Episode 3. Colin Scott: The Magic of Blending

World renowned master blender Colin Scott has spent his entire career working in the whisky industry, responsible for the creation of many iconic whiskies such as Chivas Regal 18. In 2019 after nearly 50 years spent at the pinnacle of the industry, he felt it was perhaps time to retire. It was not to be – life had more in store for Colin, and as he explains, a real passion for Scotch whisky never leaves you. Now the master blender for The Last Drop Distillers, he has swapped a large global conglomerate for a small team specialising in extremely rare and special aged whiskies – sniffing out the best of the best.

Born in Orkney in 1950, a whisky heartland, Colin has been immersed in the making of this most deliciously complex of liquids for as long as he can remember. Blending, he says, is an exercise in true teamwork – he has described it as like having a football team – “you’ve got your star but then you’ve got the workhorses behind them – similarly you’ve got whiskies that keep everything right and then ones that you then have to control.” Here, he tells us it’s also very much like having a party. It’s the harmonious sum of all the parts that leads to the most beautiful taste experience.

The art of managing flavours requires not only incredible know how and a phenomenal nose for what’s what, but also extraordinary passion. What does blending remarkable whisky mean to Colin? It’s simple – it’s a case of bringing pleasure and joy to millions of people around the world.