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Whyte and Mackay’s Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass Crowned International Master Distiller of the Year.
Here is one whisky award which is truly
deserved by the recipient, Whyte and
Mackay’s talented, creative and
innovative Master Whisky Maker Gregg
Glass, Gregg has just been named Master
Distiller of the Year at the global
Icons of Whisky Awards 2023, in a
prestigious ceremony on Thursday 30th
March.
This historic win for Glass sees him
become one of the youngest ever
recipients of this outstanding award,
which is among the worldwide whisky
industry’s ultimate accolades.
Glass is renowned for his experimental
and inventive approach to whisky making.
Since joining Whyte and Mackay in 2016,
Glass’ impact has been felt throughout
the business and its portfolio of single
malt distilleries: The Dalmore, Jura,
Fettercairn and Tamnavulin.
The team Glass created, shaped, and
worked alongside is credited with the
rejuvenation of the Jura and Fettercairn
distilleries as well as the creation of
the brand’s independent innovation wing,
Whisky Works, in 2017.
Glass is also the mastermind behind
Whyte and Mackay’s pioneering and
celebrated Scottish Oak Programme, which
aims to help establish the use of native
oak as a quality raw material for the
wider spirits industry, starting with
Scotch. In 2022, the Scottish Oak
Programme won The Spirits Business Award
for Innovation in Production.
Having grown up on the Black Isle,
across the Cromarty Firth from The
Dalmore distillery, Glass has worked in
the whisky industry for 24 years. Prior
to joining Whyte and Mackay, he
solidified his reputation as an
innovator at Compass Box. Joining the
fifth largest whisky producer – Whyte
and Mackay – in 2016, Glass has since
led whisky making innovation across the
portfolio which also includes The
Woodsman and Invergordon.
Presenting the award, Whisky Magazine’s
Editor-at-Large, Christopher Coates,
highlighted Glass’ undeniable passion
for both nature and nurture, crediting
him for charting an exciting course for
the industry.
Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass
comments: "As a whisky maker, to be
recognised by our industry, in a room of
peers, at a time when Scotland is alive
with brilliant whisky making, is truly
humbling.
"This accolade is not mine alone, it is
testament to the dedication of everyone
within the Whyte and Mackay community,
who give their all in the pursuit of
creating the finest whiskies.
"It is an absolute pleasure to be
leading whisky making at five incredible
distilleries on behalf of Whyte and
Mackay. I cannot wait to share with you
the fantastic whiskies the team have
laid down, to be released when the time
is right.
"Thank you to everyone at Icons of
Whisky for this award – it is a real
honour."
Richard Paterson, Master Distiller at
Whyte and Mackay, himself a winner of
the Icons of Whisky Lifetime Achievement
Award and inductee number 15 into the
Whisky Hall of Fame, comments:
"What an achievement for Gregg, an
incredible accolade, and, likely, the
youngest winner to be recognised by the
industry in this way.
"From the moment I met Gregg, I
recognised not only his talent for
creating exceptional whisky, but for his
unmistakable passion. That passion is
everything – it is what defines the
greatest blenders in our industry and
this award is a tribute to his
creativity as a whisky maker."
Gregg’s win follows his success in the
recent regional Icons of Whisky Awards,
where he was named Scotch Whisky Master
Distiller of the Year. At those same
awards, Invergordon Grain Whisky also
received the top award in the Grain
Whisky category, while Whyte and
Mackay’s Kieran Healey-Ryder was Highly
Commended as Scotch Whisky Ambassador.
If you want to sample some of Greggs creative whiskies you will
find the current Jura, The Dalmore,
Fettercairn and Tamnavulin whisky ranges available from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop,
Master of Malt
and
Hard To Find Whisky
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