Company:
The Creative Whisky Co
Job:
Founder & Managing Director
Website:
creativewhisky.co.uk
How long have you been working in the
whisky industry?
Since 1999, so thirteen years now.
What has been your biggest career
highlight to date?
Hmmm... hard to say. I guess bottling my first cask, a
Strathisla 1969 must rank as one of my highlights.
Can you remember your first dram, and
indeed what it was?
Not my first dram but my first malt was a Glenlivet 21
year old, given to me by a pal in my home county of Yorkshire. I'll bet he
thought he was wasting it on a 19 year old but the complexity and beauty of
that whisky set me off and I haven't looked back.
What does whisky mean to you?
A lot. I
have been immersed in the industry since a teenager and it has shaped my life ever
since.
Where would you like to see yourself in
five years time?
Realistically, still bottling single cask whiskies and
breaking into some new markets. Idealistically, distilling my own whisky.
What was your last dram?
Bowmore 100
Degrees Proof. A great dram!
Do you have a favourite whisky and food
pairing combination?
Not really, I have never seen the need to match drink and
food. If I have a good beer or wine I drink them on their own. Ditto with
whisky.
What’s your favourite time and place to
enjoy a dram?
With friends or at a tasting. Whisky is a convivial thing and
should be enjoyed in company whenever possible.
What do you think is going to be the
next big thing on the whisky horizon?
There is a surge of small 'micro'
distilleries and provided this new research into the restriction of the size of
stills is correct (apparently there is no restriction) then this could be the
tip of the iceberg.
What’s the one dram you couldn’t live
without?
I could live without most things, but it is rare you will find me
without an open bottle of Laphroaig or Highland Park nearby.
Many thanks to David Stirk. Who will be the next
Whisky Insider? Click back soon to find out!