Making Scotch whisky was a work of art but millennials may be craving something new
There’s a new wave of spirits - made for millennials - that’s shaking up the whisky business.
Whisky’s amber tones and smoky notes have seduced for centuries and given birth to one of the U.K.’s most lucrative industries.
In the rolling hills of Scotland, making Scotch whisky is a work of art.
The grains are mashed, fermented, then distilled -- and finally aged in wooden casks.
It’s a 500-year-old spirit protected by law and drinking it can pack a lot of rules.
But in a small London loft, whisky blender John Glaser is dropping the pretense and adding a new range of flavors.
“You know, a lot of people think Scotch whisky is high handed, they think there are rules, you have to drink it a certain way.” says Glaser.
It can seem intimidating.
“There are so many different Scotch whiskies and how do I choose -- so it is intimidating and we try to break all that down,” Glaser.
Whisper Whisky, its being dubbed. Mellower and lighter, for the millennial palate.
The production process borrows from tradition.
Glaser buys single malts from Scottish distilleries. Like blenders of the past, he then mixes them. But he goes one step further, maturing the blend again in specially crafted casks that add more flavor.
It’s a technique that’s won this Michigan expat international praise. And Scottish scorn.
His innovative casks led to one of his whiskies being banned by the Scotch Whisky Association, the industry’s old guard. The Association’s Rosemary Gallagher laid down the law.
“It has to be made in Scotland from water, yeast, and cereals and has to be matured for 3 years in oak casks and that makes sure when people buy Scotch whisky they know exactly what they’re getting,” Gallagher says.
But in 2015, for the first time ever, not a single Scotch appeared in the prestigious Whisky Bible’s top three list. A Japanese whisky ranked #1. This year, Scotch is back on the list -- but with a lighter caramel/vanilla blend.
“If you’re just doing things the way you’ve always done, eventually you’re going to fall behind,” Glaser says.
But where the old way meets the new wave - whisky hopes to stay on top.
