02/06/2023
Chapter 19
A chat with...Julian Mithoff and Paul Jamieson (Glaschu Spirits Co) - #15
I initially came across these guys and their independent whisky online shop and bottling project when I noticed the artwork on the label of their first release (yellow themed), soon followed by their second one (purple themed).
I approached them right away and asked more information about the labels and the brands. As a result I developed a nice interview which I present here. This will tell us how the two businesses (shop and indie bottling) started and are growing. In addition, I will soon mention them again in my forthcoming chapter ‘The art of Whisky labelling -Part 2’ (here’s the Part 1, if I made you curious…).
Let’s see what they told us…
Hi Julian and Paul, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Please introduce yourselves, and tell us a little bit about your whisky journeys so far.
Hi Leo, thanks for choosing us for this interview. We’re Paul (pictured on the left) and Julian (pictured on the right), founders of Glaschu Spirits Co (Gaelic for Glasgow).
We are two Glasgow-based ex-aircraft engineers, turned independent bottlers, specialising in small batch releases with interesting cask finishes and maturations.
We also run the online shop, DamGoodDrams – ‘purveyors of interesting & independent whisky’.
When and how did you join this growing industry?
We started DamGoodDrams (formerly Sip’N’Sell) as a lockdown project in 2020.Both of us were uncertain we would keep our engineering jobs with all the lay-offs that were happening, so we were looking into other options.
Paul had the whisky knowledge, having previously worked at Robbie’s Drams in Ayr (see side mention), and we would often drink whisky together. He approached me (Julian) with the idea for an online shop selling rare and collectible whisky, and that’s exactly what we started off doing.
A family friend of Paul’s had a sizeable collection that needed selling, so we set up a website, got an occasional licence and got to work.
Release no.1
Now tell us a bit more about DamGoodDrams and Glaschu Spirits Co, what is it that makes them stand out in the whisky industry?
Shortly after, we discovered independently bottled whisky and it became our new favourite thing. We realised there wasn’t a one-stop-shop for indie whisky so we created DamGoodDrams.
We basically reached out to all the brands that we were drinking at the time: Uncharted Whisky Co, The Single Cask, Firkin, Na Braithrean, Single Note… and asked if they would like to list with us. It became our very own curated selection of independent whisky. Essentially, we only sell stuff that the two of us can really get behind!
Working with independent bottlers inevitably exposed us to the cask market. On the one hand we’d get offered casks and on the other we’d be asked for casks… So we set about getting our WOWGR licensing (Warehousekeepers and Owners of Warehoused Goods Regulations) and bought our first one. That was a 7yo Staoisha, which we ended up selling on about 6 months later to raise money for new bottle stock. I still kick myself that we didn’t hold on to it, as that would have been a belter of a release!
A few casks later, we came across our Blair Athol barrel. The stars had aligned and we agreed this would be our first bottling: The Spirit of Glaschu.
Release no.2
Can you tell us what DamGoodDrams' and Glaschu Spirits Co's target audience are?
We were super into the whole ‘craft’ feel to indie whisky, and thought this would be a good way to try and make the drink more appealing to a younger demographic. That’s why all our branding with DamGood is quite bold and poppy, and we were very heavy on using Instagram to grow our brand. We were the new kids on the block and we liked it that way.
With Glaschu Spirits Co, we wanted to keep an element of that boldness, but mix it with a more premium twist. And being engineers, we needed some form of machinery in there. We decided on an art-deco style branding, bold colours and vintage travel-poster themed artwork, that changes with each release. It was an old Anchor Line poster in my flat (Julian), that inspired us for the first label.
I think our target audience is the more adventurous whisky drinker, but at the end of the day I think we have something for everyone.
Release no.3
Can you tell us how you select your casks, and anticipate anything about what we can expect to see next?
Our mission is to create delicious drams that haven’t been seen before in the indie whisky market.
For example our first release is the world’s first Jamaican rum finished Blair Athol, and our second is the first independent bottling of a single cask Tullibardine, that’s spent 7 years in a Saint Emilion barrique.
We like to keep it unique!
What advice would you give to a beginner that is approaching this world and perhaps starting his/her own collection?
I think it’s best to keep an open mind about whisky, try new things and enjoy the experience each one brings. There’s something out there for everyone and it’s important not to listen to all the snobs out there who think they know best.
At the end of the day its there to be enjoyed, enjoy it however you like.
Release no.4
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?
Julian: I’m a sucker for a port finish just now! We’re about to split a Mannochmore barrel into two port quarter casks which I’m super excited about. Dram of choice at this moment, Smokestack Lightening by Uncharted Whisky Co – unbelievably tasty.
Paul: Big fan of anything Islay & Campbeltown. My favourite cask types just now are red wines and dessert wines and my go-to dram at the moment is Yellow Spot.
Official website: https://www.damgooddrams.com/
Drams
and more...
Today's drams
- The Spirit of Glaschu – Blair Athol 7yo (Jamaican rum barrel) – 53%
- The Spirit of Glaschu – Tullibardine 7yo (Bordeaux red wine) – 50%
- The Spirit of Glaschu – Glengoyne 11yo (Pedro Ximénez quarter cask) – 50%
- The Spirit of Glaschu – Aultmore 9yo (Madeira octave) – 50%
Robbies Whisky Merchants
An independently run family business situated in the Scottish seaside town of Ayr selling wine, spirits and beer.
https://www.robbieswhiskymerchants.com/