of a joker (numpty in some cases) do you add humour to your work? I think too many whisky experts and drinkers are lacking on humour, any thoughts? A; Ach! I think everyone has their own ways of doing things so each to their own but personally I stay pretty laid back and always have a bit of a laugh after all drinking whisky is meant to be fun and enjoyed in good company.

Paul was talking to Stewart Buchanan, Brand Ambassador for BenRiach & GlenDronach

www.angelswhiskyclub.com
www.mcleanscotlandd.com

More awards for English Whisky

Silver Outstanding Awards

Our Chapter 11 and Chapter 11 Cask Strength have done it again. Both have won “Silver Outstanding” at the 2012 IWSC competition. All at the distillery are rightfully chuffed. This is a true testament to the work our distillers and the rest of the team do; to ensure only the very highest quality whisky is created at St George’s!

More here >>

The brand new stockist finder is now live on the Tomatin website. They have introduced this feature to support retailers/stockists and make it easier for customers to find local stockists, worldwide.

To view the map please visit http://www.tomatin.com/distributors/distributor-map

Bushmill’s Black Bush Irish Whisky

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Single Malts Limited | 36 Gordon Street | Huntly | Aberdeenshire | AB54 8EQ |

The Best Laid Plans by Makr Reynier

The deal has been signed for Rémy to buy Bruichladdich for £58m, the highest price ever paid for a single Scottish malt whisky distillery.

I am conscious that, for legal reasons, there has had to be a dearth of information surrounding this news, and in that vacuum some strange stories have been circulating. Here’s my explanation of the recent turn of events.

Bruichladdich was the first to be bought out of industry ownership and reopened as a private, operating, single malt distillery. It cost £6.5m in December 2000.

Banks were not accustomed to an individual wanting to buy a distillery. Disitlleries were, after all, the reserve of conglomerates and cartels. This hare-brained idea was turned down, out of hand, by every bank except one. And it took eleven months to get them signed up.

To have a chance to develop Bruichladdich along the lines I had in mind, time was essential. Private equity would be needed – and lots of it.

Finding equity investors was not so difficult, and knowing that the stocks of maturing Bruichladdich could be borrowed against, I knew how much equity investment it would take. At least I thought so.

Venture capital, corporate investors, or other sources of money would not be appropriate for the length of timeI had in mind. And any public subsidy or grants for such a project were, at that time, prohibited.

Consequently, I chose a number of ‘sophisticated investors’, those for whom £100k was not their whole retirement nest egg, and to whom I could go to for more if it was necessary; and it was.

The investors were people I already knew through my wine business, were recommended, or were solicited from Islay. This meant a larger group of shareholders than usual for such a private venture. But it meant the company would not be beholden to any one person or interest; and any single shareholder could sell up without endangering the rest of the project. With specific articles of association, no one could sell their shares to a third party before offering them to existing shareholders, securing the ‘back door’ from unwanted attention.

To provide guidance, I chose as non-executive directors a businessman, an entrepreneur, an accountant, and as chairman, a baronet. This diverse mix of skills provided the advice, the checks and balance, the support – above and beyond the call – that has been essential, and with out which this project would surely have foundered. The one field they weren’t experienced in, was brand building, and this would lead to continual friction.

To run the business, as executive directors, this iconoclast chose a distiller, a manager, and a salesman. As it turned out over the decade, we went through three of the latter. These guys have given their all, slogged away through tough, times and dark days. At times it was frustratingly turgid, at others breathtakingly fluid, at all times it has been intense, but together we have wrestled and dragged this business along to where we are today.

With 60 shareholders we were obliged by the chairman to run Bruichladdich as a mini-public company. This great discipline, while tedious at first, rapidly became an indispensable benefit.

Around three offers to buy the business a year are received – mostly ridiculous, opportunistic cranky ones from overseas. These are easily vetted and discarded. Occasionally a more serious one comes in and then we are duty bound, on behalf of the shareholders, to give it due consideration, and then dismiss it.

In 2008 the board decided that 2014 would be the crossroads for Bruichladdich. Stocks would be plentiful, sales would beat our maximum, the brand architecture established, the brand well developed. We would then have three options: float the company, sell it, or ‘stick’.

As forecast, the company’s healthy profits more or less plateaued between 2009 and 2011 as firstly, the company moved from smaller volumes of limited edition, older stocks to larger volumes of younger, own-distilled whiskies; and secondly, substantial investments were made in administrative systems, new spirit and the brand (as well as a couple of extraordinary items in 2011) as we developed, financed and positioned Bruichladdich for the imminent growth spurt.

With our own mature stocks finally coming on line, Bruichladdich has now entered the long-anticipated period of turbo-growth, from 2012 to 2014, with sales anticipated to double. This rapid growth was predicted in our original business plan, though I must admit, a year or two later than envisaged. Sales growth for the first six months of 2012 was 60% over 2011, profits for the year are expected to show an impressive increase.

However, with any rapidly developing company there comes a time when larger capital sums are needed to finance greater growth, and for us that point would come towards 2014.

Our shareholders have been a content bunch. Even though we had never paid a dividend (all our profits being re-invested in the business) they have been pleased to be associated with such a successful brand and its ethos. Despite subscribing to a five year investment, rather than a twelve year one, none had ever asked to sell up. Instead, there has been only total support and encouragement.

Having only re-affirmed our 2014 denouement strategy at a January 2012 board meeting, along came Rémy. We discussed their initial approach in a board meeting in March. There were exhortations of freedom and rousing expressions of defiance from my fellow non-executive directors.

I guess they were serious. For at a board meeting a month later, convened expressly to consider the indicative offer the chairman had received, the board voted seven to one against me to accept the offer.

There were, I believe, a number of influencing factors such as health, wealth and happiness. Perhaps in a less volatile economic environment my fellow directors may have taken a different view to this albeit generous and opportune bird in the hand…

With the chairman recommending the deal to shareholders who would receive an eye-watering return, acceptance by the necessary 60% – though with genuine expressions of regret – was a foregone conclusion.

Rémy, though a quoted company, is still directed by three members of the Hériard Dubreuil family and their CEO Jean-Marie Laborde. Having met the family and his team several times, it is clear that they are on a mission to create an impressive, uber-premium, spirit-orientated business.

They are a dynamic bunch of guys who clearly understand and value what we have built up here at Bruichladdich. Indeed, it was no chance encounter; they have been following our progress closely since 2007. When it came to it they were prepared to dig deep to get hold of Bruichladdich. They wanted Bruichladdich because it is Bruichladdich, not Glen McSporran. For that we should be very flattered.

Rémy have the resources to double production (creating more jobs) to take Bruichladdich, via their own distribution channels, to a level and an audience that we could only dream of. Rémy are taking the long view. A very long view. And that can only be a good and admirable thing.

I always knew the right suitor for Bruichladdich would come from outside the whisky industry, a company that would truly value what we have laboriously built up: even if I had written the specification myself, Rémy could not be a more suitable candidate. I feel confident that Bruichladdich will very much be in the right hands.

But…

There is a feeling of unfinished business, that 2014 denouement. Could we have provided liquidity to shareholders and raised that extra capital from a flotation on a secondary exchange such as AIM? Or, could we have merely ‘stuck’, stayed put at 100k cases and rewarded shareholders with dividends? Bruichladdich, after all, has evolved into a rather unique type of company.

As with other Rémy businesses, Bruichladdich will continue to be a stand-alone company, operated from Islay, with Islay maturation and Islay bottling; having paid such a hefty price for Bruichladdich, the last thing the new owners are going to do is un-bruichladdich Bruichladdich.

Simon Coughlin will continue to run the show as he has done so effectively, while Jim, though he says he will retire in June 2013, I have no doubt will continue, at the very least, with his black art. In essence, Bruichladdich has merely exchanged 60 small shareholders for one bigger one. Bruichladdich will carry on as before.

And me? For a while, I had planned to be spending more time in Edinburgh as my son starts school there soon. When the deal is completed in three weeks or so (the speed of the transaction being a testament to the systems and that pesky public company level of information) I will leave the company, my role no longer existing, my job at an end. I may chose to continue with Bruichladdich in some form or other – we’ll see when the dust settles.

Who knows? Perhaps there’s a new Adventure out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered. But it could never be quite like this one.

GOLD FOR GLENDRONACH AND BENRIACH IN LONDON!

ON the opening day of the Olympics, the BenRiach Distillery Company is delighted to have won two golds, five silvers and a bronze medal!

The Edinburgh-headquartered company is celebrating eight awards, not at London 2012 of course, but at this year’s International Wine & Spirits Competition, the world’s most prestigious wine and spirit contest.

The results were announced today (27 July) in London.

The company’s full list of awards is:

Gold Medal
BenRiach 25YO
GlenDronach 12YO

Silver Medal / Outstanding
BenRiach 12YO
BenRiach 17YO Peated – Septendecim
GlenDronach 8YO – Octarine
GlenDronach 15YO
GlenDronach 15YO Tawny Port Finish

Bronze Medal
GlenDronach 21 YO

IWSC medals and trophies are the most highly regarded in the trade, representing the best of the best in the world of wines and spirits. The IWSC is judged by a panel selected from 300 fully-qualified and experienced industry judges. Noted for its intense and unrivalled judging process, the IWSC is proud to be the only competition of its kind that conducts a full blind tasting with extensive technical analysis.

BenRiach’s Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “We are really pleased by the results of this year’s competition and I suppose it’s quite fortuitous that the medals were awarded on the opening day of the Olympic Games!

“A number of these products are relatively new releases, such as the GlenDronach Octarine, 21YO and Port Finish, and the BenRiach Septendecim, so it’s nice to see them getting some industry recognition. We’re particularly delighted with the Gold Medal for the GlenDronach 12YO – this is our flagship GlenDronach expression, and we’ve invested heavily in the wood management programme at the distillery, so it’s satisfying to see that effort come to fruition.”

The tasting notes for the two gold winners are:

BenRiach 25 yo

NOSE
Rich honey, spices, apples and peat, in combination with superb oak-wood notes.

TASTE
A rich cocktail of honey, Oloroso sherry, cocoa and apples, supported by a fascinating presence of citrus, sweet peat and wonderful wood notes.

 
GlenDronach 12 yo

NOSE
Sweet, creamy vanilla, with hints of ginger. Autumn fruits.

TASTE
Rich, creamy, silky-smooth. Warm, rich oak and sherry sweetness, full mouth feel, raisins and soft fruits. Spicy with medium length and a dry finish.

A Taste from the Past – Grant’s 21 Years Old ‘Castle Grant’

Hello all,

I am on paternity leave this week following the birth of Finlay, our second child. Both mum and baby are doing very well and so, as is customary, I’ve been looking for a special dram to wet our baby’s head.

I eventually chose this 21-year-old Grant’s, bottled in the 1980s. Called ‘Castle Grant’, the name…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

A new post is available at http://www.glenglassaugh.com/News/Blog/ Please feel free to add your comments or email us directly at the distillery at info@glenglassaugh.com

Slange

Stuart
 
Glenglassaugh Distillery
Portsoy, Scotland AB45 2SQ

A message from our friends at An cnoc…

As a fan of anCnoc you will already know that we teamed up with renowned Scottish illustrator Peter Arkle to produce a series of Limited Edition releases. Each release celebrates a unique aspect of our distillery. If you look carefully, you will see that Peter has captured the ingredients used to make anCnoc in his design for this pack, as well as that invisible element which makes anCnoc so special… MAGIC!

It’s not just the packaging that is special and unique, the liquid inside is too. Hand selected by Distillery Manager, Gordon Bruce, this Limited Edition is matured in Spanish oak sherry butts. This gives the whisky a darker colour and notes of spices and dried fruits.

However, what you might not be aware of is that this release was limited to only 1000 cases worldwide and is almost gone so get your hands on a bottle quickly.

P.S. The 2nd Peter Arkle Limited Edition will be launching soon… watch this space!

Buy anCnoc limited editions

Watch the video about Peter Arkle’s process

Learn about anCnoc’s limited edition Peter Arkle designs

Greetings My Fellow WhiskeyLovers –

Our crowdfunding campaign is finally over (this is the last time I will mention it), and so a big thanks to all of you who supported us. The money we raised will go toward a brand-shiny-new iPhone/Android app we have been thinking about…stay tuned for more news on this later this summer.

This week I was visited by a rep from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), a family owned and operated company created in 1935 as the Willett Distilling Company, which still operates on a site that began as the family farm just outside of Bardstown Kentucky.

The company rarely produces whisky under the KBD name, choosing instead to market their brands using Willet Distilling Company or various fictitious company names. These other business names often correspond to the bottling brand names, such as the Old Bardstown Distilling Company for the Old Bardstown bourbon brand and the Noah’s Mill Distilling Company for the Noah’s Mill bourbon brand.

Which brings me to this weeks Whiskey Wednesday feature: Willet Kentucky Straight Pot Still Reserve Whiskey.

Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon is a Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey introduced in 2008 and bottled at 47% abv, with 8-10 year aging.

Each bottle is sealed with a label identifying the individual aging barrel, the number of the bottle within the series of bottles from that barrel, and the total number of bottles from the barrel (example: “Bottle No. 116 of 242 from Single Barrel 149”).

Willett Pot Still Reserve is bottled in a decorative decanter that received a double gold award for packaging design at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In addition to the double gold medal for packaging, the whiskey was also awarded a gold medal for taste at the event.

Malt Advocate Magazine rated Willett Pot Still Reserve at 90 “outstanding”.

The price for a bottle of Willet Pot Still Reserve is $39.95 , and I urge you to try this bourbon. It truly is a phenomenal whiskey.

Until next week….have fun!

Doug Stone

Founder

ForScotchLovers.com

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WILLET KENTUCKY STRAIGHT POT STILL RESERVE WHISKEY

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WILLET KENTUCKY STRAIGHT WHISKEY – TASTING NOTES

“Soft and elegant on the nose and palate, and very well balanced. An incredibly drinkable whiskey, it was bottled at just the right time based on its great balance of flavors. Notes of vanilla, coconut, and creme brulee provide a base for emerging notes of cedar wood shavings, cinnamon, soft mint and a hint of fennel. A very graceful bourbon” – Malt Advocate Magazine Q2 2008 issue (Vol. 17, #2)