Who better to tell the world about a Speyside whisky than a Speysider himself? Since 2005, Iain Allan,has gained an extraordinarily in-depth knowledge of the distillery and he is always delighted to share his expertise. Iain can often be found welcoming visitors to the Glen Moray distillery, introducing them to their traditions and their whiskies as they take a tour. He also travels in the UK and abroad, sharing Glen Moray's diverse range more widely by attending whisky fairs and holding masterclasses.
Iain has helped to develop a number of limited edition single malt whiskies at Glen Moray and is instrumental in promoting Speyside's Malt Whisky Trail. So for those keen to understand more about Glen Moray whisky and the region Speyside, Iain is a great person to know. We got to know him personally and have been fortunate to hold an interview with him. Here is our interview:
WDF: Hi Iain. Thanks very much for your time today. Please tell us a bit more about yourself: Where do you come from and how did you end up working for Glen Moray? Also what involves your job at Glen Moray?
Iain: My name is Iain Allan and I am the Visitor Centre Manager and Global Brand Ambassador for Glen Moray Distillery. I was born here in Elgin but having moved away to go to University in Aberdeen I fell in love with the drinks industry when I took on a part time job at Threshers (a wines and spirits store). This led me to move back to Speyside to take on a role as Visitor Centre Manager at The Macallan Distillery before moving to Glen Moray in 2005. After moving to Glen Moray I discovered that my Great Grandfather was a stillman here in the 1930’s so there must have been some family calling to come here.
WDF: Glen Moray is known for their experimental wood finishes over the last few years. But we are interested how you would describe the Glen Moray new make spirit in its character and taste. Please describe (if possible) in 2 terms how you see the new make spirit.
Iain: Glen Moray new make is a remarkably versatile spirit tat works amazingly well at a younger age with casks that could be described as “less active” but it also holds its own when it is left for a longer time in more influential casks. It is this profile that allows us to be so experimental with what we do. For your two word descriptor I always say “toffee apple” is the key flavours to come through.
WDF: I mentioned the experimental wood finishes before. Did the experimental side become part of the general philosophy of Glen Moray or is there a historical background for that?
Iain: Historically, under previous ownership, Glen Moray was always a bit of “testing lab” for new casks but the brand didn’t really have a route to market for these for products but now the brand is more developed and is beginning to create a name for itself with these interesting cask selections. Whilst a lot of these casks were inherited we continue to search for and source new and interesting casks for future releases.
WDF: Are you able to tell us about further special wood finish releases in 2022/2023 and if so what finishes can we expect?
Iain: We are just putting the finishing touches on the tasting notes for this years Distillery Editions, following on from the 3 wine casks we had last year we have selected a Full Maturation Port Barrique and also a Port Finish but using some of our Peated Glen Moray. We have also selected this years Warehouse 1 releases which will be an Amarone Finish, an Amontillado Finish and also a full maturation Oloroso Finish.
WDF: During the years you have been in the industry, what significant changes you have experienced?
Iain: This year is 20yrs for me in the whisky business and there has been a huge amount of change over this short period (in whisky terms) of time. Firstly the most obvious is expansion of distilleries, when I arrived at Glen Moray we had an annual capacity of 2.2m litres but now we are sitting at 6m litres and this growth can be seen across a number of distilleries. Prices have also risen quite sharply and I am always proud of the stance we take at Glen Moray around sensible pricing, meaning most of what we sell is enjoyed and not tucked away in a cupboard as someone’s retirement plan.Also we have seen a great development in whisky tourism, meaning marketing are paying more attention to brand homes which is great for the industry but also great for Scotland as it gives another great reason to visit.
WDF: We remember well that Glen Moray have released two batches of Cider Cask finished whisky. We heard rumour that this sort of finish will not come back. Can you tell us something about that?
Iain: Cider Cask was an example of us maybe pushing the envelope too far in experimentation, or certainly in the eyes of the SWA. It fell foul of the “not traditional” ruling and as a result we were asked not to repeat.
WDF: How do you (and the team) see the future for Glen Moray? Is there any project in the pipeline or anything we would like to know about?
Iain: The future is looking extremely bright for Glen Moray, we have such a passionate team of people behind the brand from the production team here in Elgin to our marketing team based in France and the close relationship we have is helping to develop new whiskies for the future but also continue the quality we have in our core range. This year we are hoping to unveil a new look to the packaging but also to add some older/vintage expressions to our lineup.
WDF: If we take a look at the German exhibition side… where will we be able to meet you in the future? Are you attending any shows this year?
Iain: With Covid travel has been difficult and Germany is one of the markets I enjoy visiting most so I look forward to getting back out to visit. At the moment I have Bar Convent Berlin in October and Interwhisky Frankfurt in November/December in my diary but hope to get out to more if possible.
WDF: Last time we have been on site at Glen Moray Distillery we noticed a refurbishment of the visitor centre and also a change in the Distillery Only bottling station. Tell us a bit more about the different tour options you offer on site in Elgin at the distillery.
Iain: We have developed our bottle your own to offer a selection of 3 different bottlings, these are usually a younger one, an older one and a peated one. This was off the back of the success of the single bottle your own we had previously. During lockdown we had the chance to develop a residential property on site into a private tasting area and blending lab. In here we are launching a “Wine to Whisky Experience” where we can talk about the close relationship Glen Moray has with Port and Madeira Casks in particular. We are also delighted to return to touring our production which has not really been possible during the covid outbreak.
WDF: We will host several different whisky experience events in 2022. Our events are multisensory experiences which gives our guest a full insight in the world of flavours. We take our guests on a journey such as hikes, blending workshops, coffee/whisky seminars, wild life exploring, bbq/whisky master class and much more. Could you imagine to bring Glen Moray into such an event format of us showing the brand in line with an experience character?
Iain: Absolutely! We are always open to developing new experiences and also tailoring them to what the visitors want.
WDF: Thanks very much Iain. We look very much forward to the bright future of Glen Moray and of course to all the new bottlings and vintage expressions. That would be a great reason to pay us a visit in Germany and hosting a special event with us.
A little note for our readers:
On the 26th March 2022 we hosted a Whisky Experience event and had the chance to taste several unique bottlings of Glen Moray. Part of this was also the viewing of the showcase video which yo find here. More info you will find on our social media channels Facebook & Instagram. Please feel free to follow us and give us a like.
Here are some recommended videos with Iain talking about Glen Moray...
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