Fresh beginnings

It ‘s a big world out there,new Editor Rob Allanson ponders the view

So here it is, my first column at the helm of Whisky Magazine and what a time to take the reins.

The industry is incredibly buoyant with some cracking whiskies being released, so a very exciting time to step up to the plate.

I intend to use this column to share some of the excitement as I make my own journey through the whisky world.

It is a big world out there and there is so much to explore, not just Scotland but also Japan, Ireland, America and the Antipodes…and many more.

There are plenty of reasons why I am a big fan of this industry, not least the mystique that surrounds creating a decent whisky, bourbon or blend.

I love the fact that you can take the same raw ingredients, then put the liquid into a cask to mature and you get such a diversity of flavours. Better yet, science is still having a hard time to explain exactly why.

It's like the question of smell. It always fascinates me how this magazine's tasters smell (and I'm not referring to their personal hygiene – which is always exemplary), and what images the certain fragrances trigger in their memories.

Again science is still at a loss to explain this most primaeval of all the senses. We can send people to the moon but can we explain why Dave, Martine or Arthur get an image of cherry red boot polish when they nose a whisky? No, and frankly I don't want it explained away to me like some simple equation.

Does that make me a Luddite? Possibly, but it does also mean I enjoy the romance and history behind our...

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• By : Rob Allanson
• In : From the Editor
• Issue : 59
• Page : 5
• Words : 611