Meet the Distiller: Stewart Walker, Fettercairn Distillery

Full name and distillery you work at

Stewart Walker – Fettercairn Distillery

What made you want to work in whisky?

I grew up in Fettercairn and saw the workers going to the distillery every morning. The distillery is a really key part of the community here.

How did you get into the distiller role you’re in now?

I worked for many years in distillery - through all the roles - and became Manager in 2015.

What is something surprising that people might not know about your role?

The variation in the role! You have to be very diverse in your mindset - you can be dealing with an engineering issue in production and an hour later you are talking with whisky connoisseur from another country, and then you are dealing with production plan for next year.

What characteristics are you looking for in the whiskies you make and how do they represent the region/distillery?

At Fettercairn we have this beautiful tropical fruit note that is present in our whisky.  You will get ripe bananas, mangos and guavas.

I always think that Fettercairn makes a very vibrant and diverse whisky. It’s a true reflection of the  Howe of the Mearns, which is a beautiful, fertile region in Aberdeenshire. The farming and agriculture here is so diverse and there is a huge range of crops being grown in this area.

What was the first whisky you ever tried?

You would not believe this but Whyte and Mackay was first whisky I ever tried!

Sign up to our Scotsman Whisky Club here for reviews, news, interviews and exclusive discounts

Tell us about your new make, and what makes it so special?

Our new make really is quite unique. It has a beautiful cereal / fruity note - very vibrant, but even at this point quite smooth.

On our two spirit stills at Fettercairn we have a “Cooling Ring”, and we pour cold spring water onto the head which cascades down and enhances the reflux.

This allows the low wines to have more contact with copper, and it also allows more of the lighter, fruitier notes that we want in our new make spirit to pass over the swan neck and lye arm into the condenser. A wonderful yet simple creation that has such an influence on our new make spirt.

Are you working on any exciting new releases this year?

We’ve just launched a new experience for visitors coming to the distillery, where they can hand bottle their own exclusive 17 year old whisky.

Anything else exciting? Yes, something very, very exciting is coming this year. But you’ll have to wait and see on that…

Who is your whisky hero?

Everyone who has contributed to Fettercairn over the last 200 years. That’s a long time. We do things the way we learned them, from the people who worked here years ago. So all of them have contributed to what we’re doing right now

What’s your unpopular whisky opinion?

There is a whisky for everybody. You might think you don’t like whisky, but I guarantee you there’s a whisky for you.

If {your whisky} was a film star, who would they be?

I’m a sucker for an underdog story. I love The Greatest Showman because it tells a great story of accepting people for who they are. So I’d probably pick a brilliant character actor who quietly steals the show rather than the movie star!

Some of the team said Tilda Swinton, because she’s versatile - brilliant as a proper movie star in a blockbuster or playing it more subtle in indie films. But she feels approachable too – and I think she’s from just up the road.

Describe {your whisky} in three words

Vibrant, fruity, surprising

Now describe yourself in three words

Caring, adaptable, friendly