Whisky: the great debate

Whyte & Mackay is hosting an on-line video debate to decide one of life’s most controversial questions: how should you take your whisky?

At 7pm on 16 July (that’s tomorrow), Richard Paterson, master blender at the Isle of Jura distillery, will pitch his expertise against Colin Field, head barman of the Ritz, Paris.

As Paterson sees it, “Whisky is something that should be appreciated in the pure, God-given form that its distillers intended, and now I’m going to prove that once and for all.” The highly respected blender will fiercely defend his conviction that good quality single malt should not even be mixed with ice.

Meanwhile, Field is equally ready to fight his corner, maintaining that there are less purist ways to enjoy a quality whisky. He says: “With the right mixers and a splash of imagination, it can be conjured into a world-beating taste experience that will knock the spots off anything the whisky snobs might offer."

To enjoy the sparring and see the outcome for yourself, watch the debate online here .

Gabriel Savage, 15.07.09