‘Aqua Vitae’ (Water of Life)

SECURE SITE DIIA GLOBAL MAGAZINE CERTAIN PHOTOS ENLARGE ON CLICK “Always carry a flagon of whisky in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake!” – W. C. Fields CLICK TO OPEN IN NEW TAB LOCAL COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP PROJECT GOLDEN CROSS

Written in Gaelic,

‘usquebaugh’, means “Water of Life”. They say, this word phonetically became ‘usky’ and then – over the years - ‘whisky’. Legend has St Patrick introducing distilling to Ireland in the fifth century AD and that those secrets travelled to Scotland with the Dalriadic Scots as they landed in Kintyre around AD500. The distilling process was originally applied to perfume, then to wine, and finally adapted to fermented mashes of cereals in countries where grapes were not plentiful. The spirit was universally termed aqua vitae ('Water of Life') and was commonly made in monasteries, and chiefly used for medicinal purposes, being prescribed for the ‘well being of the community’, preservation of health, the prolongation of life, and for the relief of colic, palsy and even smallpox. Not so sure about the later use for snake bites but ‘W.C Fields’ definitely had a tempting system!

"Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor

wherewith to make aqua vitae "

Photo: Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender Richard Paterson samples ‘Trinitas - Dalmore 64.’

Historical records

in the Exchequer Rolls include the 1494 entry above and this appears to be the earliest documented mention of distilling in Scotland. But as ‘Eight bolls’ was sufficient to produce almost 1500 bottles, it becomes crystal clear that distilling was already a well-established practice north of the little known Antonine Wall that stretched across the Central Belt of Scotland from the Firth of Clyde to the Firth of Forth.

Kings & paupers alike sought after the ‘Water of Life’. Scotland’s King ‘Jimmie’ the Fourth 1488-1530 was certainly fond of ‘ardent spirits. Those who regularly purchase the world’s most expensive whisky – Whyte & Mackay’s US$165,000 ‘Trinitas, the Dalmore 64’ (photo above) would probably refer to him as ‘James – Old Boy’. We know His Royal Highness liked the odd tipple because when he visited Dundee in 1506, the Treasury accounts record a payment to ‘the local barber’* for supply of aqua vitae for the King’s pleasure.

*The reference to the barber is not surprising. In 1505, the Guild of Surgeon Barbers in Edinburgh was granted a monopoly over the manufacture of aqua vitae - a fact that reflects the spirits perceived medicinal properties as well as confirming the medicinal talents of the barbers.

Of course, at the time of James IV, primitive equipment & lack of scientific expertise made for potent blends but also, occasionally, harmful concoctions. During the 15^th Century, with the dissolution of the monasteries in the UK, monks scattered but thankfully took their knowledge of distilling with them. They also started to perfect their skills. By the latter part of the 17^th Century, never slow to miss a financial opportunity, the Scottish Parliament introduced the first taxes on both malt and the end product. In 1707, The Act of Union with England brought even higher taxes for ‘those rebellious Highland Clans of Scotland’: so much so that distillers were driven underground.

Taxes on whisky caused battles and riots in the ‘Old World & New’. There was an uprising in Pennsylvania counties after Alexander Hamilton began taxing Whiskey in 1791. Scottish and Irish settlers resented the tax. Whiskey was an important economic commodity to them.

Photo: Rioting broke out in Pennsylvania in 1794 and the president at the time, none other than George Washington, sent troops to quell the rioting. Hamilton hoped to set an example using two rebels, whom he convicted for treason, but Washington later pardoned them.

Hamilton's tax was repealed in 1802.

Back in Scotland, long and often bloody battles arose between the Excise men, or gaugers, as they were known, and the illicit distillers, for whom the excise laws were alien in both their language and their inhibiting intent. Smuggling became standard practice for some 150 years and there was no moral stigma attached to it. Ministers of the Kirk (Scots Church) made storage space available under the pulpit, and the illicit spirit was, on occasion, transported by coffin - any effective means was used to escape the watchful eyes of the Excise men. Clandestine stills were cleverly organized and hidden in nooks and crannies of the heather-clad hills, and smugglers organized signaling systems from one hilltop to another whenever excise officers were seen to arrive in the vicinity. By the 1820s, despite the fact that as many as 14,000 illicit stills were being confiscated every year, more than half the whisky consumed in Scotland was being swallowed painlessly and with pleasure, without contributing a penny in duty.

In 1823 the Excise Act was passed, which sanctioned the distilling of whisky in return for a license fee of £10, and a set payment per gallon of proof spirit. Smuggling died out almost completely over the next ten years and, in fact, a great many of the present day distilleries stand on sites used by smugglers of old.

“My parents used to take me to the pet department and tell me it was a zoo.”

Glasgow Comedian / Actor - Billy Connolly

.

Years of hard work,

turbulent times and eventual success surrounding the names Whyte & Mackay are all rooted in the personality of the company’s home, the great city of Glasgow. Together both rose from rags to riches through a combination of pride, integrity and style.

Photo: Glasgow and the River Clyde. Whyte & Mackay always made full use of the river to transport goods for both home and export markets.

Photos above: Old Glasgow – built on the success of the tobacco trade, cotton industry, textiles and of course ship building. At the start of the First World War, one fifth of the world’s ships were Clyde-built!

Of course, Glaswegian humor – now known across the world through the travels of Billy Connolly - must have helped the local community & company weather the historical storms that shook the city. In the past – ill winds carrying polluted discharge from factories & furnaces battered the stunning architecture of Rennie Mackintosh into black, grime ridden slabs and further ‘economic & political lows’ resulted in the Clyde’s world-famous but smog producing shipyards crumbling into wasteland with thousands unemployed: living in abject poverty. But as a ‘Weggie’ (Glaswegian) would say “Today's rain is tomorrow's whisky ".

Photo: Founder Members – Whyte & Mackay.

Whyte & Mackay's 'Double Lion' blend has its origins in the Glasgow firm of Allan & Poynter, founded in November 1843 by John Poynter, a successful chemical manufacturer, and William Allan, a ham curer. The firm was originally to warehouse dry goods for the grocery trade. In the course of time the business changed hands and the new owner, William Scott recruited two young men to help him in the business, James Whyte and Charles Mackay.

In this River Clyde scene, taken around the turn of the century, a Clutha is heading down river, having left the Glasgow Bridge ( Jamaica Street ) landing stage. The York Street cross-river ferry is approaching its landing on the north bank and two G. & J. Burns steamships, the Gorilla ( left ) and the Hare are at the quayside. The Hare may be about to depart for Belfast. Part of York Street is just visible on the left of the picture as it joins the Broomielaw. The tall tower in the centre of the view is still present today in the block between Robertson Street (Original Premises of Whyte & Mackay) and Oswald Street although the pointed top has now gone.

By the end of the 1870's the firm was warehousing more and more whisky as wine and spirit merchants sought a substitute for brandies made unavailable by phylloxera. When William Scott died his widow sold the business to James Whyte and Charles Mackay. One of the conditions of the sale was that they were not to use the name Allan & Poynter and the firm was renamed Whyte & Mackay. The young partners had no doubt that if they were to make a success of the venture they had to invest in whisky blending plant as soon as possible. It took two years to find and equip suitable premises in Robertson Lane, Glasgow.

They received their first consignment of grain and malt whiskies and began blending to customers' orders. They later began blending on their own account for the export trade. No sooner had the partners taken this decision than whisky sales collapsed. They managed to weather the crises at the beginning of the 20th century, even expanding sales of their Whyte & Mackay whisky on the eve of the First World War.

“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.”

~W.C. Field

The Limited Company

was formed in 1919 and indications are that the intention was to place the company on a care and maintenance basis until the future of the trade could be predicted with more certainty after the wartime depredations. Charles Mackay died in 1919 and John Whyte in 1921.

For small concerns like Whyte & Mackay the going was rough in the 1920s and the firm was reconstructed in 1926 to reduce its capital stock levels. Trade began to pick up in the late 1920s with a resurgence of export orders, particularly from North America. This proved short-lived and assessments of the potential of the United States market after the end of prohibition were hopelessly optimistic.

Eventually, trade revived in the late 1930s with a growth in exports to Australia and New Zealand. Again prospects were dimmed by the outbreak of war. It was not until the 1950's, under the direction of James Whyte's two sons, Hartley and Alex, that the recovery was sustained with a determined advertising campaign. With the end of voluntary rationing on the home market, Whyte & Mackay began to build its sales in the United Kingdom. In 1960 the company acquired Dalmore distillery in the north-east of Scotland and was renamed Dalmore, Whyte & Mackay. By 1965 Whyte & Mackay was the fifth most popular brand in Scotland. This achievement was followed by a successful redoubling of efforts in export markets.

The company became part of Sir Hugh Fraser's SUITS group in 1971. Two years later Tomintoul and Fettercairn distilleries were purchased. SUITS was acquired by Lonrho in 1981 and subsequently Whyte & Mackay was sold to Brent Walker in 1988 and then to American Brands (now Fortune Brands) in 1990. In 2001 Fortune Brands sold Whyte & Mackay to 'Kyndal' in a £200 million management buyout backed by German investment bank, WestLB. In February 2005, Vivien Immerman bought Whyte & Mackay from WestLB and embarked on a long term investment programme to ensure the continued international success of Whyte & Mackay.

Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender Richard Paterson demonstrates various stages of blending.

During 2006, in a dramatic display of confidence, Whyte & Mackay was re-launched with a new look inspired by its proud Glasgow heritage. The famous double lions rampant once more took centre stage, resuming their rightful place as iconic symbol of the brand and company. The new look incorporated a 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' feel in tribute to Glasgow's stylish nature. The original Whyte & Mackay blend was renamed "SPECIAL", as it was at the very beginning of Whyte & Mackay. In addition, 13, 19 and 22 years old aged blends with an extra year of maturation were added to the brand's award winning range. Whyte & Mackay went "back to the future" to rediscover its proud Glasgow roots in stylish, masculine packaging which truly reflects the quality of scotch in the bottle. In 2007, the company was bought by Dr VJ Mallya of The UB Group for £595 million.

Miracles in Glasgow

have certainly taken place since James Whyte and Charles Mackay joined William Scott on a journey that would last over a century and a half. The smog has lifted: pollution relegated to the pages of history. The grime of buildings has been removed to reveal the architectural beauty of Mackintosh. Old docks have made way to space age design: a world class conference and exhibition centre (SECC), Clyde Auditorium and the facing Science Centre.

Ships are still built on the Clyde but now you’ll also find high tech alternative energy companies sharing the river banks with software concerns, the defense, O&G, and engineering sectors to name but a few.

Awarded European City of Culture

Glasgow was a surprise winner of the 1990 title. Being the first non-capital city to win the award, Glasgow was also the first to run a year-long festival, making full use of the opportunity to launch itself world-wide as a tourist destination. In the early 1990s there was a sense of anticlimax but momentum began to build up again with the Visual Arts Festival of 1996 and the Year of Architecture and Design 1999. The city is now committed to a long term strategy based on year-round events with strong local roots, improving the quality of the cityscape and renewing existing leisure facilities so that visitors and locals alike get a first rate experience.

Caring for the Local Community

It is interesting to note that over the years, Whyte & Mackay have never forgotten to support their local community. This year, the company has, as one example, agreed to sponsor Project Golden Cross: a non-profit making exercise run by local volunteers that will see a famous historical Clyde-built ship brought back to the river where she was launched in 1955. Once permanently home, the vessel will take up a useful and essential role for the community – promoting Safety at Sea to yachtsmen & women in the Clyde, Western Isles and other Scot’s ports. HMRT Golden Cross – Ex Escort to the Royal Yacht Britannia and one of the first diesel geared tugs ever built - will also highlight Scots industry, research & development in defense, engineering, O&G, sub-sea and alternative energy sectors.

Keeping Force India on the Grid

Formula 1 has always been of interest to me. I can remember as a kid in the early

60’s, regularly climbing a tree that overhung the UK’s motor-racing track at

Goodwood to watch famous drivers pass below.

On one occasion, Stirling Moss crashed right underneath our tree. You’ve never seen youngsters descend so fast in all of your life. Of course, firstly – we were not meant to be there at all and panic set in as our viewpoint was suddenly swamped with a multitude of race officials, emergency service personnel, camera crews & journalists. Secondly and more worryingly – our fathers did not know we were dangling above the race track.

Unfortunately, unknown to us, TV cameras had captured our frantic exit in glorious color and a local newspaper ran a clear picture of my mate and I with rather guilty grins on the following Thursday.

It was six months before we could climb that tree again!

Whyte & Mackay are proud sponsors of the Force India Formula One team.

This season the drivers are Paul Di Resta, Adrian Sutil and test and

reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Paul Di Resta has also been appointed Whyte & Mackay Global Ambassador.

For further details: FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM & WHYTE & MACKAY

Awards

Richard Paterson (photo left) has been the custodian and creator of Whyte & Mackay for 40 years.  As a third generation in a family which has long been established within the Scotch Whisky industry, Richard started honing his craft from the age of 17, working as a general production assistant at a whisky blending and exporting company. Having perfected the age old double marriage process, Richard is no stranger to success and is regarded as one of the foremost whisky experts in the world.

As well as the numerous personal accolades acknowledging his superiority in the whisky industry, Richard has also proven instrumental in Whyte & Mackay being awarded the following honors:

IWSC named Whyte & Mackay Global Distiller of the Year 2009

Over the last consecutive three years, Whyte & Mackay Special has been a silver medalist at the IWSC awards – a great testament to its quality and taste

Both 13 and 22 years old were awarded Silver ‘best in class’ medals at the IWSC awards in 2009

The 30 years old was named the ‘best blended whisky in the world’ by the IWSC in 2009 and ‘Best in Class’ the following year

The 40 years old has also been named the best blend in the world at the World Whisky Awards and received the ‘Masters’ award at the Scotch Whisky Masters in 2010 – the highest award possible.

You could write a book on ‘Scotch’.

Well, quite a few people have. Personally, I’ve always been partial to Whyte & Mackay ‘The Thirteen’ Double Marriage Blend. Some folk add water to their Scotch: some, Scotch to their water. Winston Churchill once commented "The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whisky. By diligent effort, I learnt to like it."

Mind you, I prefer the old Scots advice, “Water? I’m thirsty, not dirty!” I’m no expert however when it comes to the ‘Water of Life’ – apart from being a ship’s captain for a good number of years. So, as a novice author compiling this report, I tried to figure out if a real journalist writing about Whyte & Mackay would be brave enough to mention that his favorite Scotch was a 21 year old Single Malt from the Isle of Jura Distillery. I’ll never know – for I’ve just found out that the Jura distillery in question is also owned by – would you believe -

Whyte & Mackay, Glasgow.

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