Spey hosted one of the busiest events at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival as we investigated whether renewable energy systems are likely to change the flavour of your favourite dram.
Named as a ‘must see’ event in The Times, as well as featuring in other media, the interactive tasting session, ‘Still Game’, was hosted by acclaimed drinks writer Kristiane Westray (Sherry) along with our clients Briggs of Burton and Organic Architects. Guests sampled a range of malts, some of which were exclusive to the event, made using either traditional techniques or more sustainable methods.
Both Brigs of Burton and Organic Architects are advocates for change within the whisky industry, offering innovative solutions to greener spirit production. Guests agreed that newer, sustainable methods of production had no negative influence on the flavour profile of the drams.
Gareth Roberts, Founder and Consultant at Organic Architects, spoke at the event:
“Whisky is a very traditional product and there can be nervousness about the impact that advances in energy efficient production will have on flavour. This event was a unique chance for whisky lovers to find out for themselves what the whiskies of the future might taste like. We tasted and talked about these new drams and explored the impact of new greener distilling methods first hand.”
Scott Davies, Head of Marketing at Briggs of Burton, was also on the panel of expert speakers:
“Distilleries are exploring sustainable innovations to meet their decarbonisation ambition, so the BRIGGS team are pushing technology such as Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR) through BRIGGS ThermoDrive to reduce the carbon footprint of whisky-making. Having been a sponsor of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival for many years, we enjoyed discussing how sustainable innovations are transforming the industry and the implications for the whiskies of the future.”
Having hosted numerous whisky tastings and written for many of the most reputable drinks publications, event host Kristiane Westray enjoyed showcasing what could be the future of whisky.
“There’s so much work going on in Scotch right now to reduce the environmental impact of the whiskies we know and love. The question on the taste buds of many whisky lovers has been ‘will this impact the flavour and aroma profiles?’. I was thrilled to be working with Briggs or Burton and Organic Architects to dig into this perceived dilemma through the best medium of all: tasting. It’s clear that if we want to savour whisky for years to come there needs to be significant progress when it comes to sustainability.”
The packed event was held at the Craigellachie Hotel, described as the ‘oldest and greatest whisky hotel in the world’.
Photo courtesy of Craigellachie Hotel/Karol Kacper