Scotland’s First Household of Scottish Oak
Pioneering Whisky Maker Gregg Glass achieves landmark
in his industry-leading Scottish Oak Programme
Esteemed whisky making home Whyte and Mackay has introduced a landmark achievement, with each distillery in its assortment now included into the corporate’s industry-leading Scottish Oak Programme – an {industry} first.
The initiative, based by pioneering Grasp Whisky Maker Gregg Glass, led the {industry} to discover the potential for responsibly sourced, regionally grown Scottish Oak to mature Scotch Whisky. The {industry} has traditionally favoured Oak sourced from outdoors Scotland.
Tamnavulin, in Speyside, joined the programme this week as Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Affiliation (SWA), joined the whisky makers to personally fill these particular Scottish Oak casks.
The distillery follows island distillery Jura, and Fettercairn, situated in ‘the Backyard of Scotland’ – Aberdeenshire, the place the initiative was born. Every distillery now has whisky experiments laid right down to discover and consider the influence regionally grown Oak has on every distinct distillery fashion and to determine the flavour traits that Scottish Oak lends to Scotch Whisky.
In doing so, the distilleries are paving the best way for the broader use of responsibly sourced Scottish oak for future generations of whisky makers.
Led by Gregg Glass, Whyte and Mackay’s transfer in the direction of Scottish oak maturation is an exploration into the distinctive flavour that the oak species possesses, in addition to future-proofing each the sourcing and seasoning of cask choices for the broader whisky {industry}, striving in the direction of a extra sustainable future.
Head of Whisky Expertise at Whyte and Mackay, Ludo Ducrocq feedback: “The filling of those particular casks is known as a celebration of the partnerships Whyte and Mackay has nurtured over time, which can finally profit the entire {industry}.”
Glass has been exploring the usage of native oak species for a few years by way of Whyte and Mackay’s experimental arm, Whisky Works, which has beforehand celebrated the discharge of The King of Timber, a ten yr outdated blended malt completed in Scottish oak casks.
Since his appointment in 2016, Glass has developed lengthy lasting partnerships with landowners and cooperages that share Whyte and Mackay’s imaginative and prescient for the longer term. Rooted in exemplary forestry administration and thoughtful cooping practices, Whyte and Mackay believes that specializing in accountable sourcing and significant partnerships will drive optimistic change within the {industry}, main to raised whisky for everybody.
Glass explains: “The Scottish Oak Programme seeks to encourage change throughout the Scotch whisky {industry}. We need to champion the potential that home-grown oak gives the spirits {industry}, and the unimaginable variety of flavour it gives the whisky maker.”
Whyte and Mackay – Award-Successful Whisky Makers
Whyte and Mackay are a famed whisky home, house to an award-winning assortment of Single Malt Whiskies, led by The Dalmore. The gathering consists of Jura, the UK’s No 1 [1]Single Malt, Tamnavulin[2], the world’s (IWSR, 2021)Single Malt and Fettercairn, house to enlightened whisky making.
In 2020 the corporate have been publicly recognised by the First Minister of Scotland for his or her assist of the nationwide pandemic response. Whyte and Mackay are official companions to SAMH – Scottish Affiliation for Psychological Well being, which noticed Whyte and Mackay staff worldwide full a virtual-race-around-the-world to boost consciousness for the charity.
Based in Glasgow 1844, the whisky makers lately celebrated their 175 yr anniversary, and have been recognised as Distiller of the 12 months 2021. As we speak Whyte and Mackay have workplaces from New York to Singapore. In Scotland, Whyte and Mackay function a state-of-the-art Bottling Corridor and Distribution Centre in Grangemouth and a Whisky Manufacturing and Warehousing Centre in Invergordon.
[1] Neilsen UK Off Commerce MAT 26.03.22
[2] IWSR 2020
