5 Questions to Masters – Brian Kinsman of GLENFIDDICH
As the third part of a series of Meleklerin Payı interviews – 5 Questions to Masters – I’d like to present Master Blender of the iconic GLENFIDDICH, Mr. Brian Kinsman

Brian Kinsman is the Master Blender of William Grant & Sons Ltd. This may not give you much information so let’s say he’s the mastermind behind the legendary single malt Glenfiddich as well as great blends like Grant’s and Monkey Shoulder.
Starting his career in blending alongside another legend David Stewart, Kinsman is now one of the leading experts in the industry for wood finishes and solera method which was first created by his master David Stewart.
ın 2009, Kinsman became the sixth Master Blender in the company’s history when he took over from David Stewart, who, after 47 years’ service, remained with the company to continue his role as The Balvenie Malt Master.
In my Five Questions to Masters series following Ian Chang of Kavalan and Bob Dalgarno of The Macallan, I now present you another legend, Mr Brian Kinsman of GLENFIDDICH
5 Questions to Masters – Brian Kinsman of GLENFIDDICH
How and where did your love for whisky begin?
I didn’t know too much about whisky prior to joining William Grant and Sons in 1997. I did drink whisky while I was a student in St Andrews but it was when I arrived at the Girvan distillery to work as a chemist in the analytical lab. that I discovered the depth and complexity of the spirit and I became fascinated with the maturation process and how flavours developed over a very long period of time.
Can you tell us briefly about an ordinary day at work?
One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is that no 2 days are the same. There is always something new to deal with or think about. Typically I have a number of routine samples to nose every day ranging from the new distillate from each of our distilleries to the final bottled whisky from the bottling lines. I would normally spend at least a couple of hours in the sample room assessing samples or working on projects or new expressions. I also spend time travelling to each of the distilleries in the William Grant and Sons business to work on specific projects with the local teams and to make sure the cask quality, maturing inventory and vattngs are all performing as we need them to ensure the future quality of the products.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding thing is seeing a Glenfiddich being enjoyed in a bar in a country far from Scotland. It is very satisfying to have a job where there is an end product that is enjoyable and to see people having a night out with friends and drinking the whisky from our distillery in the heart of Speyside is very special.
Over the last 20 years do you observe a change in the profile of whisky enthusiasts and their taste patterns; how does that effect your whisky making?
I think the whisky enthusiast are becoming much more knowledgeable about the processes at the distillery, the influence of oak on the flavour and the diversity of flavours within Single Malt. That doesn’t directly affect how we make whisky but it does change how we talk about it. My main responsibility is to make sure we protect the history and heritage of a great distillery like Glenfiddich and to make sure the flavour profile remains consistent. At the same time I am trying to innovate to create new and exciting expressions for the future. We then spend a lot of time working on how to bring the distillery to life at events and tastings around the World and we have a fantastic team of Brand Ambassadors who live and breathe Glenfiddich and talk passionately and knowledgably to the whisky enthusiasts and connoisseurs all over the World.
How would you describe your brand’s signature taste?
In many ways Glenfiddich is a classic Speyside with a deep fruitiness that runs through all of our expressions. The new distillate has a beautiful note of fresh pear and that signature fruitiness is moulded and mellowed by aging in oak to create a range of flavours all with distinct fruity / oaky flavours
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!