Bill Lumsden on Scotch Whiskey Experiments, The Tale of Cake, Lighthouse Distillery, and Glenmorangie X

As Director of Distilling and Whiskey Manufacturing glenmorangi company, Bill LumsdenHis nose has taken him to interesting places. Hence, it is always a pleasure to meet with him, to get his perspective on an industry which, despite being rooted in traditions and heritage, continues to grow. Recently, by focusing more on retail/e-commerce and D2C (direct to consumer) initiatives, I have been interested in how whiskey companies have adapted to bar and restaurant closures for longer periods. Is. Bill says that there is no question that D2C is the future, and in the CIA’s reminiscent wording, he indicates that “it can neither confirm nor deny that they are in fact specifically working on products for the e-commerce environment”.

Tokaji. experiment with

A few months ago, I tasted cake story, a Glenmorangie limited edition that ended in Tokaji cask (wine from Hungary known for its exceptional sweetness) with only 1,000 bottles allotted to India sold out quickly. Bill’s earlier experiments with Tokaji had him shake rather than shake, as the liquid was left inside, though delicious and sublime after 18 months, then forgotten for two and a half years, with tannins in the wood dominating the whiskey. Done. An oversight bill punished itself, especially after being known for its work with other wine casks such as Sauternes and Port casks such as Quinta Ruban.

Bill was “very upset” and as he told me, it was a “thorn in his body”. a follow-up whiskey Finished at Sauternes Casks, Nectar D’Or was pretty spectacular, but he still had Tokaji on his mind. Therefore, he experimented with it again, the results of which remind him of confectionery and cakes, and a marketer’s delight.

All this innovation, according to Bill, is a by-product of a philosophy that Lighthouse, with their new innovation distillery – has absolutely no limits to what sits on the site when it comes to spending on new product development and other innovations. Not there. A 180-year-old Scotch whiskey distillery just outside Tann in Scotland – a singular example coming in at an investment of a few million pounds. As he explains to me, “It’s about doing what’s right for the brand and if I believe so, as long as it’s appropriate, support, whether from management or financial in nature, from the company.” Is.”

fine with age

He is also famous for his experimentation with extraordinary casks in different eras and his use of wood finishing. He is the perfect person for me to have a question regarding the accelerated aging of souls. Several companies around the world, including Lost Spirits of Los Angeles, are tinkering with various methods, including to accelerate the aging of the liquid through light. “I’m generally always in favor of something that helps bring whiskey to a wider audience. While I agree that single malt whiskey is too expensive, especially when tariffs like ours in India are added, a professional Speaking as to the taste, the results are not as good,” he says. According to Bill, at this time, although such techniques specialize in imitating the notes of wood that a cask usually imparts to a whiskey, where they are lost, the fruit and floral notes are in the notes, and therefore their In opinion, it is an “inferior”. product” and not something he would be working on himself for any expressions of Glenmorangie or Ardbeg.

A view of the lighthouse | photo credit: Mel Yates

Companies around the world in all sectors are focused on reducing their carbon footprint, so I’m going to spend my conversation trying to understand what glenmorangi Still working. “Sustainability is the number one focus” for Glenmorangie as well as all the other companies at LVMH, he says. Energy consumption is the biggest target with the increasing use of solar and wind energy. Given that barley is their main raw material, they are looking at less resource-intensive methods of growing barley.

X. all eyes on

I had attended the launch of Glenmorangi X in Delhi – a single malt, as the blurb went, made for blending. This piqued my curiosity and I asked him what this whiskey was made of for cocktails. “X is fuller bodied and spicier than the Glenmorangie original [10 year old]“With notes of dark chocolate and ginger,” he says, “that are able to better meet the demands of modern mixologists.

glenmorangi x

“A Shetland wool sweater than a 10-year-old’s cashmere”. And although he did not create a product specifically for mixing, he is all in favor of whiskeys that are more democratic, both in terms of price as well as acceptability in taste. He puts on a weird play of X as we speak, and I toast each other across a screen with one of the cake tales, his mind I’m sure a million of “what next for whiskey” Already brimming with possibilities. ,

The author is the founder and CEO of drinks training and consulting firm Tuliho’s, as well as the co-founder of 30 Best Bars India.