“Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks” is Dr Bill Lumsden’s full title, which makes him head of everyone working in production at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, both part of the LVMH group. Anyone expecting a quiet, sedate man of dignified bearing is wide of the mark. For Dr Bill, as everyone calls him, has an exuberant temperament — he is articulate, talkative and, above all, passionate. The 61-year-old Scot is a genuine celebrity in the world of whisky, and thus the finest calling card for the brands he represents.
The biochemist joined Glenmorangie as distillery manager in 1995. He has achieved a great deal since then, above all perfecting the art of finishing — maturing whisky in casks other than those used for its initial ageing. As the man in charge of wood selection, he travels halfway around the world in search of the finest timber. He finds it chiefly in Spain and France, but overseas too. He has an entirely free hand in his work and can do exactly as he pleases, for he enjoys the full confidence of his employers and commands seemingly inexhaustible resources: “I can’t even spell the word ‘budget’,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Dr Bill is a showman. He talks loudly, at length and at speed, a gifted storyteller who knows just how to deploy his Scottish accent with its rolling ‘r’s, along with strikingly expressive features and gestures. There is no lukewarm with him — only cold or hot. And whisky has had him burning hot ever since his first drinking experience at the age of 15 with Dave, his best friend at the time. Dave’s parents had gone to the opera; meanwhile the two boys played Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath at full volume and got stuck into the parental drinks cabinet. In no time at all the pair were blind drunk and could no longer stay on their feet. “When Dave’s parents came home, we had wrecked my friend’s guitar and we caught it good and proper. Awful!” Dr Bill recalls. “Incidentally, I still remember exactly which whisky we drained: it was Stewart’s Cream of the Barley. The rest is a haze ...”
Magic from a few ingredients
The experience, at any rate, didn’t put him off drinking, and at 20 he began to take a serious interest in whisky. Even then — what a coincidence — Glenmorangie was his favourite, for the wealth of complex aromas that so delighted the young man. The rest is history. Today Dr Bill spends roughly half his working time hunting for wood and on quality control, 30 % on developing new products and the remainder as brand ambassador. Though he sees that role rather as one of encouragement: he is keen that beginners, too, should approach his favourite drink without prejudice. “Grain, water, yeast and the right cask — that’s all it takes to work a true wonder,” he says. And he is happy to share tips on how best to enjoy that wonder (see the box “Releasing the Serpent”).
On a hectic day the expert tastes up to 100 samples — and spits every one of them out. Or so he claims. But after all these years, has he never had — quite literally — his nose full of it? No signs of fatigue, Dr Bill? “Are you kidding? Whisky isn’t my job. It’s my life! My wife says I’m married to the company and she’s my mistress — and as always, she’s absolutely right!”
A deadly serious business
Whisky is part of Scotland’s DNA, but times have changed. “When I was a child, whisky wasn’t regarded as a pleasure — more as medicine — and drinking it was almost a religious act. Back then, whisky was meant only for older men, who drank it of an evening sitting in their leather armchairs, wordless and wearing expressions heavy with meaning,” he recalls. “Nobody ever smiled while drinking whisky, let alone laughed. It was a deadly serious business and, accordingly, dull as ditchwater. I see it quite differently and want to democratise whisky. Whisky isn’t meant for some elite. Whisky is for everyone! Above all, drinking whisky should be fun, man!”
This article appeared in MEN issue 1/22 (May 2022).
