In Dialog With Richard Paterson OBE on the Launch of Wolfcraig’s 14-Yr-Previous Deluxe Mix Second Version

This September, I attended the launch of Wolfcraig Whisky’s newest launch at an unique occasion in Glasgow. Legendary Grasp Blender Richard “The Nostril” Paterson OBE hosted the night, sharing tales from his six a long time in whisky and guiding us via a tasting of the brand new Wolfcraig 14 Yr Previous Deluxe Mix, Triple Sherry Cask End (Second Version). 

Wolfcraig Distillers was based in 2020 by former Whyte & Mackay CEO Michael Lunn, his son Jamie, and Paterson himself, and is an unbiased bottler primarily based in Bearsden, Glasgow. As Bearsden can be my hometown, the whisky launch feels particularly significant. Learn this fascinating Q&A, which captures a few of Richard’s (many) insights into the fantastic world of whisky. 

Richard, you opened the night by evaluating whisky to the minimize of a diamond. What did you imply by that?

The minimize is all the pieces. Whether or not it’s a swimsuit, a diamond or a whisky, it’s about precision, timing and realizing when to cease. A badly minimize diamond received’t sparkle. A poorly made whisky received’t sing. For me, making whisky is about slicing the spirit appropriately, choosing the appropriate casks, realizing when to marry them after which having the self-discipline to depart them alone. That respect for the minimize and timing is what makes brilliance potential.

You additionally spoke about your loved ones. How did these early experiences form your strategy to whisky?

My great-great-grandfather, Sir William Paterson, based the Financial institution of England in 1694. He cherished the scent of cash. My father and grandfather cherished the scent of whisky. My father took me right into a Glasgow warehouse after I was a boy. At first, I used to be messing about and he gave me a pointy faucet. He instructed me to carry the glass correctly, swirl it, and say hi there. Then he requested me to explain it.….was it heavy like my grandfather, mild like my mom, candy like chocolate or dry like mud? That was my first whisky lesson. It taught me that whisky will not be one thing you knock again; it’s one thing you respect.

The brand new launch is the 14-Yr-Previous Deluxe Mix, Second Version. What makes this expression so distinctive?

That is our flagship mix, made with a premium 50% malt to grain ratio. Each whisky inside it’s at the very least fourteen years previous. Ian Macmillan and I, between us, have greater than 100 years of mixing expertise and we’ve drawn from all 5 whisky areas of Scotland. What defines this version is the end: Amontillado, Pedro Ximénez and Muscatel sherry casks, every seasoned in Jerez for fifteen years earlier than we used them. They bring about layers of nut, raisin, chocolate and vanilla, however in steadiness. Sherry casks should complement the whisky, not overpower it. The 14 is about concord, complexity and depth. 

Why sherry casks specifically?

Sherry is transformative. Take Pedro Ximénez, the grapes are sun-dried till they’re virtually raisins, producing a treacly, candy wine with notes of Christmas cake. A cask seasoned with PX carries that richness deep into the staves. Once you relaxation whisky in it, these flavours emerge naturally over time. Amontillado brings class, Muscatel provides elevate. Collectively, they create indulgent however measured layers. I’ve all the time stated the cask is king. Round eighty per cent of a whisky’s ultimate character comes from the wooden, so you should deal with it with respect.

For readers who haven’t tasted it but, how would you describe the flavour journey?

First, have a look at the color, mahogany gold with flashes of copper. On the nostril, there’s caramel, almonds, sultanas, marzipan, bitter chocolate and a bit Seville marmalade. On the palate, you’ll discover chocolate, vanilla, spiced cake, gingerbread, praline and Madeira cake, with a whisper of XO Cognac. The end lingers with raisins and figs. It’s bottled at 46.1% ABV so you may get pleasure from it neat, whereas a drop of water will reveal new layers. Take your time with it. Swirl, say hi there, style as soon as, then style once more. Let the whisky communicate.

On the launch occasion you described the warehouse as a dwelling system. May you increase on that?

A warehouse is alive. A cask on the prime of the rack evaporates extra, retains its power, however may be sharp. One on the backside matures gently, loses power, however beneficial properties roundness. Maritime air brings its personal affect. It’s essential to nostril and style throughout seasons, as a result of casks go to sleep and get up in their very own time. That’s why mixing is such an artwork, you’re drawing voices from a choir and asking them to sing in concord.

You and Ian Macmillan are each grasp blenders. How does your partnership affect Wolfcraig?

Ian and I’ve labored throughout many distilleries in our careers. Between us we’ve seen most of Scotland’s warehouses inside out. Lots of the part whiskies in Wolfcraig 14 come from distilleries the place we’ve constructed relationships over a long time. That makes it private. It’s not only a technical train, it’s mixing our historical past and our data right into a whisky we wish to be pleased with.

Trying forward, what’s subsequent for Wolfcraig?

We’re making ready to launch in america with Gonzalez Byass as our distributor. It’s a troublesome market, however high quality all the time wins. Past the 14, we now have casks maturing which are 30, 35, and even near 40 years previous. These will are available time. However the precept is all the time the identical: steadiness earlier than brawn, high quality earlier than amount. Endurance pays off.

And eventually, if readers bear in mind one lesson from you, what ought to it’s?

Respect. Respect the cask, the minimize, the time. Maintain the glass correctly. Swirl. Say hi there. Don’t knock it again. Take heed to the whisky. It should reward you in the event you give it the eye it deserves.

Wolfcraig’s 14-Yr-Previous Deluxe Mix Second Version is on the market now for £95 from www.wolfcraig.com in addition to choose unbiased retailers.