Rethinking The Approach To Single Malt Scotch with Smokehead

Cocktails Distilled

We live in a time when people often refer to Scotch not only by the brand name but also by the age of the liquid.

In executive boardrooms and exclusive gentlemen's clubs, the names of single malts are mentioned with a certain reverence, and a hush will come over the room as a Glenlivit 74-year-old or a Dalmore 45-year-old, as discussed. They are expensive, they are exclusive, and they have given single malt scotch an air of rarity and distinction.

But there is one brand that seeks to throw all the trappings of labelling aside and who seeks to challenge the drinker to look to flavour and taste as a benchmark.

With Smokehead, the liquid in its bottles is Islay single malts, but distillery names and age classifications are not mentioned.

In other words, Smokehead is looking to take you down the road less travelled and presents cask-finished whiskies that have the pedigree but without the labelling.

To find out what it all means we talk to Michael Brown, Global Whisky Brand Ambassador for Smokehead’s parent company, Ian Macleod Distillers about flavour, smoke and what disrupting scotch whiskey means

Chapters

1. Rethinking The Approach To Single Malt Scotch with Smokehead (00:00:00)

2. Smokehead are not distillers, you're not blenders, so how would you describe exactly what it is that Smokehead does? (00:02:09)

3. What does rebellious mean in the modern-day scotch whiskey industry? (00:02:51)

4. But when you say you're disruptive, what exactly does that mean? (00:03:21)

5. Why do you think putting a single malt in a cocktail is so looked down upon? (00:04:14)

6. What can a Single Malt add to a cocktail? (00:05:37)

7. How do you pick the casks that you use and how do you decide what to do with them? (00:07:03)

8. With the sharp downturn in Sherry drinkers, is it hard to get Sherry casks? (00:08:55)

9. Since smoke is in your name, is it fair to say that peatiness is one of the most important aspects of your liquid? (00:12:15)

10. Do you think the secrecy about your liquids adds to the brand or frightens people off? (00:13:21)

11. We live in a world that relies heavily on labels, why should consumers buy into a brand that doesn't have any? (00:14:35)

12. How do you want people to approach your liquids? (00:16:05)

13. tell us a little about Twisted Stout (00:16:44)

14. What's some of the more unusual ways that bartenders have used your Scotch? (00:19:00)

15. Tell us about the Smoke mask you created (00:21:38)

16. Tell us more about your Smokehead membership (00:24:57)

17. Where is Smokehead available? (00:25:54)

18. What is the futiure of the brand? What will you be disrupting next? (00:26:16)

19. What does International Whisk(e)y Day mean to you, and to the brand? (00:27:28)