CHARLES MACLEAN
What did you do before you began writing about whisky? I was a lawyer.
How did you get started working with the whisky industry? I got a copywriting job for Bell’s in 1981 and througout the 1980s I worked for Macallan, Glenmorangie and Highland Distillers.
Where did you first taste whisky? I first tasted malt whisky with my school friend Charlie Grant, whose father, Russell Grant owned Glenlivet Distillery.
What is the oldest whisky that you have ever tasted? A Macallan distilled in 1874.
Where in Scotland should whisky fans visit? Speyside is a Mecca for anyone with an interest in Whisky. It has the greatest number of distilleries of any area in Scotland and is home to the whisky trail. It also plays host to a number of whisky festivals throughout the year including the Spirit of Speyside festival and the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival.
What is your tip for the best way to enjoy whisky? Use the right glass. A spirits measuring glass is best, or a white wine glass.
How did you end up playing a whisky expert in the film The Angels’ Share? At first I was asked to act as a script advisor and invited Director, Ken Loach along to a single lot whisky auction at Bonham’s as there was to be a similar auction in the film. The next day, the film company called me to say how useful the auction had been and to tell me that Ken wanted me to have a role in the film.
What are your interests outside of whisky? I like to shoot, fish, cook, sail and read whisky books.
Where did you shoot your first quarry? I shot my first stag at Dorback Estate, near Nethybridge and my first grouse on Glenlivet Estate.
Do you believe in ghosts? Yes, I once investigated a ghost at Glen Rothes, when an apparition began to appear in the still house in the late 1980s. It turned out to be the ghost of Biawa Makalanga, an African who had been rescued as a small boy by Major Grant of the neighbouring Glen Grant Distillery after his parents died in the 1890s.
May 2014 - Whisky Month will take in hundreds of events that spread across the entire country, celebrating the world-beating quality of Scotland’s food and drink.
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