【Exclusive Interview】Richard Paterson OBE-‘The Nose’

Richard Paterson, also known as ‘The Nose’, is a highly esteemed individual in the Scotch whisky industry with over 50 years of experience.
He previously served as the Master Blender at Whyte & Mackay and currently holds the position of Master Distiller at The Dalmore and recently became a Master Blender at Wolfcraig Distillers.

Wolfcraig Distillers is a new whisky brand that was established in October 2020, founded by Michael Lunn and his son Jamie Lunn. Richard has become the co-Master Blender along with Ian Macmillan, who was the former Master Blender of Bladnoch Distillery and also worked for Deanston, Bunnahabhain, and Tobermory. Richard and Ian have known each other for a long time, yet it is their first time collaborating on a project. At this crucial timing of Richard’s another journey as a Master Blender, Dear WHISKY was, fortunately, able to interview Richard and reveal his tireless passion and determination towards whisky through his life story and rich experiences that flourished him into who he is today.

(Photos taken at: Bar Five Arrows)

About Richard Paterson

Richard was born in 1949 in a family running a whisky business. Both his father and grandfather were Master Blenders, and his great-great-grandfather, Sir William Paterson is the founder of the Bank of England. Richard started his career in the whisky industry in 1966 at the age of 17. In 1970, he joined Whyte & Mackay and became a Master Blender in 1975 when he was 26 years old. Richard stayed at Whyte & Mackay for 50 years until retirement in 2020.

Personal Background

Interaction with whisky

Dear WHISKY：
What was the relationship between your family and whisky like?

Richard：
My Father and Grandfather before him were both Master Blenders in the Whisky industry and I wanted to follow in their footsteps.

Dear WHISKY：
Could you share the story of your first interaction with the world of whisky?

Richard：
When I was 8 years old, my father brought me to his warehouse to teach me about the world of whisky. He wanted to show me the process of blending and whisky maturation, but as a child, I wasn’t interested and began to play around instead.

Dear WHISKY：
What was your father’s reaction when he caught you fooling around in the warehouse?

Richard：
He handed me a glass of whisky, but he got mad at me because I was holding it in a silly way. Then he told me to swirl it around, bring it up and say ‘hello’. He asked me ‘Is it as heavy as your grumpy grandfather? Is it as light as your mother? Is it as sweet as a chocolate bar or is perhaps as dry as the dust on the floor?’. This interaction initially gave me an idea of how to nose a whisky.

Dear WHISKY：
After hearing your father’s advice, what hints or flavour did you find in the whisky?

Richard：
I thought it was heavy full of body, and had a sweetness. Afterwards, I discovered that the reason for its distinct taste was that it had matured in sherry casks. So although I only sipped it then, something said ‘I want to be part of this industry’. So here we are almost 60 years later still in the industry, but still loving it as much as I did from the very beginning.

Growing beside a whisky maker

Dear WHISKY：
Did you receive any education about whisky from your father?

Richard：
Yes, he taught me about various whiskies and where they came from. But to be fair and honest you can’t be bothered when you’re young. I only realised how much I wish I had asked him more questions when I started writing books.

Dear WHISKY：
Why do you think you were not so motivated to learn from you father?

Richard：
Children do not always want to be educated by their fathers. They want to learn themselves and they think they know it all whereas in reality we know nothing. So that’s why I do regret not speaking more to my father during these early years.

Memories with his beloved father

Dear WHISKY：
What was the first whisky you had with your father?

Richard：
It was his own whisky called ‘Paterson’s Best’, I still have one his expressions in my whisky collection. It a blended whisky using malts and grains and he had said that he put it together and produced it in different bottles. These bottles are called ‘Book Bottles’, which are bottles in the shape of a book. This was the introduction to his particular blend, and I still have the labels to this very day.

Dear WHISKY：
Did you learn how to properly enjoy the whisky from the beginning?

Richard：
Yes, since it was his own whisky, his creation, he was able to show me the way to nose whisky, the way to look at it and to study the flavours and the characters.

Career in the Whisky Industry

The beginning of his career in the whisky industry

Dear WHISKY：
Could you tell us about your job before joining Whyte & Mackay?

Richard：
I started my career in the whisky industry in a company which my father introduced me to, and it was called ‘A. Gillies & Company Whisky Blenders & Brokers’ which distilled whisky in Campbeltown back in 1966.

Dear WHISKY：
Were there any challenges then that you can recall?

Richard：
I didn’t want people to think that I got the job only because of my father, and that’s why I had to learn and study hard. Not just whisky, but also cognac and wine. I studied hard because knowledge is power, and to show independence from my father.

Joining Whyte & Mackay

Dear WHISKY：
What was Whyte & Mackay like back then?

Richard：
Whyte & Mackay in the 1970s was a very innovative company, and it had to fight to put their name on the market. I knew they were trying to show that their special blend was equally as good, if not better than all the majors.

Dear WHISKY：
What about Whyte & Mackay attract you to work there?

Richard：
I just liked them for their small size of company compared to the rest, and I thought I could learn and maybe progress quicker in the company. Therefore, I came to join Whyte & Mackay.

Dear WHISKY：
How did you collect all the pieces of knowledge and experiences to become a Master Blender at such a young age?

Richard：
When I worked for Whyte & Mackay, I got involved with many different departments in the company. So although I was blending, I was also learning about bottling, exporting, and going to the warehouses I saw every aspect. So that was very good in the early beginnings.

Becoming a blender

Dear WHISKY：
Have you always wanted to become a blender?

Richard：
Yes after that initial introduction to whisky in my Father’s warehouse, I wanted to become a blender and follow in his footsteps.  

Dear WHISKY：
How did that influence your work ethic?

Richard：
My father was a meticulous man who always strived for perfection in his products and I have always wanted to achieve the same perfection with my whiskies.

Status of Master Blender in the 70s

Dear WHISKY：
What was it like to become a Master Blender in the 1970s?

Richard：
You must remember that blended whisky in the 1970s was the main driving force. It wouldn’t be until the late 1990s that single malt would come onto the market. Therefore, blended whisky was the dominant factor, and the company was a Master Blender’s domain.

Dear WHISKY：
What is the most important factor as a Master Blender?

Richard：
After becoming a Master Blender in 1975,I realised that I am now responsible for the quality of the products. Making sure to make no mistakes, and creating my style were important. But most of all I had to maintain consistency. Whether you’re enjoying whisky in Japan or South America, it must remain the same.

Thoughts on Whisky Industry

Watching the industry evolve

Dear WHISKY：
Was there a specific turning point for the industry?

Richard：
If I had to pick one, it would be in 1997 when we had the first Whisky Festival in Frankfurt. Since then, there have been Whisky Festivals all over the world, even in Tokyo, with thousands of people wanting to see whiskies. 

Dear WHISKY：
How has it influenced the industry?

Richard：
People see not only blended whiskies but also single malt, bourbon, Japanese, and more at the festivals. It has opened up whisky to a wider audience, and the nice thing is that many younger generations are coming to see these festivals to experience and learn. 

Dear WHISKY：
Do you still see the influence in Japanese whisky industry?

Richard：
We are always amazed when we visit Japan to see many lovely younger people sampling whiskies at fantastic whisky bars. Not every country is like that. In terms of whisky bars, it’s often older men or women sipping rather than younger people wanting to learn and see what it’s all about. 

Shift in the industry

Dear WHISKY：
What else do you remember as the characteristic of whisky industry in 1990s?

Richard：
As we started to have festivals worldwide, whisky packaging was often being compared to other liquors. Back then, we used to see all the different Cognac with the lovely fancy bottles. We were inspired by this level of luxury and worked hard at bringing that to the Scotch Whisky world.

Dear WHISKY：
What did you do to elevate the packaging?

Richard：
We focussed on impressing the customers with designs that told a story, and that is still very much our focus at Wolfcraig today.

Thoughts on Whisky

Ideal whisky

Dear WHISKY：
What makes an ideal whisky?

Richard：
The number one thing is the cask. Different styles of casks give us a portfolio and a library that we can work on. So the cask is king, and the whisky inside will give us the right credentials.

What makes Scotch whisky special

Dear WHISKY：
Could you please explain what distinguishes Scotch whisky from other types of whisky?

Richard：
It is a variety of regions with different climates, and these regions each give their own individual characteristics. That is something which is not reflected in other areas of the world. We’ve got so much diversity which gives us a vast array of whiskies available.

How Richard enjoys a whisky

Dear WHISKY：
How did you come up with such a unique style of tasting?

Richard：
I was inspired by a former Master Blender, Donald McKinley, who had a similar style.

Dear WHISKY：
How exactly did Donald sample the whisky?

Richard：
When Donald sampled whisky, he used to pick it up and shake it. And quite often, as he shook the whisky, it went all over the carpet. 

Reasoning behind his tasting routine

Dear WHISKY：
Which part of the routine is most important?

Richard：
What I do more than anything is actually throwing it away. We have to make sure the whole glass to the lip is as clean as possible. And the only way to do so is to swirl it around and throw it to eliminate any odours.

Dear WHISKY：
Have you ever got in trouble because of that?

Richard：
When I was in Korea, I once got charged 300 pounds for a sandwich, and I said, ‘ Well, that’s awfully expensive.’ And the server said, ‘No no, that’s for you throwing the whisky and staining the carpet.’

Dear WHISKY：
Would it actually stain the carpet?

Richard：
It won’t stain the carpet; my sample room is completely fine. But it’s just a way of perhaps getting their attention. It’s the same with dumping out the whisky On the rocks.

Preference of glass

Dear WHISKY：
Are there any other specific rules when tasting a whisky?

Richard：
For a Master Blender it is important to use a Copita glass in order to look at the whisky properly. In order to professionally perceive the whisky and say ‘Hello’, ‘How are you’, and then ‘Quite well’, ‘Thank you very much’ you have to have a proper set up.

Dear WHISKY：
Why is that conversation so important?

Richard：
When we meet for the first time, the more I talk to you, the more your personality comes out, and the more I get to know you. It is exactly the same with whisky. Initially, you are a stranger seeing each other for the first time. Then, you slowly but surely come together as it starts to expose its inner self. That is why it is so important take your time nosing the whisky to allow all of the characteristics to emerge.

The meaning of whisky

Dear WHISKY：
What does whisky mean to you?

Richard：
People often question me ‘After 60 years why do you still love whisky?’, but the thrill I get, is coming to a place where I meet people and see their eyes when tasting whisky. By seeing their eyes, you can see what they are experiencing. So when I’m talking about the notes and the flavours of the whisky, you can see that they are learning and appreciating it. And that is the reward I get for still doing it. Seeing people enjoy the whisky we created after putting in all that effort with the right team is always fulfilling.

Memories in Japan

First time visiting Japan

Dear WHISKY：
Could you share your memory of visiting Japan for the first time?

Richard：
I came to Japan for the first time in September 1970 to Tokyo and Hokkaido, and since then I have visited over 20 times.

Dear WHISKY：
What was your initial impression on Hokkaido?

Richard：
I quickly regretted not bringing a coat when we encountered snow and ice. Although it was a hard welcome for me, it remains a good memory that I’ll never forget.

The most memorable experience in Japan

Dear WHISKY：
What was the most memorable experience during your stay in Japan?

Richard：
What remains and still amazes me, is that Japanese people always show patience and respect when it comes to tasting whisky. They would never grab a glass of whisky, and knock it back like cowboys. They’ll hold back and take time to enjoy.

Dear WHISKY：
What do you think of the Japanese style of drinking?

Richard：
They’re highly respectful and I greatly admire them, and that was the sort of culture that I found. So that was a real culture shock for me from the very beginning.

Message for Dear WHISKY Readers

Dear WHISKY：
Please leave a message to the readers of Dear WHISKY!

Richard：
To produce whisky it takes time. So give whisky time to appreciate it. That’s what it’s all about. We all have very busy schedules but when it comes to whisky the right time is to relax and to think life’s not that bad, but it takes time to do it. So that’s why time is the key to enjoying.

At Last

Richard quotes, ‘Whisky runs through my blood. Although I have worked in this industry for over half a century, I still love whisky as much as I did since my father took me to his warehouse’. Throughout the interview, his words showed his love and passion for whisky, and that explained how he became one of the most influential icons of the whisky industry’.

In part 2 of the article, Richard and Jamie Lunn, the co-founder of Wolfcraig Distillers, will share the story of Wolfcraig Distillers, and its unique style, and introduce their recently launched whiskies. If you want to experience more of their engaging storytelling, make sure to check out Part 2!