Standing out from the flock (Spencerfield Spirits)
Ian Buxton dons his wellies and digs out his shepherd’s crook
Spencerfield Spirits is not your usual whisky company. For one thing, itâs based in the tack room attic of the ownerâs thoroughbred livery stable and, for another, you have to meet Doug (the company dog, pronounced âdugâ â itâs a pun, you see) and four friendly horses before you get down to business.
And then itâs considered good form to knock the mud off your shoes as you clamber up to the office (did I mention this involves crossing the horsesâ paddock?).
Then there are the whiskies â with names like Sheep Dip and Pigâs Nose you might think they were just part of the trend to silly names. So it would be easy to conclude that this was just some kind of jokey, lifestyle business that will be happy selling a few cases of whisky to mates before closing the office for an early, liquid lunch.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
As the companyâs Alex Nicol explains: âThese are typical âorphan brandsâ discarded by large companies as being unworkable in international markets and too quirky to succeed with their portfolio approach. But small niche, fleet-footed operators can often run rings round heavier, more ponderous rivals.â But it isnât just a question of a wacky name. There are serious whisky credentials here, though worn lightly and with an irreverent sense of wit and style that, if somewhat out of step with the zeitgeist (dominated as it is by spreadsheets and Blackberries), is delightfully reminiscent of an older and more gracious way.....
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By Ian Buxton
Section : Whisky Trends
Page number : 24
