22/05/2024
Chapter 36
A chat with...Paul Dempsey (Brave New Spirits) - #32
Bottles with coloured labels definitely stand out on the whisky bar shelves. Perhaps not everyone knows that behind quite a few of them there is the Glasgow-based Brave New Spirits.
Established in 2020, Brave New Spirits, is a multi-award-winning independent whisky bottler and blender with its own warehouse in Glasgow. They now export their award-winning portfolio of Scotch whiskies to over 30 countries, which includes their small-batch and single cask ranges Whisky of Voodoo & Cask Noir, along with higher volume brands for larger retailers, such as The Highland Shepherd Single Malt and Lighthouse Blends.
Brave New Spirits has its own warehouse in Glasgow, with a second currently being prepared on the site. The company currently employs a team of 25 and has recently appointed a representative in Japan, to cover Asia.
During the 2024 edition of the Whisky Live festival in London I had the pleasure to meet with Paul Dempsey, Sales & Marketing Director at Brave New Spirits (small batch & single cask brands).
Let’s see what he told us…
Hi Paul, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Please introduce yourselvf, and tell us a little bit about your whisky journey so far.
I’m Paul Dempsey, and I’m Sales & Marketing Director for the Connoisseur Dept (small batch & single cask brands) at Brave New Spirits.
I joined the company 2 years ago from the Speyside Distillery (SPEY), where I’d been working since 2014.
When and how did you join this growing industry?
I started in the wine trade, but in 2002 took a job with a new spirits distributor / importer in the UK.
Arran distillery was one of their clients, and we later worked with Morrison Bowmore (Bowmore, Suntory, Auchentoshan). I moved companies in 2010 to join the UK distributor for Bruichladdich (which was still independently owned the time), before moving to SPEY.
Now tell us a bit more about Brave New Spirits and all its past and present bottling series, what is it that makes them stand out in the whisky industry?
Brave New Spirits was formed in 2020, with the founders both having extensive whisky experience.
We have a few sides to the business – our volume brands (Premium blends such as Lighthouse & Single Malts such as Highland Shepherd & Celtic Revival) are designed for retail chains and large wholesalers, whilst our small batch and single cask brands (Cask Noir, Whisky Heroes, Whisky of Voodoo, Cask Masters, Da Gama Rum) appeal mainly to whisky enthusiasts and specialist whisky stores.
We are becoming well known for the quality of our releases (regularly rating highly in blind tastings), the variety of casks we use for finishing / maturation, and for our creative, unconventional labels.
In addition to the bottlings, BNS are currently constructing their own distillery – Witchburn, in Campbeltown. This is scheduled to start production at the end of 2024 (see mention).
Can you tell us what your target audience is?
Our audience is anyone who likes good, interesting whiskies.
Can you tell us how you select your casks, and anticipate anything about what we can expect to see next?
We select casks from various sources.
We have great relationships with a number of cooperages in the USA & Europe, but also work with wineries and spirits producers directly to source interesting, rare or unusual casks for our ltd edition releases.
What advice would you give to a beginner that is approaching this world and perhaps starting his/her own collection?
Visit distilleries, tastings and festivals to see and try the variety of whiskies available, and base your collection on the type of whiskies you like, or would be happy to drink or offer to your friends.
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?
My favourite style is lightly peated, perhaps with a wine cask finish to create some unusual new flavours and complexity.
Age statements are immaterial, as good whisky can come from anywhere and be any age.
Official website: https://www.bravenewspirits.com/
Drams
and more...
Today's drams
- Cameronbridge 12yo (Cask Noir, ‘Take It To The Brig’) – 57%
- Blair Athol 11yo (Cask Noir, ‘Ivy In Tennessee’) – 56.7%
- Speyside 11yo (Voodoo, ‘The Nailed Puppet’) – 52.6%
- Speyside 10yo (Voodoo, ‘Mask of Death’) – 51%
- Islay 11yo (Voodoo, ‘The Rusty Cauldron’) – 54%
Witchburn Distillery
Witchburn is a new distillery in the Campbeltown whisky region, under the same ownership and team behind BNS. Currently aiming to be in production by the end of 2024; they will produce a Scotch Single Malt Whisky with methods from many decades ago.
Witchburn will definitely do their part to bring the glory days back to Scotland’s former whisky capital Campbeltown, when there were more than 30 active distilleries.
See Jack’s Chapter 24 if you want to know more…