Über die Nine Rivers Distillery in China haben wir des öfteren berichtet (so zum Beispiel über den Spatenstich der auf 15 Millionen Liter Alkohol pro Jahr ausgelegten Brennerei). Nun gibt es wieder interessante Neuigkeiten von dort: Stuart MacPherson, bis 2022 als Master of Wood bei Macallan tätig, wird genau diese Rolle in der neuen Brennerei in China annehmen und dort die Cooperage, also die Küferei, führen. Mit seinen 43 Jahren Industrieerfahrung ist MacPherson sicher eine großartige Bereicherung für das Team dort in China, und dementsprechend freut man sich über den Neuzugang, wie man aus der nachfolgenden Pressemitteilung entnehmen kann.
Übrigens: Ein Großteil der Webseite der Brennerei ist nun auch auf Deutsch verfügbar – folgen Sie einfach diesem Link.
Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
STUART MACPHERSON JOINS NINE RIVERS DISTILLERY
[Longyan, China, 01 January 2023] Nine Rivers Distillery today announced that Stuart MacPherson, former Macallan Master of Wood, has been appointed as an advisor to the board of directors. MacPherson brings over 43 years of experience in oak barrels and spirit maturation, taking on the new role as Master of Wood, leading the Nine Rivers Distillery cooperage project.
„It’s quite unique to see a distillery start-up taking such a wholistic approach to crafting whisky”
remarked MacPherson, commenting on Nine Rivers Distillery’s decision to open a cooperage.
“Very few distilleries take wood management so seriously, despite barrels being responsible for between 50% and 60% of the aromas and flavours of the final product. Oak barrels are so often treated as a commodity item to be sourced as cheaply as possible despite the fact that you just can’t make the best whisky unless you have the very best oak barrels”.
Nine Rivers Distillery CEO Jay Robertson, when speaking of Stuart MacPherson’s appointment, said:
“The fact that we have been able to secure Stuart to join 9RD is a testament to the team that we have put together to build and lead our project. We know what we want to achieve as a distillery and a cooperage led by one of the most experienced professionals in the industry was an absolute must have for us”
MacPherson’s career started off as an apprentice cooper back in 1979, at the Clyde Cooperage Company (owned by Edrington, making casks for Macallan). MacPherson rose through the ranks before becoming Cooperage Manager from 2001. MacPherson was appointed as Master of Wood at Macallan in 2012 and concurrently ran the operations in Spain, where Macallan work with cooperages and bodegas to source what are arguably the best sherry casks in the world.
Stuart MacPherson retired from Macallan in 2022 and continues to consult for a number of clients both in the UK and internationally.