Scotland’s best distillers join forces to create special blend for IWSC’s 50th anniversary

Five of the best distillers in the world have teamed up to create a blended malt Scotch whisky in celebration of the IWSC’s 50^th anniversary this year.

Master Blenders Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay, Dr Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie, David Stewart of William Grant & Sons, Caroline Martin of Diageo, and Kirsteen Campbell of Edrington each provided 20 bottles of whisky from their respective companies to create a total of 100 bottles of the special blend. The whisky is made of 50 components to mark the 50 years of the IWSC.

“We’ve got all the classics here – the Highlands, the Lowlands, the Campbeltowns and the Islays, the influence from the Speyside Valley, and also a hint of peat from our friends at Glenmorangie,” said Paterson, who has been involved with the IWSC for 40 years.

In June, the whiskies were poured into a special barrel – the same one that was used for the IWSC’s 40^th anniversary blend ten years ago – at the IWSC’s headquarters in Dunsfold Park. The whisky will be left to age until October when it will be bottled by leading bottle manufacturer O-I in time to be served at the IWSC’s 50^th anniversary banquet on 28 November. Some bottles will also be auctioned for charity.

“The people that we’ve got here today are the best of the best, and we’re very proud to have them do this,” said IWSC operations manager Bev Steer.

Bill Lumsden, master distiller of Glenmorangie, has been judging for the IWSC for over 16 years, and contributed to the 40^thanniversary blend alongside Paterson, Stewart, and representatives from a series of other Scotch distilleries including Diageo and Edrington.

“I’ve supported the IWSC along with my colleagues for many, many years. We rate the competition very highly – it’s very important to our industry, so to get the opportunity to do something fun like this was a no-brainer. It was a privilege to be asked,” Lumsden said.

“The anniversary blend is a great assemblage, and to me it encapsulates what blending is all about. It’s a celebratory, luxury drink,” added Paterson.