Turntable Whisky Tasting with Alasdair Stevenson

Brothers Alasdair and Gordon Stevenson have both been working in the whisky industry for over a decade. Separately, they have worked for distilleries such as Benriach, Glendronach, Glenallachie, BalBlair, and Old Pulteney. At these distilleries, the brothers have held various positions, ranging from production team member to export sales manager. Particularly in export sales, both brothers noticed that Blended Whisky was always viewed as quantity, while Single Malt was seen as quality, and this caused them frustration. This frustration led to the founding of Turntable Blending House.

Quality is reflected in every whisky, and they live by the "No Shortcuts" principle. In practice, this means, among other things, that every whisky is extensively tasted before being purchased, but also that all casks are inspected upon arrival and, in almost all cases, re-racked. The latter entails transferring the whisky into new, higher-quality casks. Although this can be time-consuming, the brothers consider it essential for creating an optimal end product.

Creativity is certainly reflected in the blending process itself. By noting down a desired flavor profile in advance, they can search their warehouse for whiskies that can achieve this profile. Subsequently, a great deal of creativity comes into play in the form of 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 the Australian distillery Starward.

Without transparency, there is no transition. By clearly stating in every blend which whiskies have been used and in what percentages, Turntable brings a degree of transparency to the world of blended whisky. By communicating in this way which whiskies from different distilleries are used, the brothers hope to enthuse consumers about Blended Whisky. In doing so, they aim to contribute to changing the sometimes negative stigma surrounding Blended Whisky.