In Good Spirits

Augustman speaks with Brett Bayly, Regional Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie Southeast Asia, to sift wheat from chaff and get to the essence of a good spirit

- JONATHAN HO

Cask finishing is but one factor of a multi-factor process... to what degree would you say it contributes to the final spirit? Would you say it's the most important? 

Cask finishing is undeniably an important component to the modern whisky-making process, and the impact is apparent as we see across the Cask Finishes collection from The Balvenie. Each of the whiskies has unique taste profiles that are curated by David & Kelsey to bring diversity to life in the portfolio. I look at whisky making like a symphony, where each part plays an important role. Cask finishing plays an important role; however, it can be looked at as an embellishment process, meaning it is not a required part of the whisky-making process. However, its impact and importance is undeniable.

Whisky producers have started releasing whiskies with special flavours to help to differentiate their product from competitors, can you tell at what point it's just marketing or when it is really a well-considered process which truly brings out the best of the spirit? Some critics even go so far as to say that these special editions mask imperfections in the whisky. What are some of your perspectives on this?

Differentiation is a critical part of any whisky distillery. The Balvenie Distillery resides in the most densely populated region of Scotland when it comes to Scotch Whisky production. Marketing is what happens when we hit the market, but it is absolutely critical to see that differentiation at the distillery itself. Clever marketing helps move a product, fantastic storytelling helps connect the consumer with the product, but without a well-designed whisky profile, you're sitting on useless liquid.