Laura Rampling, Master Whisky Maker at The Glenrothes, discusses sustainability, innovation, and the recent release of the distillery’s 32-Year-Old single malt.
You’ve been in the whisky industry for over 15 years and started off in marketing and product development. How did this shape your approach to whisky making?
Having a broad range of experience in your chosen industry is always helpful. The experience I gained on the marketing and product development side means that I always have the end consumer in mind when I am working on whiskies. It helps to strengthen my focus on quality and, also, gives breadth to my thinking around new products and the storytelling around them.
You recently visited Hong Kong for the first time to launch The Glenrothes 32-Year-Old; what were your impressions of the city?
I absolutely loved Hong Kong. Coming from Scotland, I am used to rolling green hills and large bodies of water, but the juxtaposition of a thriving, fast-paced city, built on the water and nestled amongst the hills was stunning. To me, the city had both a traditional and modern international feel to it, which was very interesting. I don’t feel like I had sufficient time to explore it and will have to come back.
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The 32-Year-Old release is a rare offering. What do you hope whisky connoisseurs in Hong Kong take away from this experience?
The 32-year old really captures the spirit of our distillery by honouring one of longest longest-serving distillery managers, John Smith. He served as manager for 32 years, in the late 19th-early 20th century, and saw the distillery through some turbulent times, including two fires and one explosion. His spirit of resilience brought the distillery back stronger each time, and his great leadership meant he was well-loved among the workers. This whisky is designed to celebrate his spirit, using Spanish oak casks to overlay a taste of nostalgia onto the characteristic elegance of The Glenrothes.
You became Master Whisky Maker in 2020. How have you grown into the role, and what personal mark do you hope to leave on the brand?
I have spent a lot of time over the past 4-5 years getting to know the distillery and the whisky extremely well. With relatively little stock we are a legitimately rare whisky, and one of the real benefits of this has been being able to get to know my stock intimately. This gives me the knowledge and experience to be able to pull together every whisky I make cask by cask, bringing a very personal touch to each one and ensuring the true elegance of The Glenrothes spirit shines bright every single time.
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Whisky-making is both a science and an art. How do you balance these two elements when crafting a whisky?
A balance of science and art is exactly right, which is why whisky-making cannot be done without people. The balance for me comes from the human aspect. Of course, it’s crucial to understand the science behind our spirit – how it is made, how its character is formed, and how it behaves in different types of casks. The art, however, comes through the knowledge of each individual cask and being able to bring stories to life through the selection of casks to produce a finished product.
The Glenrothes is known for its commitment to quality and rarity. What makes the 32- Year-Old Single Malt stand out?
The selection of casks for The 32 delivers a whisky that transports you back to the time of John Smith, to a kitchen in the late 19th century with stewed plums in the oven, a pan of treacle toffee bubbling on the stove, jars of spices on the worktop and a pot of freshly brewed Earl Grey tea on the table. It is a sensory time machine, created to honour the spirit of one of longest longest-serving distillery managers, to emulate the warmth of his character, the nostalgic flavours of that time, and the characteristic elegance of The Glenrothes spirit which is timeless.
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The distillery uses water from private springs filtered through ancient volcanic bedrock. How does this influence the whisky’s flavour profile?
The water we use in the production of our new make spirit is the softest water used in the production of Scotch malt whisky. It’s an exclusive water source, a network of springs that run under the grounds of our estate only available to us. The geological make-up of the rocks through which this spring water is filtered creates this softness, in other words, removing minerals, and this low mineral content means that we do not impart any unwanted taints to our spirit from the outset, that we do not need to add any chemicals to clean it before use, and that it reacts differently through the mashing and fermentation processes to create our distinct character.
All of this is fundamental in the creation of our bright, fruity and elegant new make spirit which carries a distinct refined character throughout decades and decades of ageing.
Sherry-seasoned oak casks play a significant role in the ageing process at The Glenrothes. What impact do they have on the whisky’s character?
We commission our casks to be made and seasoned with sherry for us, rather than buying them off the open market – it’s a huge investment but allows us to control the quality. Our sherry seasoning leaves the casks very active, meaning that they then layer rich flavours onto the elegant character of The Glenrothes spirit.
As the whisky gets older, the “ageing” of the spirit itself starts to become more prominent and The Glenrothes develops into very fragrant and aromatic territories, providing a delicate counterbalance to the stronger wood-derived flavours.
In something like The 32 you can see significant contribution from the Spanish oak casks used, in the sweet baking spices and rich notes of treacle toffee, but our distillery character still shines through with abundant fruit as well as the fragrant hallmark of the spirit’s age.
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How is The Glenrothes addressing sustainability in its production methods?
We are continuously looking at how to make our whisky more sustainable and the biggest area for everyone in the Scotch whisky industry is energy usage. In order to use less fuel, we recently put a new heat recovery system into the distillery to help re-distribute and re-purpose the heat generated by the process. We also put in a new mill to move us towards high-gravity brewing, again with the aim of lowering our energy usage. We have a robust plan in place for further developments in this area to get us to net zero over the next few years.
My role in this is to be the custodian for liquid quality – to ensure that, with every change we make, we can still produce the same quality of spirit as we do today.
As a brand rooted in tradition, how does The Glenrothes continue to innovate?
The Glenrothes is rooted in tradition but has also always been a very progressive distillery. We are trialling things all the time – from different barley varietals to different yeast strains – to understand what impact that has on production and flavour. I also have an experimental wood pipeline, but these all things take time as Scotch whisky maturation is not a speedy process! However, the important thing to mention is that, whilst we constantly have an eye on innovation, I would not release anything to market purely for its story or point of difference – the quality of the liquid is always paramount.
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Whisky culture varies around the world. How have you seen the appreciation for whisky evolve, especially in markets like Hong Kong?
My observation is that consumers around the world are becoming more interested and therefore more knowledgeable about whisky. As a result, the more informed are starting to diversify and seek out the lesser-known brands, the ones which you have to work a little harder to discover. Hong Kong is no exception, and we are finding that for the more discerning consumer, a lot of the reward lies in finding the hidden gems in this relatively complex category.
What advice would you give to someone just starting their whisky journey?
Whisky is made to be enjoyed, so my advice would be to explore and seek out what you like. And in terms of highly aged single malts, such as The Glenrothes 32, it’s about appreciating the subtle nuances that age brings to a refined whisky such as this. I don’t like to dictate how people drink their own whisky, as it’s down to personal taste. However, my only recommendation would be to try it at first with just a couple of drops of water which helps to open it up and, also, to spend a bit of time with it. After all, it has spent over three decades in cask getting itself ready for that moment, so dedicating a little bit of attention to all the complex flavours those years have brought is worthwhile.
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