In high spirits

Dressed in the traditional Scottish attire, Alex Robertson greeted every guest at Park Hyatt and then took them through some of the finest whiskies of The Glenlivet. This former BBC journalist, who is the international brand ambassador for the Chivas Brothers since the last five years, talks about his passion -- teaching aficionados and novices world over on the art of whiskey tasting

My love for the drink comes from my homeland. Scotch is after all Scotland’s finest offering to the world! What makes it special is that it is created entirely from natural ingredients. I was introduced to whiskey by my grandfather. Needless to say, The Glenlivet is now my passion. Whiskey was always my true love. After leaving my career as a journalist, I opened a bar, experimented with the art of whiskey making. When I heard that Chivas Brothers were looking for a brand ambassador, I made a presentation and here I am.

We have a group called Guardians of Glenlivet, the official fan club of Glenlivet. These are spread far and across. There are more than one hundred thousand guardians, who are the most loyal customers of the brand and I get to interact and meet them at exclusive events. Recently they were asked to choose the new mark for the brand and it was an experience that I cherish the most.

I am here in Hyderabad as a part of the seven days seven cities tour. Consumption of single malt whiskey is on the rise in India and in this sixth leg of the tour, I will be guiding the guests on pairing whiskey with food and tasting. The spirit in each bottle is the same. The age of each whiskey, the number of years it has spent in the cask and the complexity thus rendered, is what differentiates one from the other. We’re going to start with 12 and 15 and conclude with 18 and 21.

The first is smooth, welcoming—the perfect aperitif, if you may. It gives out a signature note of pineapple. The second is both rich and exotic. Its distinctive character can be attributed to the proportion of casks made from French Oak. Cinnamon adds a hint of spice. The third is both balanced and elegant—a combination of several different cask types, American and European Oak, and signature notes of sweet oranges and toffee. And we conclude with The Glenlivet 21, which is produced in bespoke batches with dried fruits and ginger. It is the most debonair of the lot.

Told to Aditya Parankusam