50 YEARS OF WHISKY WITH KENNY MACKAY

This week, Mitch sits down with whisky industry veteran Kenny Mackay at Ballindalloch Distillery in Speyside.Kenny has spent nearly 50 years in Scotch whisky, working with names including Peter Thompson’s, Bowmore, Macallan, Carn Mor, Lindores Abbey and Ballindalloch. In this episode, he shares stories from across his career, from missing out on becoming a helicopter pilot to helping launch Black Bowmore and shaping some of Scotland’s best known whisky brands.We talk about the early days of malt whisky marketing, growing Macallan in Scotland, the birth of whisky collecting, the changing world of independent bottling, and why Ballindalloch’s slow, estate led approach makes it such a special distillery.Kenny also gives his take on where the Scotch whisky industry is right now, why downturns are nothing new, and why he still sees plenty of reasons to be optimistic.Expect brilliant stories, sharp industry insight, a few legendary bottles, and one very committed fire alarm.Timestamps00:00 Welcome to Ballindalloch Distillery01:10 Introducing Kenny Mackay02:20 The Navy’s loss and whisky’s gain03:00 Starting out at Peter Thompson’s of Perth04:20 Glen Grant, Macallan and early whisky distribution06:20 How the industry has changed over 50 years09:40 The story behind Black Bowmore12:00 Bowmore 40 Year Old and early luxury whisky13:50 Independent bottling then and now14:30 Building Carn Mor19:40 One of One and raising millions for charity23:00 Ballindalloch Distillery and the single estate approach29:00 Vintage releases and the long term family vision31:30 Kenny’s take on the current Scotch whisky market38:00 The cashflow reality of growing a single malt brand39:10 Quick fire questions44:20 Desert island dramsHosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.🥃 New episodes every week(ish)🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com📲 Follow us on InstagramSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.