Parker's Progress
Richard Parker is turning a passion for whisky in to a healthy business. Dominic Roskrow reports
The High Street in Banff doesnât look like a mecca for whisky. In fact at 7pm on a warm summerâs evening on a weekday it doesnât look much of anything.
The shops are all shut and the pavements deserted.
Which is a problem because we are due to start a whisky tasting, the shop is empty, and I canât help thinking that itâs a long way to come to speak to no-one.
âDonât worry, theyâll come,â says Richard.
âItâs always like this. Five minutes before weâre due to start it looks like no-oneâs coming and then they suddenly appear from nowhere.â Heâs right. Moments later the first guests start arriving and they continue to stream in until the shop is full, standing room only.
So after selling coal to Newcastle, what does an Englishman bring to a tasting for a large group of Speyside farmers? I opt for Arran 10 year old, Scapa and Bunnahabhain 18 year old to show that Speyside isnât the only region to do creamy and fruity, and Benriach Curiositas to show that Islay isnât the only place doing peat. Last up is the recently-released organic Benromach.
Itâs a strange tasting. The audience say little and give little indication as to what they think. Until the end, that is, when each of them comes over for a brief chat, pick up one or two bottles from the group we have tasted, pay and leave. In all they spend more than £1500.
For Richard regular tastings have become an integral part of his business, and itâs paying off. He doesnât charge for hi.....
To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue
or subscribe to Whisky Magazine to have every issue delivered direct to your door.
You can unlock and read this entire article with 1 of your community tokens by clicking here.
By Dominic Roskrow
Section : Spotlight
Page number : 27
