Name: Ian Logan
Company: Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited
Job: Senior Spirits & Hospitality Manager
Website: duncantaylor.com
Socials: @duncantaylorscotchwhisky

How long have you been working in the whisky industry?
A long time! It will be 40 years in June next year, and it’s also been 15 years since you first interviewed me.

Over the years, I’ve been involved in sales, marketing, a little distilling, quality control, NPD, hospitality, PR and media, training, mentoring, sourcing casks and sourcing spirit. It has been an incredible journey, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to learn from some of the very best in the industry.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
That’s a really difficult one, but without doubt, being awarded Master of the Quaich a few years ago stands out. To be recognised by my colleagues and peers in the industry meant a great deal to me.

At Duncan Taylor, seeing whiskies we’ve created win awards is also a massive buzz, particularly knowing that I played an integral part in their creation. During my time at Chivas, the part I played in The Glenlivet is something very special to me, and it will always be my favourite distillery.

Can you remember your first dram, and indeed what it was?
Like most people, my first whisky was probably a blend that my parents had at home. My mother was a whisky drinker and preferred the sweeter styles, so it was probably Famous Grouse with lemonade. The first malt I truly fell in love with was Aberlour, and it remains a favourite of mine today.

What does whisky mean to you?
There is so much I owe to this industry. Whisky has been a passion that has encouraged me to learn, develop and respect the craft. It has given me lifelong friendships, allowed me to see the world and provided some of the most incredible experiences of my life. Ultimately, though, it’s the connections with people that are most important to me.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years’ time?
I’m 58 now, so I’d love to say retired, but I’m not sure this industry lets you escape once it has its talons in you! I’ll still be around in some shape or form. Maybe I’ll still be doing what I’m doing today, perhaps working as a tour guide at a distillery, or maybe taking on some consultancy work. I also have an inkling to write a book, so the honest answer is – who knows?

What was your last dram?
In my current role, I do a great deal of quality control, so I see a lot of whiskies every week. A couple that come to mind recently were a 57 Year Old Macallan that we’re doing for a private client. It was true old-school Macallan, and I kept the glass on my desk for most of the day! The polar opposite would be a 14-year-old Auchentoshan that we finished in a new Mizunara octave. It was delicate, elegant and fragrant, with gentle spice and orchard fruits.

Do you have a favourite whisky and food pairing combination?
There have been quite a few memorable ones over the years. Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to dine at The Ritz in London, where Executive Chef John Williams adapted his mother’s Christmas pudding recipe specifically to accompany The Glenlivet 18 Year Old.

Another memorable combination was fillet steak with a chilli sauce and The Glenlivet 15-year-old, served at Minmore House, the ancestral home of the distillery’s founders. And Duncan Taylor Old Pulteney Octave matured whisky with scallops is simply sublime.

What’s your favourite time and place to enjoy a dram?
Perhaps one of those small whisky bars in Japan, surrounded by hundreds of great bottles. The bars are pristine, quiet and respectful, with bartenders who are passionate, knowledgeable and incredibly attentive to the whisky. But the time and place will always be secondary to me. Ultimately, it will always be about the people I’m with.

What do you think is going to be the next big thing on the whisky horizon?
As prices continue to rise for a number of reasons, single malts are becoming increasingly out of reach for some drinkers. We may therefore see an increase in demand for smaller-format bottlings.

I also think the continued growth in transparency and innovation will be important — and it’s something the Scotch industry needs to embrace and address. Smaller distillers have a real opportunity to create their own niches, while the larger companies continue to protect and develop their established brands.

What’s the one dram you couldn’t live without?
It will always be The Glenlivet 18 Year Old. It just presses all the buttons for me. People may laugh because it’s bottled at 40–43% ABV, but honestly, I don’t care! Black Bull 12 Year Old is another favourite at home. I love blends with a higher Sherry content, and at 50% ABV it gives you plenty of scope to experiment with different ways of drinking it.

Many thanks to Ian Logan. Who will be our next Whisky Insider? Click back soon to find out!