vPub Live - What the Industry Drinks w/ Connal Mackenzie

First up, apologies for the slow cadence of this series. This is only the third spin and I did suggest I'd try to do more, but so much whisky stuff to talk about, so few vPubs. Anyway, hopefully this one will be worth waiting for.

Our third guest for this topic will be Adelphi Selection and Ardnamurchan Distillery's Sales Director, Connal Mackenzie. If you've met any of the team at events and hosted tastings across the globe in recent years, there's a good chance it's Connal. While the team at Ardnamurchan continues to grow, Connal has been the main customer-facing face of the Adelphi portfolio since 2018. He's also an unapologetic whisky geek, Barfly and a pal.

He's been in whisky for a while and, like so many of the front line folk, is very aware that his job is often seen as something of a dream role. However it's also a role that can weigh heavy on commitment levels. With pressure to grow brands and product awareness through relentless travel cycles, it's something that can only be enjoyed if there's passion and genuine pride in the product.

Through our usual series of probing questions and examples of what drams he may choose to enjoy in those oh-so-rare moments of downtime, we'll hopefully get to dig a little into what makes him tick. To prompt my thoughts, I'll be drinking from my own wee collection of Ardnamurchans and Adelphis on the night, but Connal can bring along anything he likes, as can you. Expect a wide and varied flight of whisky to match the meandering whisky topics.

As usual with this series; anything goes.

We really look forward to welcoming you there!

Please consider donating in memory of our friend, Big Al : https://alanmcveigh.muchloved.com/

0:00 - Opening
3:32 - Tonight
6:26 - A tribute to Big Al
10:32 - Welcoming in the lounge
14:44 - Welcoming in Connal
20:50 - The road to Ardna
28:36 - The Ardna team & the 'best job'
38:43 - Dram 1: The Permashelf Bottle
45:14 - Added colour in whisky
53:48 - Dram 2: The Crowd Pleaser
1:04:30 - The rising prices in whisky
1:19:32 - vPub scoop #1 Sauternes
1:27:20 - Dram 3: The Decadent Pour
1:37:28 - vPub scoop #2 floor malting at Ardna
1:46:21 - Dram 4: The VIP Pour
1:57:36 - Dram 5: The Attention Grabber
2:07:18 - Pouring for each other
2:08:50 - vPub scoop #3 A Clynelish
2:11:26 - The can be only one
2:17:20 - Quiz at the End