Company:
Paul John Single Malt

Job:
Master Distiller

Website:
pauljohnwhisky.com



How long have
you been working in the whisky industry?
My first job in
the whisky industry was actually with John Distilleries when I was just 21, and
I’m proud to say that I have been with then now for over 20 years. It’s quite
unbelievable to think that I joined as a mere assistant to the Master Distiller
and now I have achieved the pinnacle of my profession by earning this role
myself.

What has been
your biggest career highlight to date?
John Distilleries, the parent company
of Paul John Single Malt is actually the world’s sixth largest whisky
distiller, with over 11m cases of our Original Choice brand whisky produced per
year.  Whilst this whisky is aimed at the
Indian economy segment, I take great satisfaction in creating a whisky that is
enjoyed by so many people in a market with so many other brands.

However, undoubtedly my biggest
career highlight is the launch of our flagship range Edited and
Brilliance.  The dream of any master
distiller is for their whiskies to be appreciated by whisky enthusiasts around
the world, something I believe we have achieved with these new whiskies.  Moreover, I feel this is a particularly
special achievement given India’s limited reputation for making premium
whiskies.

Can you
remember your first dram, and indeed what it was?
One of my
earliest Scotch memories was trying a Glenlivet Single Malt with our then
Master Distiller early on in my career. Coming from a culture where Blended
whisky (Chivas and Johnnie Walker in particular) dominate the premium sector,
it was the first time I had really sat down to understand and appreciate single
malt Scotch. I remember being completely mesmerised by how Single Malt whisky
could be so interesting and appealing.

What does
whisky mean to you?
Whisky is quite
simply my life. Whisky has been my passion since my youth and opportunities in
India to work for a premium whisky brand are few and far between.  To say that I have lived my dream with a
company I joined 20 years ago is unbelievable. 
With the launch of our Flagship range, I feel that I have begun a new
educational journey and I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Where would you
like to see yourself in five years time?
I hope to have established a range of whiskies that
are just as appreciated as the great Scotch brands.

What was your
last dram?
I recently
picked up a bottle of Balvenie Triple Cask 16 Year Old on my way home from
England.  I’ve only had a small drop so
far and it’s got me quite excited. So I’m looking forward to spending some
quality time with it, particularly to understand how the triple cask maturation
works to create such a delicious flavour profile.

Do you have a
favourite whisky and food pairing combination?
With our warm
climate, whisky is often consumed tall with a refreshing drop of soda.  Alongside some fresh grilled seafood, it’s a
delicious combination. However, I was
really intrigued by some of combinations being promoted in England, including
matching with cheese, chocolate and my favourite, fruit cake!

What’s your
favourite time and place to enjoy a dram?
To most people the
idea of sitting with a dram on the golden beaches of Goa as the sun goes down
is heaven, this is just daily life for me though! I however recently had my
first experience of visiting various Scotch distilleries and I can say with
absolute certainty that a dram overlooking the rolling hills of Scotland with
the intoxicating aroma of whisky in the air was by far the best experience I’ve
ever had.

What do you
think is going to be the next big thing on the whisky horizon?
Undoubtedly,
the next big thing on the whisky horizon is the large-scale acceptance of World
Whiskies alongside Scotch and other traditional styles of whisky.

Japanese Whisky
should be lauded for almost single-handedly creating and maintaining this
category over the last decade.  However
the rest of the world is clearly now ready to join the party and it’s great to
see so many exciting new brands from countries as far and wide as Belgium,
Taiwan and of course India.

What’s the one
dram you couldn’t live without?
It has to be Lagavulin
16 Year Old. A juicy, fruity and a fantastically rounded peated whisky.

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