And so 2011 Whisky Live festival has rolled around. This year the tables have however turned on me… favourably. The past few years, I was a consumer, gladly hopping from whisky to whisky, from Scottish to Irish, from rare malts to Japanese blends.
This year my attention shifted to finally being behind the stands. Whenever I get to chat "whisky" to "random" consumers, an instant passion is ignited and I'm in my happy place. Last night saw the debut of The Macallan and Roja Doves Aroma Kit at The Maturation Zone, and WOW, was it fun to present!
The class, not very long, takes on 2 elements, first of all the theoretical side pertaining to the importance of wood and understanding of maturation. Once we get the nitty-gritty over and done with, it becomes a lot more interactive. Now the consumers get to smell the amazing aroma oils created specifically for The Macallan by master perfumer Roja Dove, we play with flavours that deconstruct Maturity vs. Immaturity, Depth vs. diffusion and Sherry Oak vs. Fine Oak Aromas
I am a whisky person, and am not very excited by whisky gimmicks; my aim is to always focus on the whisky, the whisky is the star of this show. I was initially a tad apprehensive that some folk might find the Aroma Kit a touch gimmick-y. But not so, upon implementing the Aroma Kit, I saw how consumers faces lit up when they finally "got that" cinnamon or chocolate orange. The Roja Dove Kit makes aroma alive and it makes whisky aroma more accessible. And if we can make malts more accessible to consumers, then I'm a happy camper. That's why I love my job, I get to introduce folks to whiskies they have never tried before, to aromas they could never find before and to the joy and beauty of single malt whisky.
Slainte
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