25/06/2023
Chapter 22
A chat with... Andrew Macdonald-Bennett (Goldfinch Whisky) - #18
Based in Scotland, Goldifnch are young but solid independent whisky merchants, sourcing and bottling amazing single malt whisky. They have created their own brands such as The Goldfinch, The Kilnsman’s Dram, and Paloma all exported domestically and internationally.
The company was founded by Andrew Macdonald-Bennett together with his wife Ros, a luxury spirits and wine expert with over 20 years of experience. Andrew’s experience in the industry is also extensive, with 25 years spent working with single malt whisky brands including The Macallan, Highland Park, The Glenrothes and Famous Grouse. He was very happy to meet us and tell us more about his background and about his present, and future, with Goldfinch.
Let’s see what he told us…
Hi Andrew, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Please introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about your whisky journey so far.
Whisky was always something shared by my father and his friends, whether that was while watching a game of rugby or at the end of a party. A bottle would come out, drams enjoyed, and stories shared. For me, the smell of the whisky is associated with those gatherings and the noise of conversations.
In 2001, a good friend and I set up an import and distribution business to bring Beer Laos to Europe. The mission was to launch a charitable beer and use the profits to finance the clearance of landmines in Laos. We partnered with MAG (Mines Advisory Group) who’s patron was Princess Diana at the time. Sadly, just before our first container was due to shop, Heineken invested in the brewery and put a stop to our plans. This process made me love the food and drink sector.
I then went on to work on developing creative campaigns for Kronenbourg and Inverhouse Distillers which brought me closer to the commercial aspect of whisky and understanding the markets.
When and how did you join this growing industry?
It was almost 10 years ago now and I was working at the BBC but saw an opportunity to work with the Edrington Group (see mention). I worked across their brands, The Macallan, Highland Park, The Famous Grouse and The Glenrothes. I loved my time there and the ethos is all about quality and above all integrity. I always wanted to get closer to the spirit and that is why I set up Goldfinch Whisky Merchants and ensured that we have maintained that ethos.
The whisky industry is synonymous with Scotland but there is more competition globally and it’s crucial those involved do all they can to promote and strengthen the Scotch whisky industry.
Now tell us a bit more about Goldfinch Whisky, what is it that makes it stand out in the whisky industry?
I founded Goldfinch Whisky Merchants in 2018 knowing that there was a lot I knew and a lot I had to learn. However, doing it well was always going to come first. We started by bottling casks for Mey Selections and served King Charles a dram at the Mey Games in 2019.
My wife Ros became involved in the business and together we spend a lot of time, effort and money ensuring the casks we use, the spirit we buy, the finishes we apply to packaging are the best they can be. We have grown our catalogue of brands to allow us to put our own stamp on the spirits we bottle and to tell a story. I think this makes us stand apart from other Indies who focus on a single brand.
We currently have three brands produced by Goldfinch Whisky:
- Goldfinch – This includes our original series, ‘The Bodega Series’ and our newest range ‘The Wine Series’. For our Bodega range, we selected five single casks of unpeated Speyside and Highland malts, mainly at 13 or 14 year old. The range name, “Bodega Series”, identifies our dedication to use only the finest sherry casks which previously held Oloroso, Amontillado or PX to mature our whisky and further develop the character. For our Wine Series, we selected 5 sherry hogsheads containing Blair Athol single malt scotch whisky. We then sourced and imported 5 different wine casks from Europe and reracked the single casks into the wine barrels to create our “Wine Series”. Our objective was to create a range that allowed a whisky connoisseur to explore the effects of finishing on the same single malt. We selected a Marsala Oak Pipe, a Tawny Port Pipe, two red wine barriques from different first growth Chateaux and a sweet white wine from Germany.
- Paloma – We created Paloma to show the expansive influence different types of sherries can have on a variety of single malt whiskies. This series has 4 bottlings from ex-Palo Cortado casks. By focusing on the Spanish connection in terms of art, sherry and the name; Paloma means ‘Dove’ in Spanish, we have created something that is beautiful, timeless and tastes incredible.
- The Kilnsman’s Dram – Peated whisky in a black bottle which challenges the consumer not to judge a whisky by its colour. The brand celebrates the dedication and experience of the Kilnsman in days gone by. When you see the thumbprint on the bottle, you know the Kilnsman’s would have approved of the spirit quality included in the bottle. We have chosen a selection of peated casks finished in first fill Oloroso European oak.
Our whisky is available by the dram in The Gleneagles Hotel, The Fife Arms (Bertie’s), The Cameron House and The George Hotel along with specialist retailers in the UK, with a few including Carnegie’s Whisky Cellars, The Green Welly, Master of Malt, Barrels and Botanicals, and Aberdeen Whisky Shop. We also export to Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Europe, Norway and many other countries.
Can you tell us what your target audience is?
Independently bottled is definitely in the whisky geek or connoisseur space. General consumers do not always understand the concept of how a business that doesn’t distill can positively add to a spirit.
This is part of the experience, every cask has its own identity and we can develop that by finishing whisky in a variety of wood, whether that previously held sherry, wine, Cognac or Mezcal!
Can you tell us how you select your casks, and anticipate anything about what we can expect to see next?
Ros, who has been a wine and spirits buyer for over 20 years, and I both sample the casks. In the early days we were lucky enough to work with Max MacFarlane who signed off on any spirit we were looking to buy.
We look at the quality of the spirit first and then decide how we can enhance it to fit with our brands. A reputation for a high quality product does not come easily and takes time, this means delivering a consistently high quality spirit is crucial.
Our next set of cask bottlings see us expand on the Paloma range (Palo Cortado matured) with a Glenrothes 16 year old, Caol Ila 12yo along with some others.
The Goldfinch Bodega Series will see Caol Ila 12yo finished in PX sherry, Craigellachie 14yo in a first fill Oloroso, a Teaninich 15 year old in first fill Oloroso and more.
We are also delighted that you are the first to know that this year we will be releasing an amazing 11 year old blended malt which is a gorgeous sherry bomb!
What advice would you give to a beginner that is approaching this world and perhaps starting his/her own collection?
I would recommend attending tastings hosted by retailers who know their trade. This is a great way to educate your palate and the variety of spirit. It is also a fun way to spend time with like minded people who will undoubtedly have their own recommendations. You can learn so much by word of mouth.
As you gain confidence, and start to purchase bottles, explore interesting releases either from Distilleries or Independent bottlers.
Lastly, what is, generally speaking, your favourite whisky style (cask type, ageing, peated/unpeated etc.)? What’s your dram of choice at the moment and/or your go to drams on a Friday evening?
In the year 2000, the Bruichladdich distillery was reopened by former wine merchant Mark Reynier, and Jim McEwan was appointed Master Distiller. Having a relatively young palette at the time, an unpeated Bruichladdich was the single malt that gave me that wow moment of understanding.
However, I do like a bit of peat smoke in my dram and the first trilogy of bottles I purchased were the Bruichladdich 3D Peat proposal. I remember buying two of each release, one to drink and one to keep. Looking in the cabinet there is only one left unopened.
A firm favourite though is a Lagavulin 16 years old. The dram I enjoyed many times with my father, so here’s to him.
Official website: https://www.goldfinchwhisky.com/
Drams
and more...
Today's drams
- Linkwood 14yo (The Goldfinch, Bodega Series) – 52%
- Blair Athol 14yo (The Goldfinch, Wine Series) – 52%
- Benrinnes 13yo (Paloma Series) – 53.2%
- Caol Ila 11yo (Paloma Series) – 53.8%
Edrington Group
Edrington, initially founded in the mid-19th century, by William Robertson as the Robertson & Baxter company in Glasgow is today a large group with its headquarters in Scotland. It employs around 3,000 people across its companies worldwide.
They own some of the leading Scotch whisky and rum brands in the world including The Macallan, Highland Park and The Glenrothes.