4Bars.com.au catches up with director of Mackillop’s Choice Single Cask Malt Scotch Whisky in Sydney

How did you get involved in the Scotch whisky business?

In error! I was in the wine business, working for myself in the recession of the 1990’s. Before my bank manager nailed my gonads to a railway sleeper, I wrote to a Scotch whisky company, who, after three interviews, gave me a job. The rest, as they say, is history.

Can you remember the first malt whisky you ever had and what did you think of it?

I regret that I cannot recall the first malt whisky I ever had. But even when I first joined the Scotch industry from the wine industry, I hated Scotch. It took a while for my palate to develop, and I have not looked back since.

How does having a Master of Wine help you in your business?

Undoubtedly, around the world, it gives credibility to what you do and opens doors. The rarity of the qualification, and the respect in which it is held worldwide, is a great bonus. Of course – you still have to pass the exams!

You only sell single cask malt Scotch whisky. Can you explain what this means and why it is important?

In “Mackillop’s Choice” we only sell single cask malts, but in my main business we also sell bulk whisky for RTD’s, and everything else in between. The single cask business is the icing on the cake – but what an icing!

When making your selections what is it that you’re looking for in a Scotch?  

The same as when you are selecting a fine wine. Words that spring to mind are:- elegance, harmony, balance, typicity of region and distillery, excellence above and beyond that capable of the distillery bottling where many casks are mixed and bottled in one go – and so you are buying an “average”. A whisky that gives very truly of itself. A sample that passes my selection is like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

Mackillop’s Choice whiskies are available from Southtrade International. Please contact your local representative for more information.