By Richard Thomas
Stephanie Macleod, Grasp Blender of Dewar’s
(Credit score: Dewar’s)
I noticed a number of years again that whisk(e)y fanatics have been dwelling in a time of the altering of the guard, when well-established whiskey-makers have been retiring from long-held posts. The perfect examples of this currently have been in 2020, with Chris Fletcher succeeding as Grasp Distiller at Jack Daniel’s and Kevin O’Gorman rising from Grasp of Maturation to Grasp Distiller at New Midleton.
Nevertheless, within the midst of all this altering of the guard, one other class of whiskey-makers have grown into the brand new giants of their trade, the fixtures that ought to be well-known names amongst fanatics. That’s particularly so when one realizes that, these days, anybody who has been a giant firm Grasp Blender or Grasp Distiller for 10 or 15 years has had a hand on the tiller of a number of whiskey manufacturers throughout the world whiskey growth. In an early indicator of the present day, lots of them are girls. That brings us to Stephanie Macleod, Grasp Blender at Dewar’s and its related household of single malts.
It’s been a busy yr for Dewar’s, so it appeared like time to test in with Macleod about what’s going on at present and to look again on her tenure.
RT: You took over as Grasp Blender at Dewar’s in 2006, so your tenure encompasses principally the entire of the trendy whisky growth occasions. Simply what number of Dewar’s whiskies have you ever created in that point?
SM: You’re proper, we’ve been very busy at Dewar’s. For the Blended Scotches we’ve launched round 30 new expressions, and for those who embrace all the only malts too, it’s properly over 100, in all probability nearer 200 now with our Single Malts ‘Distinctive Cask’ vary and the Restricted Editions.
Dewar’s 15 Yr Outdated Scotch
(Credit score: John Rayls)
RT: And of them, which creation are you fondest of?
SM: Dewar’s 15 was my first venture, in order that one is closest to my coronary heart, nonetheless, Double Double 32 is a four-times award winner on the Worldwide Whisky Competitors, and made me 4 occasions Grasp Blender of the Yr – so I’m very keen on that one too! There’s a Dewar’s whisky for each event, and there’s a cocktail for each Dewar’s whisky – I at all times say that Dewar’s is made to be savored and loved the way you need to drink it – there’s no prescribed ceremony – it’s your Dewar’s, take pleasure in it!
RT: Dewar’s is kind of common right here within the States. I feel the rule is that in any given yr, it’s both the top-selling Scotch Whisky or simply barely behind Johnnie Walker, and it’s been large in America since earlier than Prohibition. So, for the Individuals, what units Dewar’s White Label aside from its friends?
SM: I really like visiting the US, and so it makes me very proud that Dewar’s has maintained its place within the hearts of US whisky appreciators. Dewar’s has a wealthy historical past and a posh and distinctive taste that holds it character over ice or in a cocktail and I feel that’s what makes it distinctive from different whiskies with Individuals.
Aberfeldy 12 Yr Outdated Single Malt
(Credit score: Richard Thomas)
RT: Dewar’s owns Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Macduff and Royal Brackla, every a distillery and a malt with its personal distinctive taste profile. How do these malts contribute to the Dewar’s taste profile?
SM: Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Royal Brackla and Macduff/Glen Deveron are all a lot wanted Single Malts.
Aberfeldy is a Highland Malt – which is wealthy and sophisticated with notes of honey, fruits notes and a citrus twist; Aultmore is a Speyside Malt and it’s typical of that area – it has an ethereal high quality – with comfortable notes of fruit, freshened with natural and inexperienced notes; Craigellachie can also be a Speyside – however it’s not a typical Speyside – it’s made within the very conventional means of utilizing Worm Tubs because the condensers, and so it retains a muscular high quality and with age unique notes of pineapple emerge, however at all times bolstered by the advanced muscularity of this whisky; Royal Brackla is a Highland Malt – I describe it as ‘Summer season in a glass’ it’s vibrant and chic with inexperienced, floral and fruity notes; Glen Deveron which is distilled at Macduff Distillery can also be a Highland Malt with lovely toasted cereal notes and baked apples.
RT: Completely off-topic, self-indugent query right here: I’ve heard you probably did some sensory science work on olive oil again within the day? I’m an azeite nerd; please, do inform me all about it.
SM: My goodness it was a very long time in the past – however we have been attempting to compile a taste map of olive oils, so we had Italian olive oils and in addition a Spanish one, which had a particular aroma of peaches – it was superior!
RT: Onto new stuff. I perceive Dewar’s is bringing out a brand new, reformulated model of the 12 Yr Outdated. It replaces the model created by your predecessor, Tom Aitken. What has modified?
SM: Dewar’s 12, I need to stress makes use of the identical recipe because it was launched in 2000 that has not modified! All Dewar’s Blends are Double Aged – which implies that as soon as the entire malt and grain whiskies come of age and we mix them collectively, as a substitute of sending it for bottling we take the mix and fill it into specifically chosen oak casks to permit the disparate taste properties of the completely different malts and grains to work together with each other, offering a smoothing impact. The cask we use don’t have any extra maturation potential to yield. Nevertheless, for the refresh of Dewar’s 12 – as a substitute of Double Getting old within the typical casks we now use 1st fill Bourbon casks – which has bestowed on Dewar’s 12 extra creamy caramel notes and extra citrus zest – making it much more approachable.
RT: My misunderstanding there. However you even have one other launch within the Casks Sequence popping out, French Easy. This one is completed in Calvados casks. How a lot experimentation goes into arriving on the cask alternatives for this collection?
SM: Dewar’s 8, French Easy is outstandingly lovely – it’s completed in Calvados casks; Calvados is a French apple brandy, and its character remaining within the casks, works extremely properly with our Dewar’s 8. Once we need to use a brand new sort of cask, very often I’ll get that individual spirit or wine, and pour some right into a glass, swirl it after which empty it, then pour the whisky in – in the event that they praise one another at that stage then we’ll supply the casks. As soon as the casks arrive, we nostril each after which as soon as stuffed we’ll assess month-to-month or extra to be able to make sure that the traits of the ending cask don’t dominate the flavour of the whisky.
