30 MINS WITH BALVENIE'S MALT MASTER, KELSEY MCKECHNIE

foreign

[Music]

people of the whiskey world how the hell

are you today hope your drams have not

been as rough as a Badger's bum since

you last listened and they've been

smoother than my co-hosts diamond chat

as always I'm joined by Nicholas palaki

who some say can create whiskey from

woofer just by looking at it hello

Nicholas how you doing today I'm very

well Mitch and yourself

I didn't actually slag you off there for

a change so I'll work that into the next

one that'll be the next one's gonna be a

monster slagging don't worry about that

pal

[Laughter]

I can't wait can't wait I'm excited

about yesterday match because there's a

common theme right now just with all the

guests that we're having on I think or

the guests that we're lining up

particularly because we're just choosing

people we really really like

which I think is nice because everything

we bring on someone I like we get

excited about it but in this particular

instance it is the wonderful Chael Smith

Academy who is master of mall and malt

Master at the Balvenie single malt and

uh a whiskey that both you and I have

quite a bit of experience drinking as

well as working with

absolutely yeah I'm Kelsey welcome to

the show by the way welcome to the show

how are you doing hello I also want to

speak there I was just enjoying the show

[Laughter]

or does we keep going through it if you

don't participate

we just keep talking about her and just

leave it on all good obviously

so it's good

but no Kelsey I'm so happy to have you

on the show eventually because this has

been a kind of work in progress here I

think it's been about three maybe four

months we've been chatting about getting

you on and going backwards and forwards

so it's great to have you on and I'm so

happy to have you on for two reasons

firstly you and I go back a long way

within William Grant and Sons uh and

it's amazing to see your journey and how

you now become the master blender for

Balvenie which is which is unbelievable

we're gonna get onto that in just a

second and it also means that because

you're on the show it means there's

going to be less chat from Nicholas

which is always a bonus

well I'm glad I can help

[Laughter]

Kelsey my first question is this were

you not coming on the show specifically

because Daz was here prior and now I'm

the new co-host of like I'm in

I mean I'm not going to say it was the

entire reason but yeah it did play a

factor there we go I thought so

[Laughter]

well Kelsey I think we should get

straight into this I mean let's talk

chat about your your amazing new

position as molt Master above any I mean

unbelievably big shoes to finish to fill

here we're talking about David Stewart

MB and I know there was this recent

thing that happened down in I think it

was London last year where there was It

was kind of twofold right because I mean

I'll let you talk about this but there

was the release of the the 60 year old

it was David Stewart's 60th work

anniversary and it was the I suppose was

it the official Handover

the event that we had in London which

was a fantastic event and as you see you

know Mark David 60 years at William

Grant and Sons which is absolutely

incredible

um if I were to do the same I would need

to give up work when I'm 81 so it's

it's you know clear that I'm not gonna

do 60 years

um but yeah on that night so we marked

David 60 years we launched the 60 Road

liquid and I was officially known as mop

master so what an amazing event yeah how

did that feel afterwards

do you know it's funny I think it's the

kind of thing as well at the time

everything's happening so fast so you

probably don't take in everything that's

going on and you'll both know what it's

like working for William grants we are

just

just to know how

I always say humble but everyone's so

quiet and happy to go on with our

day-to-day so I think it's really good

to take those sorts of moments where we

actually just take in everything that's

happened and for us we see David all the

time on and off and nipping into the

office if we've seen it say whatever

he's doing

um and actually to take some time and

say you've dedicated six Decades of your

life to William grants and spirits and

specifically we absolutely should Mark

it with a dinner at least so it was

amazing and that I think that what

humble is is the ideal one to describe

David Stewart so I mean I can imagine at

the dinner everybody being the center of

attention is not something he

particularly enjoys uh I think that he's

always he always strikes me you know

it's hysterical you'll be like 60 years

dedicated and you'll be like yep that

was it was a nice 60 years yep so that

was fun

he's just so

like is simplified enjoyment and and the

role that he's had for such a long

period of time oh absolutely I mean

let's duck me wrong I think he knows how

to do it in all these years as well so

he's he's definitely so fantastic

talking about the Paradox he's happy to

you know let everyone into the history

of all of our Brands and and how

products reform so yeah he's fantastic

at all that sort of thing and people

were sharing him with compliments and

and he's just saying yeah do you know I

almost fell into this job they didn't

have anyone else to do it when Hamish

had left and so yeah I started doing it

and I did pretty well and you're like

bus after 60 years yeah he did

exceptionally well

I always thought with William guyton's

he always talked about being a family

company like you know we're all big

family and I used to think maybe it was

just me but my family grown-ups Scotland

but I don't want to be

the dysfunctional like I want to be a

really rare loyal machine but the funny

thing is about the business is it is a

very railroad machine but the

relationships are cultivated within

Williams grandsons are can be lifelong

as mentioned I can attest to it you know

so I think that that's pretty cool that

you know you're you're have been handed

the reins from somebody that spent 60

years building one of the most iconic

single malt whiskey brands no pressure

no no pressure at all is it worrying

that that doesn't worry me

no I think it's it's

reassuring for us as as the as the as

the drinkers of balmaine is really

shooting it doesn't worry I think I

think that's great that it doesn't

because I mean you're not just coming

into this like oh I'm just taking over

from David let's chat about your

background a little bit how long have

you been studying if you like under

under David now

so I've been at William grandsons for

nine years and when I had joined I

worked in our lab and Garvin so

basically I did a lot of the analysis

and how we make the green whiskey and

malt whiskey how we make gin and a lot

to do with different flavor profiles and

move around our sites so moved up to

stuff time for a little while and then

um I moved into Wesley sauce for a short

period of time but I had first met David

and

in 2015

so it has been a long time in in the

making it's funny because I always joke

about this how long an apprenticeship is

but

um everyone's eager to sort of like get

those years down so it's been good

officially we had announced that I was

David's Apprentice in 2018 because at

that age I was under 25 so I almost had

like a silent year in 2000 or silent

year should I say leading up to that

point because and the company just

doesn't have anyone in an outward facial

role that isn't over 25 basically

advertising alcohol so yeah it's been

really good actually having those couple

of years to see

um I don't know I don't know David's

brain what's the answer

[Music]

was it like Jedi training were you like

blindfolded with David Stewart throwing

like flavor profiles at you and you had

to bat them off with a lightsaber or

what was the training like yeah more or

less so you're like over a swimming pool

and then you're blindfolded and if you

don't get a switch above any product as

you get push in the pool so that's more

or less how it goes

sometimes it's a fire pit shark infested

Wars who knows the cooling pond at

Balvenie right that's what they use

exactly

when did you first realize that you

could nose whiskey and you're really

good at it

we don't see that we're really good at

it but that when I had first realized

that I enjoyed doing it and that you

know I was able to pick up the Aromas

and be able to you know isolate them

probably when I had first started

working at Garvin you know this match

I'm naturally a bit nosy so when I was

working on all of the new make analysis

in the spirit we have all of our sites

have little loads and labs that's a

really good thing when they get the new

mixed spirits that clear Spirit since it

runs off the still they do sensitive on

it then a blended team so myself Brian

Kinsman day and day out we do all the

then ours as well and we've got a couple

other people in our team which is great

and then we meet at the end of the month

and we basically had like the customer

um to everything the six produced and

then we chat about the flavors that

they've made and are we on track blah

blah blah and um at that point everyone

was part of the loser panel and I was

like well if I'm analyzed in the spirit

and you know really quantifying how much

of x amount of flavor so higher

alcohol's nesters and things that we're

analyzed in spirit I want to be able to

use my palette to pick up those same

flavors and so I started doing it I

worked under Leslie Gracie who is famed

as the creator of Hendrix for a quite a

while and obviously asked lesla to an

equations because she'd shut me off to

tell them more quite quickly after that

and then I worked until more so I was so

lucky because I got to move around our

sites and just nose and a taste in

different spirits and yeah I don't know

no one picked me up and knows and things

incorrectly so I think it just evolve

from there that's awesome what was your

interview process like for for women

getting sounds because Jamie Milne just

uh text Mitch and I to remind me of my

interview process for William grantons

but apparently I started to take a torch

a blowtorch to some Pete in the office

during my interview and almost set off

the sprinkler system

for the entire building did you have

anything it's tragically bad as that

going

did I did and I joined so many wins

before this was even on my Radars being

a job so my interview story is far too

voted for this podcast

have you heard much talk I wouldn't I

wouldn't put anything far too boring for

this podcast

I can't even remember it was that long

oh no I do remember I was over I went

over to New York and Andy Weir was there

and it was funny because I I actually

put up a slide of I'd done like a whole

PowerPoint presentation because you had

to do uh it was convince people how to

come over to Scotland and I actually put

a slide of Braveheart up there which was

ironic because Andy Weir was actually in

bravery so I got a little bit of a

giggle

um no very cool well listen I want to

chat about what we're all drinking here

because uh I'm obviously drinking a

little bit of balcony Nicholas has got I

can see I mean look at his whiskey

selection there Kelsey sorry listeners

you can't see it but probably about a

quarter of the screen is taken up with

balvenie's there

um you're in the office so I know Kelsey

you might not be able to pour yourself a

wee drama it might be frowned upon

um but this is the joys about me and

Nicholas being our own bosses now we can

just uh you know pour ourselves our own

dram

um

I've I've poured out something in your

kind of Honor so this is the sweet Toast

of American Oak which I know was one of

am I correct in saying this is one of

your first babies with Balvenie

yeah it definitely it was first official

one I feel like but in

we can definitely chat about it I don't

mention it often but we get to do the

blending across all Our Brands so

there's a few more obviously that I've

felt just as close to but this is the

first official one very cool so so chat

me through through the the whole process

with this because I know you've worked a

lot with Kelvin Cooperage over there

went over to Kentucky I think you and

Gemma went over the Gemma Patterson

right

we did and Gemma tried to kill me we

were over there have you ever been in a

car with Gemma driving oh I want to hear

that story let's hear this story uh do

you know she was like reading and

I don't want any Peter in a badly but

she was scared about the lanes

and then someone had crept up on us and

we ended up getting into a little bit of

uh

a dink with them but we were all good to

watch something she was more horrified

than anyone but yeah it was all fine I

share road rager is that what we're

hearing is that what's going on which is

the complete opposite she's

is

Chris you know it's not there's not a

lot of traffic in this so

yeah

with our middle finger waving out the

windows

Gemma for the record you are a fantastic

driver

I've been in the Commodore a few times

she's all right so let's let's chat by

the store I mean I think this was one of

the first in the stories range to come

out which has now sees I think there's

what seven or eight different above any

stories am I right in saying that

yeah we're definitely nearly in double

digits now so it's been amazing so yeah

you're right the traveler Twisted was

one of the first in the series

um it's one of the first I had worked on

so we are always looking at different

Innovations we pride ourselves on where

we can you know recreating different

flavors and there's a lot that you can

do in new make we talk about that a lot

in terms of how you actually make the

spirit and making different flavor

profiles but mature said it we were

saying what else could we do that you

know would not change the flavor of any

but we can accentuate a lot of those

different characters that we get and so

yeah we love absolutely love Virgin

American casts that amazing never helped

spit it before so they're bursting with

flavor ready to get off to another

spirit and and so basically we'd given

them two toes one in kelvin Cooperage

sent them over here our Cooper's given

have given them a second toast and then

we filled them with 12 Europe of any

spirit and almost just let the magic

happen typically when we do Innovations

we'll sample them within the first sort

of four or five weeks

we'll sample the finishing cast we get

them back to our blending room and we'll

have a nose and as soon as we had

sampled these ones we could tell

straight where there's a backup left in

color the nose is absolutely fantastic I

always hate everyone if you've tried a

12 year old above any single barrel it's

like the Single Barrel on steroids it's

just super intense accentuates all the

vanilla those toffee all that honey

character that boveney has to offer it's

absolutely beautiful and it has all the

best parts for me of bourbon what

bourbon can offer but be extrudable for

any DNA and that lovely house style that

we've got

so one of my favorites I have to see

it's definitely yeah definitely that

Turbo Charge of the the New York comes

through for sure um

Nicholas what you got in your glass out

of one of your 20 million balvenies

I am always sort of true story I said

you know yourself you work for a whiskey

company you get some perks and one of

the perks that I thought was really good

with William Brownstones is they give

you a little allowance every year to go

out and buy any of the brands that they

make which you know you can go and buy

some seller Jetty you could go and buy

some Hendrix you could go buy Malaga or

whatever it was that they were selling

in the United States at the time and I

didn't I bought one bottle I bought one

bottle of something that I probably

wouldn't have spent so I'd spend all my

11's on one thing all my eggs in one

basket but I treat myself to a really

nice basically so I actually have some

single cast 1978 I've got some 73 I've

got the original balvini ton one for a

one batch number one which was only

available at the still at least I've got

one bottle of that front and center here

but and I've also got quite a few of the

batch number threes which Mitch uh

you'll know that myself and Andy Weir

got to go back and work with David

Stewart and we got to kind of hand crank

that you know 130 year old what was it

was it was 95 years old at the time so

it was probably about 110 years old now

hundred and whatever years old now and

crank and hand pump the the casks into

the marington but right now is a little

toast to you Kelsey I I told that above

any 30 because I thought you might not

get 60 years in but I hope you get 30.

so

first I've got

a woman

on that note like so obviously I mean

there's a the one thing I will say is

and I do know this is that there's a lot

of older aging stock for balvenies which

have which have been one of the nice

cities of being able to kind of Sip and

taste through I'm sure is the new malt

master and what do you see coming down

the line for some of those older

profiles have you got anything that

you'd love to do or anything that

they've given you a challenge to work on

yeah I mean we've definitely got heaps

of Innovations we always talk about this

so we'll buy any weird wonderful cast

that's going so that we can travel out

at a younger end so we have heaps of

experiments there

I really look forward to launching part

of David's Legacy for me has always been

how Innovative he's been cast finishing

pioneering in the 80s and obviously

launching 12 year old doublewood in 93

so for us it's it's really just about

keeping that alive so all that old stock

gear I mean we've got so much for the

earmart for the future and how amazing

would it be if we could launch products

older than a sexy old in the coming

years wow and and on that subject Kelsey

let's chat about that current 60 year

old what was the what was the process

for that what was the type of Cask I'm

assuming you were quite heavily involved

in pulling all that together as well

and I mean so so lucky can you imagine

working at a site where in a lot of ways

all of the hard work's been done before

you I get the fantastic job of just

going in nose and tasting them and

saying nah leave that one this is the

one so to be honest it's been your mark

for a couple of years we absolutely

loved it it's a European Oak Hog's head

and we managed to get 71 bottles out of

it so I also

at least wanted to make 60 for 60 years

and the flavor is incredible we always

put um

p and Tarkan but many moons ago we would

have put more PN so it had a little bit

more of that pitted accentuous certainly

not what we would classify as peated

Spirit but just the way that we fired

the kill it does killing it does have a

little bit more smoke in the nose but

it's beautiful it's got damp bracking on

the nose that rich toffee note that we

always talk about in bovaini and a lot

of those caramelized flavors coming

through spending 60 years in Oak that

ABV is just dropped down naturally in

his own and it's just absolutely

stunning so I truly mean it when I say

I've had the easiest job and how rich

for me that I I get to go in and Sample

all these casks and yeah as I say yeah

you need them so you get 11 extra

bottles out of that car so I can't wait

for my sample bottle of that to show up

Kelsey that's very kind obviously mate

you didn't get yours Kelsey said mine

last week oh sorry necklace

whatever you're drinking I've got a cup

of tea in my cat mug but I just chopped

a little bit 60 in there why not

yes it's 9 30 in the morning here like I

have to see this is the thing every time

I call Mitch he's I mean it's the middle

of the afternoon to be fair he's always

five or six whiskeys in by the middle of

the afternoon

it's never his first Ram but he's making

me start to drink now and then like oh

this is a wonderful breakfast dram

little 30 year old Balvin

never do anything less than 30 year old

before nine o'clock in the morning you

know shameful

that is shameful isn't it like this is a

treat like I was really excited for you

to come on Kelsey so I did want to and

this is one of the few times I actually

have poured myself a drum at 9 30 in the

morning and genuinely enjoyed drinking

it

I know okay honestly it's amazing I'm so

glad everyone does enjoy buffani as much

as they do because

I mean seriously what a fantastic

company and like I say everyone at the

site Works their socks off to make sure

that new mix but it's absolutely perfect

so yeah so many respects I've got the

easy job so someone drinking a 30 year

old at nine half nine in the morning

that's what we should be done

yeah

and Kelsey let's chat about your role

now so now you've got free reign

David's not coming over looking looking

over your shoulder every two seconds

what what does your job look like I mean

I'm assuming there's a lot of sampling

going on but I know there's going to be

a lot of international travel which

you've been doing already so how does

this year look for you as we move into

2023

so it's definitely going to be a busy

year

um we're heading out to Asia in April so

we're stopping in Taipei for a little

bit and then head over to Singapore so

that's just one of the trips that we've

got planned so we're doing a couple of

60 year old events and so it's amazing I

mean it's a good one that's drinking

whiskey not making events for people

over the age of 60 right correct and it

could be both but yes

it's foreign

busy year and it's like I say it's a

great one channel but actually how David

and his relationships been working over

the past couple years because when I was

joking say is it you know strange that I

don't feel worried or stressed about him

not being around

do you know David is I'm sure they won't

mind machine he's actually just turned

78 so of course David hasn't had a hand

in the day-to-day in the same way that

he would have 30 40 years ago so um a

lot of the day-to-day stuff we've just

been working through and we always see

this we are so lucky to have him on hand

see when we share about casts from

the 70s and 80s and I'm talking about

Cask for talking seat one one two one

he'll say is that the Sister cast that

we brought in in batch and it's memory

is just so switched on it's amazing heed

it was so much just about how we've made

the dress for so long so yeah I think as

far as the day-to-day actually with the

big announcement I'm really lucky that

bizarrely not a lot has changed but

that's the way it should be yeah

and I think as well like David Stewart's

a bit of a probably a little bit of a

work not a workaholic but you know

balvenie's been his baby for so long he

probably finds it hard to give it up I

mean you've got so many examples of that

within William Grant and Sons there's

people like Ian Miller uh you know ex

Distillery manager Global Ambassador

said he was going to retire hasn't

really retired Dennis McBain still

kicking about The Distillery all the

time uh Ian McDonald as well I can say

like a hobo or just hanging out the back

Gates just checking about the Distillery

you'd like an active member of the

community I think that's what you meant

to see yeah well yeah everyone everyone

knows Dennis knows what I'm talking

about but I wanted to bring Dennis in

because I love that story and and Kelsey

maybe you can chat about a little bit

more of the the one that was the kind of

tip of the hat to dance but Bane with

the the copper dog so basically in 2018

when it was announced I was going to be

David's Apprentice Dennis had very

kindly gifted me a copper dog so I'm

sure listeners of this podcast and what

corporate dog is but if not it's

basically a copper tube on a chain so

it's called the dog and the chain ax is

like taking the dog that's just like

taking a walk and so moons ago we used

to take out the bong out of a cast we

would drop the copper tube in and then

sample it from there and so when I was

announced this Apprentice mop master

um Dennis had made one and David and him

had gifted me and basically the bottom

was a penny from 1962 and the spirit

inside was from the year that I was born

and so it was a beautiful gift it was

really really nice that's one thing I

absolutely love about whiskey it's so

nostalgic and actually when we talk

about all these old casts as well apart

from the fact the flavor is amazing

thinking about the amount of people

before you that have actually worked in

that spirit and touched the casks yeah

I'm not worthy

called the tube because plenty of people

call him that so I wonder if maybe

balvini would think or considerably

doing something along those lines we had

one for a match but it wasn't as PG as

that

well as you know this isn't a PG show so

it's fine to go ahead and say it

um talking about something a little bit

more serious here Kelsey I mean you're

young you're female you're in charge of

this massive brand how does that go down

within the whiskey industry when people

realize you're the malt Master you know

I mean I'm assuming there must be not

pushback from some people but almost

shock because you know you've got to

this position in at such a young age

there must be some kind of funny

reaction sometimes

do you know and there probably is and I

think it's good to shock people we we

love a bit of change and then whiskey

nothing happens overnight so there's

very little change that happens and you

know I think there's probably two parts

to it being a bit younger as well

actually was similar ages to David when

he had taken on this sort of role but

I've been in the whiskey Strokes team

for a long time so I've been really

lucky and had a hand in so I think if

it's sort of an age thing that people

are surprised by it's it's you know your

sensitive palette and your skills always

I would like think speak for themselves

and and that's how people get into these

sorts of roles but around just what sort

of gender people have in the roles that

they're doing I always think it's a

really great one to chat about because

actually internally and since I've

had more female leaders than I have had

male as I always think it's an outward

facing misconception in terms of whiskey

drinkers often think that because

there's definitely more male whiskey

drinkers than our female but again do

you know that sort of turning on its

head a little bit so yeah I think over

the years I've been blending both any

Spirit touchwood we've not had any

complaints so yeah I've not had any

pushback and I'm so lucky as well

working for such an amazing brand that

I'm almost

I feel like petting from a lot of that

so I dare say it does happen but I don't

feel at all and and if people are

skeptical I welcome them to buy a bottle

and try it for themselves so I think

that's the right way you know let the

liquid do the speaking for you but on

that note I actually don't know how old

you are Kelsey and I not sure task a

woman how old so instead I'm just gonna

ask how much you weigh

[Music]

thank you

[Laughter]

fine there we go we're gonna get we're

getting to the end of this this and it's

been a pleasure we could do this for

hours I'm sure but I know you're you're

busy you've got to go and shoot off and

blend up some more balvini uh but we're

gonna do a quick fire round for you not

necessarily about whiskey just some

random questions for you coming up here

um so best Balvenie have ever tried best

Balvenie that I could try and try and

try again for it to love it

over 21 absolute killer what would your

ideal holiday vacation be

it's going to be Bali in July

oh nice

if you could get any type of animal to

keep as a pet what would it be

ah

you've seen my mug it's a cat

that person

I'm like oh

[Laughter]

you've watched

top movie that I've watched yeah

oh do you know I I'm a loser I was right

the first time I don't watch too many

movies but right now I'm re-watching

suits

there you go nice so it's saying and

watch it

I've watched I think I watched like the

first few seasons of it and then it was

just getting a bit gets a bit repetitive

doesn't it's kind of like there's only

so much of this that I can take watching

this kid squeeze his way illegally

through the legal system yeah and do you

know what I think it's it's a good nod

to simple mind then because I'm like

same style of episode every time and I'm

like a clapping seal at home so it's

great

right so you walk into a bar

and they have no Balvenie behind the bar

after you pick your draw up off the

floor in disbelievement of that

what whiskey do you order scotch or

International what do you go for

in one of our home brands

a massive

my early days glenfiddick fine again

you're not well much

good choice

didn't work in the whiskey industry and

you could do any job anywhere what would

it be

[Music]

oh any job anywhere I think you know

because I'm not a massive fan of flight

and I always say it before more

comfortable if I was actually allowed in

the cockpit I would like to be a pilot

because I feel like I would love it if I

was in charge of the plane

can't pay me to do that I'll actually

the all that I'm getting the more I'm

getting more terrified if I have I used

to do 180 000 air miles a year and now I

don't want to get in an airplane I'm

like I'm even like a I'm a shaky

pedestrian at best though

do you know see if you crack the secret

to going on a plane and just

just let me know

say you're lying necklace you're always

a bad flyer I mean we used to fly

together all the time you used to hold

my hand during takeoff what are you

talking about mostly

honestly I'll tell you that's just a

funny story so I was actually in the car

with uh with my wife and my son was in

the back seat and he's seven years old

but this is this is the loveliest uh

thing I've ever heard them say I just

leaned over I just told them my life's

Mario Kerry's hand and he leaned over my

son man why are you holding hands is it

for safety

the way I drive probably

[Laughter]

buy some

what's the next Balvenie that's coming

out I'm joking I know you guys if you

want to I was about to say but you know

because you've said you can't answer

that yeah I mean to be honest not let's

be honest we've launched a six zero

profanity only four months ago I'm

riding off the coattails of that for a

long time right quite right

um what do you get up to when you're not

making whiskey

love hanging out with family how cheesy

I am going out doing a fair bit of

walking and then when the better weather

comes in enjoy a bit of wakeboarding

oh there you go

as well nice absolutely rocks though

this was fantastic thoroughly enjoyed

meeting you Kelsey because actually I

hadn't met you prior to to you coming on

the show so really nice for you to join

us thanks for giving us your time today

and as always it's been it's been a

pleasure

no it's been great actually catching up

in match I think it's been the longest

time since we've properly seen each

other so lovely to see you both and to

meet you Nicholas as you say yeah you

too Kelsey take care

[Music]