Alan Winchester Visits Australia
Alan has been in the industry for over forty years, working across twenty distilleries; as you can imagine, his stories are not in short supply. Talking to Alan is like opening an encyclopedia of Scotch, from its history, to its people, to its contemporary cousins making a name for themselves down under.
"Alan is very knowledgeable and his experience in scotch whisky is next level. All the expressions such as The Glenlivet single casks, The Founder’s Reserve through to the 21 Year Old are sensational. We are creating a new tasting flight named The Livet, and I am sure our customers will love this experience as I did." Akash Deep, Whisky enthusiast behind Sydney CBD gem, The Captain’s Balcony.
As the appetite for exceptional single malt continues to grow in Australia, it was only a matter of time before Alan satisfied his itch to visit, spending 3 weeks travelling across New Zealand and Australia in early March. With an unrivalled bar scene, and a dynamic community of local distilleries and breweries, Sydney was a haven for Alan. Between tastings, he managed to talk his way into Batch Brewery and meet the team behind Poor Tom’s and Archie Rose, amongst others.
Throughout his trip, Alan’s humble enthusiasm was palpable. I caught up with Jay Cozma of the Shady Pines crew, after Alan’s intimate masterclass there.
"Today was a super fun session, Alan’s stories were awesome. I love getting the small inside stories you wouldn’t be able to find researching elsewhere. Plus the booze was tasty as hell."
This was, unfortunately, his last hoorah before the COVID-19 crisis cut his visit short. Had this not been the case, Alan would have travelled on to Melbourne for a series of tastings and events. Perhaps most excitingly, a trade masterclass that would have seen him come together with Michelle McGoff, the Master Tea Sommelier at T2, to bring to life the partnership that aims to encourage new drinking rituals for single malt.
We really hope to have Alan back in Australia soon, until then you can follow him on @theglenlivetalan and myself, @glenlivet_maddie for updates!
