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6th October 2009 |
Keith Law Diageo Whisky Master Blender
We put some questions to Keith Law,
Diageo Master Blender with over 30 years
experience in the whisky industry. Since
joining Diageo, Keith has worked at each
of Diageo’s 27 malt distilleries and 2
grain distilleries.
How much more do we know about whisky
production now than we did 30 years ago
when you started in the industry? And do
you think we are creating better and
more complex malts and blends today?
Some my favourite blends of whisky were
created over 100 years ago so I wouldn’t
say that new production techniques and
advances in technology are necessarily
responsible for making better blends.
However, I would definitely agree that
innovations in technology have certainly
helped marry the art of whisky blending
with science. They have helped give us
more accurate ways of measuring flavour
and understanding its’ creation.
For example, technological advances mean
we can be more accurate when blending
whiskies, particularly when it comes to
assessing flavours and alcoholic levels.
In addition to helping create whiskies,
innovation in technology has also been
extremely important in testing barrel
maturation and helping us to optimise
yields. As the demand for whisky rises
globally, it is thanks to these advances
in technology that we are able to meet
demand.
Would you say blending is a natural
talent or a skill you acquire through
training?
I most definitely think it can be
either. Within the team of master
blenders at Diageo we have a complete
range of experience, varying from people
like me who have grown up as a scientist
in the whisky industry to people who
have a more mathematical background that
have become blenders after starting a
career based on managing stocks and
yields. What we do have in common
however are great sensory skills. The
beauty of having a team of master
blenders here at Diageo is that we can
learn from each other and share our very
different experiences. Having a team
with different skill sets enables us to
come up with a huge variety of exciting
blends and means that there is always a
new idea on the table!
How do you learn the trade?
I began my career in the Scotch whisky
industry in 1979 when I joined the
Quality Control Laboratory at the
Caledonian Distillery in Edinburgh. My
career began not in malt whisky but in
grain whisky, where I worked closely
alongside my father. I consider myself a
sensory specialist in the whisky
industry, having spent 12 years as part
of the management team at Carsebridge
Technical Centre, responsible for
quality for all grain distilling and
specialised areas of malt distilling.
The primary focus of this role was
around optimisation of distillery
yields, flavour profiles and distillery
performance; A large part of this role
involved the nosing of new make spirit.
In 2007, with the formation of Diageo’s
European Technical Centre, Diageo’s
Master Blenders joined together to
become one team.
What are the day to day tasks of a
Master Blender, are you locked away in a
lab all day, creating or nosing samples
of new spirit, blend batches and
production line samples? How many whisky
samples would you actually test in a
day, and how many would you actually
taste, if any?
My role within the technical centre as a
Master Blender is varied. I am heavily
involved in the development of new
whisky products with end to end
responsibility from cask selection
through to overseeing production of
pre-market launch bottlings.
Since joining Diageo, I have worked at
each of Diageo’s 28 malt distilleries
and 2 grain distilleries. My roles have
been heavily focused on all aspects of
sensory analysis allowing me to develop
significant insights into flavour
creation, blending and a deep
understanding of the effects of oak on
maturation, cask structure and wood
physiology. My role is incredibly varied
but it is rare that a day passes when I
don’t taste a wee dram!
I am curious in how you go about the
task of creating a new blend? Do you
start with the flavour profile in your
mind which you want to achieve? How
important is the grain whisky in a blend
or is this not as important, as the malt
whiskies will come to the forefront when
added? Most of us never get to taste a
single grain whisky; does Diageo produce
different styles of grain whisky for
different blends, or does a blend of
grain whiskies go into a blend?
Most new blends are created in a family
style (e.g. “Buchanan’s”, “Johnnie
Walker” etc) of which key flavour
characteristics require to be
maintained. To create great blends you
need great whiskies, we therefore
require high quality grain whisky at the
heart of our blends. Grain whisky is
produced in a small number of
distilleries in Scotland , however on a
much greater scale. The whisky itself is
lighter and sweeter than the majority of
malt whiskies, and when blended together
with malts they reveal a greater range
of flavours. Grain whiskies are
available to consumers although in less
limited varieties than malt whiskies.
Diageo bottles “Cameronbrig” Single
Grain whisky, which is available to buy
in specialist whisky shops.
Within Diageo warehouses we have stocks
of Grain whisky from a number of
different distilleries that are used for
blending purposes.
You are in a unique position where you
have an insight into 28 malt
distilleries and 2 grain distilleries.
It must be like having the secret
formula for 30 different whiskies, with
the knowledge of how all these whiskies
are produced, do you think this gives
you a good advantage in developing new
whiskies?
I have been extremely fortunate to have
seen the inner workings of so many
prestigious distilleries over the last
30 years. Yes, it definitely gives me
excellent insight when I am developing
new blends.
The cask is so influential on the final
flavour of a whisky, do you think that
the effect the cask has on the whisky
has been mastered or are we still
learning?
We are constantly adding to our wealth
of understanding that we have on the
maturation process. There is still much
we have to learn on the “magic” that
happens when whisky is placed in a cask.
Are you working on any special new malts
or blends now which we may see in the
near future?
The team at Diageo is always working on
developing new and cutting edge blends
to meet consumer demand. We work very
closely with the consumer insights team
at Diageo to ensure that the blends we
are creating, closely match the ever
developing requirements of the whisky
connoisseur across the globe.
What whiskies have you been involved
with over the years that you would
consider extra special?
All of them! - I find whisky a unique
and fascinating subject to work with. Over the years I have learned so much
about the different whiskies and their
flavours. When you combine this with the
knowledge of the distilleries and the
pride of the people who make these
whiskies – it becomes a very special
thing.
Relaxing at home on a cold dark winter’s
night what whisky or whiskies would you
normally pour yourself?
I am a firm believer in drinking for
occasions and like to match my whisky to
the moment. However I never try to
prescribe to friends or colleagues the
best way to drink whisky. It is all
about personal taste and finding your
own serve and drinking moment.
For example, when enjoying a cold
winters night by the fire, I like to
take a dram of a smoky, rich whisky like
Johnnie Walker Black Label, and when I
am out with friends I prefer a light,
fruity Speyside (both with a wee splash
of water please!).
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More About Keith Law:
You can read more about Keith and his 30
years experience in the whisky industry
here:
Keith
Law Diageo Master Blender Biography
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