Richard Paterson

Last updated
OBE
Richard Paterson
Born
Richard Paterson

(1949-01-31) January 31, 1949 (age 76)
Glasgow, Scotland
OccupationMaster blender
Years active1966–present
Known forMaster blender at The Dalmore; nicknamed "The Nose"

Richard Paterson (born 31 January 1949), OBE is a Scottish author and whisky expert. [1] He is a master blender with over five decades of experience in the whisky industry. [2] [3] In the industry, he is nicknamed "The Nose" and is seen as one of the most respected blenders in the Scottish malt whisky industry. [2] [4] [5] [6] [3] [7]

Contents

Early life and education

Richard Paterson was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He is a third-generation master blender, as was his father and grandfather. [2] [3] His father, Gus Paterson, managed the family whisky broker firm, W. R. Paterson & Co., which significantly influenced Richard's career path.

Career

Paterson began his career in 1966 at A. Gillies & Co., a whisky blending firm, where he started as an office junior and gained knowledge in whisky blending and production. In 1970, he joined Whyte & Mackay, becoming their master blender in 1975. [8] During his tenure, he was instrumental in developing and maintaining the quality of their whisky brands, including The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn, and Tamnavulin malts, as well as the Whyte & Mackay blend. [5]

He previously held a USD 2.5 million insurance policy on his nose with Lloyd’s of London but this has now lapsed. [3]

In 2011, he was responsible for creating a modern blend using a retrieved bottle of Ernest Shackleton’s whisky from 1907 that is now sold commercially. [3] [9] [7] To create the whisky, he spent up to six weeks in full laboratory conditions to analyse the whisky. [10]

In 2020, after celebrating his 50th anniversary with Whyte & Mackay, Paterson took on the role of master blender at Wolfcraig Distillery, a new venture aimed at creating a Highland single malt Scotch whisky. [11] He continues to serve as master blender for The Dalmore while contributing his expertise to Wolfcraig whisky. [6]

In 2023, he became a viral sensation on TikTok with tens of millions of views on the platform. [12]

Awards and recognition

Throughout his career, Paterson has received numerous accolades, including:

In June 2022, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his services to the Scottish whisky industry. [14] [2] [15] [16]

He is responsible for the International Wine and Spirit Competition Scotch Whisky Awards and is an IWSC judge. [17] [18]

He is also Chair of the International Spirits Challenge. [19]

Publications

In 2008, Paterson authored Goodness Nose, a book that delves into the art of whisky blending and his experiences in the industry. [20]

Personal life

Beyond his professional endeavors, Paterson is involved in charitable activities, particularly with the Benevolent Trust in Scotland, supporting individuals in the drinks industry facing hardships. He is on the management committee of the society, Keepers of the Quaich. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotch whisky</span> Malt or grain whisky distilled in Scotland

Scotch whisky, often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnnie Walker</span> Scotch whisky

Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's largest bottling plant, until its closure in 2012, a decision announced by Diageo in 2009 which would bring the 190-year association between the brand and Kilmarnock to an end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chivas Regal</span> Blended Scotch whisky

Chivas Regal is a blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Grant & Sons</span> Scottish alcohol distillery

William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership.

A master blender is an individual who develops specific blended spirits using a combination of spirits with different characteristics. For example, in the Scotch whisky industry, master blenders choose which single malts and grain whiskies to combine to make particular brands of blended whisky. A master blender is not the same thing as a master distiller, although one person may do both jobs at small craft distilleries. As the name suggests, the blender creates blends using spirits from different casks and is responsible for making sure the product remains consistent across different batches, while the distiller is either directly responsible for the mashing and distilling of spirits or simply holds the title as the administrative and marketing figurehead of the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springbank distillery</span> Single malt whisky distillery in Scotland

Springbank distillery is a family-owned single malt whisky distillery on the Kintyre Peninsula in western Scotland. It is owned by J & A Mitchell & Company, which also owns the Glengyle distillery, the oldest independent bottler, William Cadenheads, and several blended scotch labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Pulteney distillery</span> Scottish Malt Whisky Distillery in Wick

Pulteney distillery is a malt whisky production and aging facility in the Pulteneytown area of Wick, Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. The distillery produces the Old Pulteney single malt whisky at a number of ages and has a visitor centre in Huddart Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speyburn distillery</span> Speyside Scottish whisky distillery in Rothes, Moray, Scotland

Speyburn distillery is a Speyside Scottish whisky distillery, in Rothes, Moray, Scotland.

David Stewart is the long-time master blender and malt master for William Grant & Sons distillers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Lomond distillery</span> Whisky distillery in Alexandria, Scotland

Loch Lomond distillery is a Highland Single Malt Scotch whisky distillery in Alexandria, Scotland, near Loch Lomond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalmore distillery</span> Whisky distillery in Alness, Scotland

Dalmoredistillery is located in Alness, Scotland, 20 miles (32 km) north of Inverness. It sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle, the "big meadowland" from which it takes its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballantine's</span> Blended Scotch Whisky

Ballantine's is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Dumbarton, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whyte & Mackay</span> Scottish alcoholic beverage company

Whyte & MackayLtd is a company producing alcoholic beverages based in Glasgow, Scotland. The company is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian whisky</span> Type of distilled liquor produced in India

As of 2006 most distilled spirits labelled as "whisky" in India were a form of Indian-made foreign liquor, commonly blends based on neutral spirits that are distilled from fermented molasses with only a small portion consisting of traditional malt whisky, usually about 10 to 12 percent. Outside India, such a drink would more likely be labelled a rum. According to the Scotch Whisky Association's 2013 annual report, unlike in the European Union (EU), "there is no compulsory definition of whisky in India, and the Indian voluntary standard does not require whisky to be distilled from cereals or to be matured. Very little Indian 'whisky' qualifies as whisky in the EU owing to the use of molasses or neutral alcohol, limited maturation and the use of flavourings. Such spirits are, of course, considerably cheaper to produce than genuine whisky." Such molasses-based blends made up 90 percent of the spirits consumed as "whisky" in India in 2004, although whisky wholly distilled from malt and other grains, was also manufactured and sold. By 2004 shortages of wheat had been overcome and India was one of the largest producers. Amrut, the first single malt whisky produced in India, was launched in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004. After expanding in Europe it was launched in India in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Ord distillery</span>

Glen Ord distillery is a whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands and is the only remaining single malt scotch whisky distillery on the Black Isle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamnavulin distillery</span> Scotch whisky distillery

Tamnavulin distillery is a producer of single malt Scotch whisky that was founded in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Dog (whisky)</span> Brand of blended Scotch whisky

Black Dog is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Indian beverage company United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo.

Glenwyvis distillery is a Scotch whisky and gin distillery located in Dingwall, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:

References

  1. ↑ MacLean, Charles (2016-10-13). "Fifty Years in Scotch Whisky: An Interview with Dalmore's Richard Paterson". The Whiskey Wash. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hay, Katharine (2022-06-28). "Whisky master blender hopes father was 'looking down' as he was made OBE". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Bruner, Raisa (2016-08-31). "This Man's Job Is to Know Everything About Whisky". TIME. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  4. ↑ "Richard Paterson OBE on how to win IWSC gold: It's all about harmony". IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition. 2024-11-28. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  5. 1 2 3 "Interview: Richard Paterson, Dalmore". Scotch Whisky. 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  6. 1 2 Edwards, Gareth (2020-10-22). "Scotland's most famous master blender has joined the project to create a new distillery". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  7. 1 2 Morais, Betsy (2012-11-27). "Shackleton's Whiskey". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  8. ↑ Brooker, Alice (2023-06-21). "Richard Paterson creates Wolfcraig Gin". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  9. ↑ "Shackleton blended malt inspired by explorer". Scotch Whisky. 2017-07-25. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  10. ↑ "Shackleton's South Pole whisky returns to Scotland". BBC News. 2011-01-17. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  11. ↑ Dalmore Master Blender Richard Paterson Has Signed on With A New Distillery , retrieved 2024-12-12
  12. ↑ Smail, Alexander (2023-05-09). "Legendary Scottish whisky expert nicknamed 'The Nose' goes viral on TikTok aged 74". Daily Record. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  13. ↑ "World Drinks Awards". World Drinks Awards. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  14. ↑ Hay, Katharine (2022-06-28). "Whisky master blender hopes father was 'looking down' as he was made OBE". The Standard. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  15. ↑ Green, Martin. "Richard Paterson awarded OBE in New Year's Honours". Drinks International. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  16. ↑ Bowers, Donna (2021-01-12). "Richard Paterson awarded OBE in 2021 New Year Honours". The Worshipful Company of Distillers. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  17. ↑ "Scotch Whisky Awards". IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  18. ↑ "Richard Paterson OBE Judge". IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  19. ↑ Media, Agile. "Whiskies". International Spirits Challenge 2025. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  20. ↑ Paterson, Richard; Smith, Gavin D. (2008-10-23). Goodness Nose. New York: Neil Wilson Publishing. ISBN   978-1-903238-67-7.
  21. ↑ "No 7 Keepers Bottling". Keepers of the Quaich. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.