The Grants

With all the consolidation of Scotland’s distilleries (hell…the world’s distilleries) into never-ending corporate landscapes, it’s easy to forget that three of the biggest and most-famous producers are still family-owned: Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Girvan. Not only are they owned by a family company, they’re owned by the same family that originally built them. They’ve never changed hands; they’ve never been traded to another portfolio. William Grant and his sons built the Glenfiddich distillery in 1886 and today the company is run by his great-great grandson Glenn Gordon.

That’s pretty special.

Albeit being a large, interconnected, incredibly wealthy family-run company, William Grant & Sons still has a number of the same perks one would expect from an independent. As long as you know one of the family members, you can get just about anything done in minutes, unlike the lengthy and often ridiculous bureaucratic paperwork that’s required at some of the other facilities. Since we know Kirsten Grant personally and are her guests here in the Highlands, a private tour of the largest distillery in Scotland is a piece of cake.

You want to visit Macallan? Good luck. Even for large customers of the brand, getting booked into a simple tour is a month-long process. By contrast, you want to pop some barrels at Balvenie and taste some old Sherry butts? No problem! That’s the advantage of a family-run company. Nothing will endear you to a brand or a business faster than having someone look after your needs personally; hence, part of why I’m a huge fan of both Glenfiddich and Balvenie. Granted (pun intended), their whiskies are excellent. But I’m a big believer in old school customer service, especially in our a cold, tech-driven era. No drinks company right now has better customer service and relationship skills than William Grant—starting right from the top.

No Scottish company feels more authentic either. Kirsten is as down-to-earth as they come, as is her family’s archivist and historical expert Andy Fairgrieve: a dreadlocked Highlander straight out of a movie set. I spent most of last night drinking whisky with this superb fellow at the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour, sampling drams from the Grant family’s private collection on hand. They could’ve chosen the world’s most boring and pedantic professor for that role, right? But they did not. They chose Andy.

They’ve got a pretty amazing selection of bottles at the Dowans, even if you leave out the private shelves that are owned by local businesses and club members.

You also don’t expect a company as large as William Grant to have anything on those club shelves other than standard high-end expressions, but again that’s not the case. They could’ve populated their selection with the basic 25 and 30 year old releases, but they did not. Instead, we get radical single barrel samples like this super-sherried, cask strength, heavily-peated Glenfiddich from 2003. Another bottle had no label, just a Post-It note that read “40 year old barrel sample.”

As someone who has worked almost exclusively with family-run businesses, I felt right at home with those kooky idiosyncrasies.

-David Driscoll

Barrel Selections at GlenAllachie

Roughly three and a half hours north of Glasgow by car sits the epicenter of whisky distillation for our planet: the Scottish Highlands. If you think Napa is romantic with its rolling hills and ubiquitous wineries, driving around Aberlour and Dufftown is downright intoxicating by comparison—literally and figuratively! There’s so much whisky vapor in the air between all the distilleries that it’s all you can smell by the end of your first day. We’re in the Highlands for the next three days, and we’re getting down to business straight away. Our first stop was GlenAllachie, by far the most exciting independent distillery on the market right now, in my personal opinion.

I won’t go into the entire story now, but GlenAllachie is yet another example of Billy Walker’s prowess as a blender. The whisky hall of famer started his career at Hiram Walker in the early seventies and over the past two decades has proven time and time again his understanding of taste is top notch. Having successfully resurrected Benriach and Glendronach, ending with a sale to Brown Forman just a few years back, Billy set his sights on doing the same with the former Chivas distillery GlenAllachie. While he wasn’t on hand for our visit, we were able to meet with operations director Richard Beattie (pictured above) for an inside look at what makes GlenAllachie’s magic happen.

Sherry casks have long been Billy Walker’s specialty, and it’s the Sherry influence in GlenAllachie’s profile that whisky drinkers (including myself) have gone gaga for in the distillery’s chewy, unctuous profile. It goes without saying that we were very interested in securing our own single cask, particularly one saturated in Pedro Ximenez if possible. It turns out that knowing the right people in this industry can make just about any wish come true, so long as you ask nicely and show your support over time (wink wink).

This particular 14 year old full proof specimen had so much candied orange that Salpi and Vic said it tasted like a ready-made Scotch old fashioned with a citrus peel on top! I said it tasted like the See’s candy orange toffee wafers. You’ll have to see which of us you agree with when the barrel arrives.

-David Driscoll

Remembering That Feeling

Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember how excited I was to move to Los Angeles back in 2019, how new everything felt, and that pressing feeling in my gut each time I would explore a neighborhood. For one solid year, my wife and I were on cloud nine, drinking at new bars, eating at new restaurants, and meeting new people. Then came the pandemic and everything ended. We stayed mostly at home for the next two years and slowly we lost the bubbling enthusiasm that had given us so much happiness for that fleeting time.

Even now, when I drive from Burbank to Pasadena, I have to remind myself that the greater Los Angeles area is still out there waiting to be discovered. I have to forcefully change my mindset to remember how enthralling it felt to be in a new city with so much potential. It’s a mental exercise that requires serious effort. Now and then I can recapture it, for a few minutes here and there, but it’s a slow process. COVID did a lot more than remove our ability to smell and taste; in many cases it also removed our ability to feel.

Being back in Glasgow for the last two days has been nostalgic and rewarding, but it hasn’t provided me the immediate jolt of excitement I was expecting. Much like with Los Angeles, I have to first remember that original feeling of passion and energy in order to identify and rekindle it within me. The pandemic turned many people into hobbyists, collectors, psuedo-savants, and hoarders—me included. Being stuck at home, I began exploring all sorts of new categories like watches and cigars, diving in with a fervor that felt genuinely emotional at the time, but was really just filling an emotional hole. Once that hyper-powered consumerism settled in, it became hard to remember why we once did other things. “We have extra money and we’re bored” became a disingenuous rallying cry.

Now that we’re back in society, taking off our masks, and slowly getting back to pre-pandemic activities, I’m starting to remember how fun whiskey used to be back before it turned into a pissing contest for bros on social media. Pouring drams with old friends at the Bon Accord last night in Glasgow, drinking cask ales in between, brought back that tingle in my belly. Getting up early this misty morning, walking down the Clyde riverbank with a damp windbreaker, and inhaling the warm whisky aromas emanating from the Clydeside distillery evoked a nostalgia that almost made my knees buckle.

It’s never a given that a youthful passion will burn eternally. Some romances last decades, while others fizzle out in weeks. The best relationships often take work, despite what people think. When times get tough, you remember what made you fall in love in the first place and you use those memories to remind yourself what’s worthwhile. Scotch whisky is worth the effort.

-David Driscoll

The Clydeside

Let me start by saying this: there is no greater relief and simultaneously no giddier excitement than the realization one of your good friends has built a world class distillery that makes amazing single malt whisky. I say this because there’s no guarantee that will be the case when said friend undertakes that journey. Roughly seven years ago, I was in Glasgow with Stan Morrison taking a tour of the old pump house along the Clyde River that was chosen as the future site of the Clydeside distillery. Today, many years later, I finally saw and tasted the finished product.

What’s the verdict? Holy fucking shit is that whisky delicious!!!

I would need weeks to really break down all the reasons I love the new Clydeside Distillery and its whiskies, but for all you graphic designers out there here’s reason #22: even the font that is featured on the distillery logo and label is taken from the shape and make-up of the old warehouses that stored whisky along the river years ago. THAT is the level of detail to which the Morrisons have gone in order to make what is, by far, the coolest new distillery I’ve ever been to anywhere in Scotland or Kentucky. Let’s leave it at that for now.

How does it taste? You can see Salpi was all smiles when she went through her flight, but I’ll say this for now: not only is it completely loyal to the Lowland style and the heritage of Glasgow, it’s also so deliciously sweet, grainy, and bright on the finish that you can’t help but want seconds, thirds, fourths, and fifths. At just a few years of age, I’ve never tasted an unpeated single malt whisky that is this precocious. I’m stocking up now for the trip back.

Not only is the distillery on a beautiful strip of the river, the bottles are striking and the gift shop is stocked with all sorts of unique special editions and even a fill-your-own-bottle single barrel expression a la what Springbank used to offer back in the day. Speaking of that, while I will always love Springbank, the scarcity and the pricing of today’s market have lost my inner passion. I’m now fully transferring all my child-like joyousness over to the Clydeside because it’s just that damn good.

How damn good? Like I’m-willing-to-drop-$10,000-right-now-and-fill-my-own-cask-of-Clydeside good. That’s how special this whisky is. I want to be in the Ballast Club immediately. I want to come here annually and drink from my own barrel. Whatever they’re doing, I want in. I want to be a part of this. Do you hear me?? I want in on this movement. It’s everything I love about whisky: drinking over collecting, no batches or limited bullshit, just good juice for a good price made by good people. Hallelujah.

-David Driscoll

Catching Up With Scotch

After ten hours on a plane to London, another hour up to Glasgow, and twenty minutes in the rental car to the hotel, all we could think about was evening cocktails in Finnieston. We walked over to Porter & Rye at 5:30 PM yesterday to finally relax and have ourselves a drink. Vic went for the Macallan Old Fashioned, while I sipped on a Dirty Gibson with Scottish gin and some insanely bulbous onions.

Meeting us there was my longtime friend and current proprietor of The Clydeside Distillery: Mr. Stan Morrison. If you recognize the last name it’s because Stan’s family used to own Morrison Bowmore, including the three distilleries that now fall under the Beam-Suntory umbrella: Bowmore, Auchentoshan, and Glen Garioch. Stan and I have been fast friends for more than a decade, dating back to when Stan met his wife in San Francisco and lived near me in the city. I was excited for Vic to meet him, and very much enjoyed listening to them talk business.

As we snacked on the bone marrow appetizer, Stan laid out some of the scary economics facing the Scotch whisky industry that include higher prices not just for shipping and logistics, but also the barley itself. “The Ukraine is actually a big supplier of barley for Europe,” he explained while discussing some of the global-political challenges facing distillers. With the cost per ton already 25% higher than it was last year, some distillers believe the war could potentially double the price of barley for distillers by 2023. With glass and packaging materials in short supply as well, don’t expect prices to come down for your favorite single malt any time soon.

We all split the rib eye and the decadent burger after numerous small plates, along with a selection of various single malts. Having built a distillery based in downtown Glasgow to focus on local tourism, Stan joked about the irony of that situation during COVID, but noted The Clydeside was able to weather the storm and come out swinging in 2022. We’re headed over that way later today for a full scale tour and sampling of their new 4+ year old distillate. I’m very excited to try it.

-David Driscoll

Out In Glasgow

Given that I stay in the same hotel pretty much every time, I have a longstanding Glasgow tradition of dropping my bags, changing my shoes, and hitting the streets almost immediately upon arrival for a walk down the River Clyde, then over to Argyll Street in Finnieston. The cool breeze whipping off the water is the perfect remedy for jet lag, and the energy in Glasgow’s hottest neighborhood is contagious. It makes you want to stay up and party.

There’s a slew of new restaurants in Finnieston that I don’t remember from my last visit. Crabshakk for example is apparently the hottest spot in town, not far from my usual dinner spot Porter & Rye. It’s a comfortable 53 degrees in Glasgow at the moment, but with a jacket and the right attitude it’s exactly the right temperature for sitting outside with a beer or a glass of wine. Hence, why the entire street is packed at 4 PM on a Monday.

I always like to stop in at the Ben Nevis as well. Getting a drink here has been a Glasgow tradition of mine dating back more than ten years. The wall is full of treasures and the vibe is super mellow and old school.

Time to meander back to the hotel, grab the team, and head out for dinner with the great Stan Morrison from The Clydeside Distillery. Adventure awaits!

-David Driscoll

Scotland Ho!

It’s been over two years since I’ve been on a plane and at least five years since I’ve traveled internationally. For someone who used to make multi-European trips annually, along with scattered stops to Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Australia, being back on the road now seems like a strange proposition.

Moving over to tech, then the logistical side of the booze business, was a great career move looking back, but you obviously lose some of the perks. Traveling to Scotland was something I looked forward to every single year because it’s one of the most beautiful and calming destinations on the planet, let alone a great place to taste whisky. I’m very much looking forward to seeing it again this weekend when we head out on the road for our first Mission barrel trip.

We’ve got a lot on the schedule and it’s going to be a whirlwind of a week. Meetings in Glasgow at all the independent bottling offices to start, then a look at the new Clydeside distillery with the Morrison family. We’ll hop in the car soon after and make our way north to the Highlands for an appointment with GlenAllachie, before we stop in at Balvenie, Macallan, Glenfiddich, and Aberlour.

Per the norm, I’ll be posting photos here and on the Mission Instagram site with updates from the trip. Anything and everything is on the table. Private casks, private labels, secret blends—you name it! It’s all coming to Mission.

-David Driscoll

20 Year Old Nebbiolo That Will Make You Want To Build A Cellar

It's one thing to tell someone a wine will taste great in twenty years, but an entirely more effective thing to show them.

Sometimes helping customers understand the benefit of cellaring their wines can only truly be done with examples like this: a twenty year old Nebbiolo made by one of northern Italy's most prestigious producers, ArPePe, that embodies everything we love in a mature red wine. Located in the tiny Valtellina region, tucked in between the Italian alps and Switzerland, this wine is a far cry from the tannic and rugged Barolos you may have cut your teeth on. The 2002 Riserva is pure elegance in the glass, delicate and ethereal, from the gorgeous color to the seamless integration of tannins and fruit after twenty years in the bottle.

Here at Mission, we're continuing to search out library editions that showcase the benefits of both time and patience when it comes to wine consumption. We're hoping these older procurements allow more casual wine drinkers to experience that same epiphany that turns everyday fans into passionate afficionados. Take a bottle of this home, make yourself a nice meal, and be truly blown away. If this wine doesn't make you want to start your own personal cellar, nothing will.

2002 ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Sassella Rocce Rossa $104.99

96 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2002 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse will give readers a very good idea of how top-notch Valtellina Nebbiolo develops with age. Moreover, it clearly shows that top-flight Nebbiolo from Valtellina deserves a seat at the table next to the world’s greatest wines. Primary flavors are now faded into the background, replaced with a striking array of dried rose petal, lavender, mint and sweet pipe tobacco. A wine for lovers of classic, traditionally made Nebbiolo, the 2002 Rocce Rosse delivers the goods, and then some. The 2002 spent 35 days on the skins in cement, followed by 4 years in cask and cement. Don't miss it. -Antonio Galloni

​93 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR - This aging beauty impresses on the nose, with Fernet-Branca–like aromas of black licorice and medicinal herbs. This is medium- to full-bodied and still fresh, with grippy tannins and a creamy mix of baked cherry, singed orange peel, aged leather and tarry smoke notes. Drink now through 2027.

-David Driscoll