Turntable Whisky Tasting with Alasdair Stevenson

Brothers Alasdair and Gordon Stevenson have both worked in the whisky industry for over a decade. They have individually worked for distilleries such as Benriach, Glendronach, Glenallachie, BalBlair, and Old Pulteney. At these distilleries, the brothers held various positions, ranging from production team members to export sales managers. In export sales, in particular, both brothers noticed that blended whisky was always seen as quantity, while single malt was seen as quality. This frustration led to the founding of Turntable Blending House.

Quality is evident in every whisky, and they live by the motto "No Shortcuts." In practice, this means, among other things, that every whisky is thoroughly tasted before being purchased, but also that all casks are inspected upon arrival and, in almost all cases, re-racked. The latter means that the whisky is transferred to new, higher-quality casks. Although this can be time-consuming, the brothers believe it's essential for creating an optimal final product.

Creativity is certainly evident in the blending process itself. By pre-writing a desired flavor profile, they can search for whiskies in their warehouse that can achieve it. This then involves considerable creativity, experimenting with different combinations and varying quantities. This creativity is also evident in their latest whisky. With this whisky, they are venturing beyond Scotland and creating the first Turntable Blend in collaboration with Australian distillery Starward.

No transition without transparency. By clearly stating which whiskies are used in what percentages in each blend, Turntable is bringing a level of transparency to the world of blended whisky. By communicating in this way which whiskies from different distilleries are used, the brothers hope to inspire consumers about blended whisky. In doing so, they aim to help change the sometimes negative stigma that surrounds blended whisky.