Company:
Hunter Laing & Company

Job:
Company Director

Website:
hunterlaing.com



How long have you been working in the
whisky industry?
I first entered the whisky business in 1963 when I was a Commercial
Apprentice at George Ballantine and Sons in Dumbarton. I remember my first wage
was £5.00 per week and I thought I was King of the World.

What has been your biggest career
highlight to date?
My biggest highlight to date is actually two occasions. The first being
presented to HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace having won the Queen’s Award for
Export Achievement and the second being the current situation I find myself in
being able to work with my two sons Scott and Andrew for the first time at
Hunter Laing & Co. Ltd.

Can you remember your first dram, and
indeed what it was?
I well remember the first whisky I tasted. I had seen my father do
tastings both commercially and indeed at home and he let me try a single malt
that he was looking at. It was a North Port and I really, really liked it.

What does whisky mean to you?
Whisky has always been in my life. Indeed my father was in the whisky
business when I was born and whisky has accompanied me all the way through to
the great age that I now am.

Where would you like to see yourself in
five years time?
The answer is basically “alive”, alive and kicking and still working with
my sons.

What was your last dram?
I had the pleasure last week of tasting one of our new Old Malt Cask
releases and it was a lovely Caperdonich 1984.

Do you have a favourite whisky and food
pairing combination?
I have always been very partial to smoked salmon with pepper and a nice
blend. A wonderful combination!

What’s your favourite time and place to
enjoy a dram?
Any blend along with good company and generally in the evening.

What do you think is going to be the
next big thing on the whisky horizon?
That is a really tough question but in a relatively small way I foresee a
growth in the sale and enjoyment of aged single grain Scotch whisky.

What’s the one dram you couldn’t live
without?
To be honest I really do not know. There is such a wonderful selection of
truly wonderful malts, that if one I really liked was not available I truly
believe I would find another.

Many thanks to Stewart Laing. Who
will be the next Whisky Insider? Click back soon to find
out!