A drink with… Kevin Abrook, William Grant

William Grant & Sons’ global whisky specialist for innovation Kevin Abrook talks new releases, “liquid crème brûlée” and creating compelling spirits.

Kevin Abrook, global whisky specialist for innovation at William Grant & Sons

*This interview was first published in the November 2015 issue of The Spirits Business magazine

How does your role work?

My role is to inform, educate and excite people about our Scotch whisky innovations, The Girvan Patent Still, Kininvie, Ladyburn and Rare Cask Reserves.

That ranges from conducting launch events, training distributor partners, media interviews, whisky dinners and tastings, to running masterclasses at whisky shows.

As part of the innovation team I also act as an adviser on new product development, especially liquid development.

What most excites you about whisky?

I think it is a fantastic time for whisky. In my 25 years in the industry I have never seen such interest and excitement, from enthusiasts and novices alike, about all the different styles of whisky out there – and not just Scotch.

There is a real hunger for knowledge and in my role that is very motivating. I’m also very excited about all the new innovations in whisky, such as the single grain. We recently launched The Girvan Patent Still, which has been very successful amongst whisky lovers.”

What should whisky lovers look out for?

[Last year] I hosted the launch of Kininvie Special Release #1 “The First Drops” in London. This is an extremely exciting release from Kininvie – just three casks from the first drops to celebrate 25 years of the distillery. The UK release is single cask, and Europe and Taiwan also have their own individual single cask Special Release #1, which will be launching in coming months.

We are active with our Rare Cask Reserves, launching a new 21YO “Ghosted Reserve”, a blend from silent distilleries. Then there is Ailsa Bay Single Malt. We have very exciting plans for 2016.

What trends do you see for whisky?

There is still a lot of interest in small batch, “craft” whiskies, but we are also seeing a trend towards the science of things to make great liquid – this will benefit The Girvan Patent Still. The demand from whisky enthusiasts and collectors for rare, limited edition whiskies will continue and there will be increasing interest in whiskies from unusual countries as enthusiasts look for new things.

What do you look for in a dram?

I like richness and mellowness, with a bit of spice and caramelised fruit notes; softer styles. Unsurprisingly I like classic Speyside single malts like Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey.  The Girvan Patent Still 25YO is a cracking whisky – I call it “liquid crème brûlée!”

What does innovation mean to you?

Obviously innovation is about the new, but for me it’s not just new ideas – that’s the easy part. It’s how you make new ideas compelling over the long term that counts; seeding ideas properly.

Hendrick’s and Monkey Shoulder are two great examples from our company. The kind of things that, when you look back, make you say “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Sometimes these are very simple ideas, but always striking, breaking the mould in some way – often small changes or old ideas looked at in new ways. The key thing is that it somehow captures the imagination of particular individuals who then become passionate about the brand.

The latest market report from William Grant & Sons has hinted that, in general consumer loyalty, has been knocked. How do you think this affects whisky?

Whisky enthusiasts in particular are more sophisticated and have a much wider repertoire of brands; they actively seek out new whiskies. So they are always going to try new things. But to gain their confidence and loyalty you have to have a solid story built on authenticity and heritage.

Consumers will see through anything false or artificial. It goes without saying that you have to have great product in the bottle.

Luckily William Grant & Sons is a family company with a rich history and appealing stories built on a foundation of fantastic quality liquid; “Making the best dram in the valley”, as William Grant himself said when he started out in 1887.