The Blender Files: Euan Campbell
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
In Arthur’s fascination to understand a little more about industry roles, he’s reaching out to the folk on the front lines. This is the third in his series of The Blender Files.
#4 Euan Campbell, SMWS
How did you become involved in blending (and cask selection)?
When I was at University, I landed a job between term times in a whisky shop in my hometown. I had access to an extensive range of whiskies and related literature to keep myself occupied. One book in particular caught my imagination, “Appreciating Whisky” by Pip Hills (the founder of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society).
When I finished studying, I spotted an ad on Gumtree for a barperson at The Vaults, the SMWS members room in Leith. I joined the team in late 2008 and from that point I’ve held various positions with the company. In 2013 I became our Whisky Co-ordinator, where I took an active role in managing our whisky stocks. I now hold the position of Head of Whisky Creation.
Since 2013, I have been heading up our Tasting Panel, who must approve every cask before it goes into a Society bottle. While the SMWS specialise in single-cask, cask-strength bottlings, by 2017 we had released our first experimental blended malt “Exotic Cargo”.
To date (as of Dec 2024), I have been responsible for the release of 28 unique small batch blends and single malt whiskies (and over 6000 single-cask bottlings during that time, though not single handedly of course!). You can take a deep dive into the batches here with a great article by my colleague Julien Willems.
Your job includes blending, but the title is ‘head of whisky creation’. How does your role differ from just blending?
My role has a wide remit. As well as quality control, blending and cask selection, I contribute to our long-term whisky strategy in terms of laying down stock and meeting with distillers and coopers, to deliver our whiskies of the future.
Many might perceive single-cask bottlings as serendipitous selections of already mature casks, and while that is certainly sometimes the case, we are committed to investment in quality wood and new make fillings, essentially “creating” these whiskies from day one. Only recently have we seen bottlings from the first casks laid down during my tenure, filled in 2014.
How long have you worked at SMWS?
16 years in November 2024.
The SMWS is famous for its single cask bottlings, which don’t involve blending! Does this experience and USP change your approach?
I am a whisky lover at heart, I love a single cask, blended whisky, proprietary single malt expressions. I take inspiration from all corners of the whisky world (Scotland and beyond) as well as other quality spirits such as Armagnac, Cognac, and wines like Sherry & Madeira. It is important to me to have a wide range of ideas and experiences, and they all contribute to the final whisky in the bottle, whatever route it has taken to get there.
At the SMWS, you work with a tasting panel. How does this work in practice?
Our Tasting Panel is made up of an eclectic mix of whisky lovers. We have a balance of SMWS staff as well as independent experts in the field.
The Whisky Team will order cask samples on a regular basis, and the Panel tend to meet once or twice a week depending on sampling requirements. Every sample that we receive is nosed by the Whisky Team first, with the aim of catching anything that is obviously not quite ready to bottle. Those that pass the pre-screening nose test are then sent to our Panel for detailed assessment.
Panels usually consist of four or more people with a mixture of backgrounds and experiences. They are given no directive to approve any of the samples and provide their honest assessment of the whiskies we have put before them. If they deem something not ready to bottle, they will never be overridden. Conversely, if they deem something acceptable but not unanimously so, we will not bottle it.
Some of our Panellists have been members of SMWS since the early 90s, with a passion for whisky that extends even further. Others are new to the industry but are equally valued for their sensory and descriptive abilities.
Do you have rules of thumb for blending?
Blend, blend and blend again. It’s always a good idea to have different iterations of the whisky you are trying to arrive at. A little more peat, a touch more sherry, more first fill bourbon for sweetness, more refill for balance etc. Our blends are not trying to replicate the same product over and over again, as is traditionally the case. We are riffing on themes and looking to make unique whiskies within certain styles. Each release has its own DNA. Effectively we are taking a single cask approach to blending, in that they are all one-off experiences.
What is the thinking behind your blends at SMWS? What comes first, the target flavour profile, or the casks?
This is quite fluid. One blend may be inspired by a recent trip to Jerez or Islay, another might be apple orchards in late summer, more of a “vibe”. We have access to such an extensive range of whiskies and wood types that sometimes it is overwhelming. We tend to work eight to 12 months in advance, so there will be multiple whiskies in development at any one time and they can ebb and flow depending on how the tabletop blends work out.
Many whisky lovers dislike the use of ‘finishing’ casks, what’s your take on this?
First let’s talk about what is meant by “finish”. I would say that this is a short period of time in a 2nd wood type to give a massive injection of flavour and/or colour. I have tried some good whiskies that have spent only 6 months in a second cask, and some not so good...
We have a policy of waiting a minimum of two years for what we prefer to call “additional maturation”. This is not a flash-in-the-pan “drive-by” finish, this is a considered part of the maturation of the whisky. Again, any whisky that goes into an SMWS bottle must be approved by our Tasting Panel, so if they don’t think it is ready then we cannot rush it to market, and nor would we want to. I am not a fan of making rules, but in general I think the two-year minimum is a sweet spot.
That is not to say that we sample everything after two years of additional maturation. We have released whiskies that have spent four years in their initial cask and then five in the second one. Is that a finish?
What other alcoholic drinks are you fond of?
I have a soft spot for Armagnac, it’s such a wonderful spirit. I love sherry, and my wife and I went to Madeira for our honeymoon, so I adore the wines they produce. Interestingly, what all these have in common is that they are massively underappreciated. If you are open-minded and adventurous, you shall be rewarded.
What non-alcoholic drink are you particularly fond of?
Cloudy apple juice, and mango lassi are right up there. Fiery ginger beer too. I am also a big fan of tonic water, as I think it can add some sparkle and “grown-up-ness” to any non-alcoholic drink.
How does your approach to blending differ from your approach to drinking?
I’m not sure it does. I don’t think I could blend something that I wouldn’t like to drink. What would be the point in that?!
With thanks to Euan at SMWS
AB
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