My name is Brian Kinsman, and I’m the Malt Master at Glenfiddich. I’ve been Glenfiddich’s Malt Master since 2009, when I took over from David Stewart.
I’m responsible for looking after the character and quality of Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky selecting and marrying casks to create new and interesting expressions, while making sure we always stay true to each whisky’s distinctive style.
I didn’t grow up dreaming of working in whisky. In fact, my path into the industry was more accidental than planned.
When I first joined William Grant & Sons as a chemist, I was simply focused on doing the job well. But being surrounded by spirit at every stage of its life, from fresh off the still to decades-old casks in the warehouse, sparked a real curiosity in me.
I didn’t expect my career to take me into whisky. I studied chemistry and began my time at William Grant & Sons as a lab chemist, working closely with quality and production.
Over the years, my interest gradually shifted from purely technical analysis to the sensory side of the craft, and that progression ultimately led me to blending. What I value most about the role now is its range.
One day might involve evaluating spirit fresh from distillation, the next reviewing casks that have been slowly developing for many years. That contrast between immediacy and long-term maturation is what makes the job so engaging.
I think what often surprises people is just how much restraint the role requires. Sometimes the most important choice isn’t to act, but to step back and allow the whisky the space it needs to fully come into its own.
Maturation can’t be hurried, and learning when not to interfere is just as important as knowing when to step in. There’s something quite humbling about working with casks that have been quietly evolving for decades.
At the same time, you’re very aware that you’re safeguarding whiskies with a long and proud history behind them.
Every decision carries weight. Judging the right moment is never formulaic. You’re searching for harmony, when the influence of the oak and the character of the spirit feel completely integrated. Reaching that point relies on experience and judgement as much as technical understanding.
Every cask matures slightly differently, and our job is to work with those natural variations rather than against them. We sample thousands of casks every year, and the most important characteristics we look for are balance, depth and clarity of character.
At Glenfiddich consistency is crucial, but consistency doesn’t mean uniformity, it’s about balance. Each batch should tell the same story, just with its own subtle nuances. That’s the sweet spot.
Just to add, cask finishing is a way to add another layer of personality to the whisky, not to disguise it. Each cask type brings something unique, Bordeaux adds ripe fruit and warmth, Amontillado brings nuttiness and dryness, and awamori gives a lovely textural richness and exotic sweetness.
The key is balance. You want the Glenfiddich character to still shine through. The cask should complement, not dominate. When it’s right, the finish feels like a conversation between the spirit and the wood.
There are a number of things at the distillery contributing to our new make spirit character. Our stills are quite small and we operate them slowly with a high cut point to create a new make that has lots of leafy, fruitiness and no hint of cereal or sulphur. We also have two distinct shapes of spirit still that operate in pairs, a lantern head and ball boil still.
Each still creates a slightly different character that combine to give us the final character. Ultimately
the DNA of Glenfiddich comes from the new make spirit and the distillery team are very focussed on consistency of flavour to ensure every drop that goes into cask is spot on.
Bells Blended Whisky – a very long time ago!
John Ross. John was the Chief Chemist at William Grant & Sons for most of my career here. His knowledge is astonishing on both on the William Grant & Sons processes and the wider whisky industry.
He has been a mentor for years and my first port of call for advice both professionally and personally to this day.
High ABV doesn't equate to high flavour. A high ABV whisky can often disguise a lack of flavour and I am much more in favour of finding a strength that accentuates the core flavour of the whisky.
Generally I tend to add water to whisky for drinking and I always add water for nosing / testing. If the alcoholic strength is too high the flavour compounds will be locked into the liquid and the volatility of the alcohol overpowers the aroma and kills the taste.
However, I always stress this is very much personal taste and if you like something then that's OK!
Cate Blanchett – Elegant, refined and instantly recognisable
Smooth, Orchard fruits, Speyside.
Quiet, calm, patient.
