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Dr Bill Lumsden Head of Distilling
and Whisky Creation
The wine-loving
whisky-maker
Wine has moved on in the last decade; the old rule book has
been torn up and emerging regions are producing exciting
new varieties. In the spirit of confronting outdated prejudices,
wine lovers should reach for the single malt.
Hailed as a pioneer in the world of whisky, the charismatic
Dr Bill Lumsden, Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation at
Glenmorangie, constantly strives for perfection when making
his award-winning single malt. Unusually, however, his love of
good wines – which began during his student days – informs his approach
to whisky-making; there are no quick fixes and, at each stage, only the best
will do.
“In the last 10 to 15 years I have developed a genuine appreciation of
fine wine. First, because of my role; I am looking to make the very best
whisky I possibly can and, as a result, I take an interest in the finest wines
and spirits and visit their regions. Secondly, I have had the good fortune
to be exposed to excellent wines over the last decade because of all the
travel I have undertaken.” Maintaining Scotland’s long-standing affection for
French wine, Dr Lumsden has a fondness for Champagne, white Burgundy
and the classic red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. However, his perfect
evening will always begin with a glass of Glenmorangie Original.
The natural elegance of Glenmorangie, with its complex and multilayered
style, allows Dr Lumsden to draw comparisons with wine; “There
are parallels with the great estates in the way I approach making whisky; at
harvest, the very finest fruit is cherry-picked, production is tightly controlled,
the best casks are selected and bottling doesn’t take place until the wine
is ready.”
Glenmorangie’s equivalent of grape selection lies in Dr Lumsden’s
insistence on using only the highest quality Scottish barley. The raw
materials will impact on the complexity of the liquid in the bottle so nothing
is left to chance; Dr Lumsden rejects sub-standard barley in the same way
a winemaker will discard unripe fruit.
Furthermore, terroir can be expressed through Glenmorangie’s own hard
water source, the Tarlogie Springs. In terms of production, Glenmorangie
has the tallest stills in Scotland, the necks tower at an impressive 5.14
metres; only the very lightest and purest spirit can make it over the top of
the elongated necks resulting in a more elegant and less oily whisky. The
descriptions of Glenmorangie’s floral and citrus characteristics would not be
out of place in a wine writer’s notebook.
After distillation comes maturation; no-one knows more about wood