Spirits in focus: Jonathan Gibson

The marketing director for House of Hazelwood on why the twice-yearly whisky releases from the historic collection matter, the importance of being “disruptive”, and how a degree in psychology comes into his day-to-day business…

What and where is the “House of Hazelwood”?

It is a new business focusing on the rare, aged whisky stocks accumulated by the Gordon family over the last century. The name comes from Hazelwood House, the family home of the Gordons near Dufftown. We’ve drawn on that name because of the strong link between several generations of the family, the home itself and the whiskies which we are lucky enough to be able to bottle in limited quantities. It is the character of those family members, the decisions they made, the stocks they laid down, and the experiments they trialled which have ultimately given us an inventory of extraordinary breadth and depth. And at the heart of everything, through the generations was Hazelwood House.

Are you based in Speyside?

Sadly not. While some of our stocks are held in Speyside, much of the inventory is spread across other Scottish warehouses and our small team is split between two sites. Today, I spend most of my time between London and the Central Belt of Scotland, though I do get up to Speyside once a month, which is always a highlight.

What did you do before you joined the House of Hazelwood?

I’ve worked in and around the drinks industry for most of my career, with Scotch whisky as the anchor throughout. I started agency-side developing packaging and advertising materials for Scotch producers before leading the marketing teams at BrewDog and Compass Box. At Hayman Distillers I had the opportunity to lead the development of their distillery in South London and the creation of London’s first rum-blending house in Westminster. Compass Box was a real high point, but each role brought a new perspective on the industry. Looking back, I realise that even while working outside of Scotch I still managed to include ageing projects using ex-Scotch barrels at Hayman’s, Merser and BrewDog. So it’s no great shock that I’ve ended up back where I started.

How was the inaugural “The First Drop” release in May received?

Our first release sold out within weeks of launch so it’s fair to say it was well received. We’re bringing something fairly fresh to the market. Across our range we have strong representation of aged blends and grain whiskies which is unusual, and there is definitely a latent demand for this in the market. These are liquids which drink incredibly well and are typically under-represented and, in our view, underappreciated at the top table of Scotch whisky. By shining a spotlight on these, by bringing some of these exceptional liquids to market and by showing that they can be every bit as interesting and compelling as a great single malt I think we’re getting a lot of support.

You are fond of the term “disruptive” – does that apply to the House of Hazelwood?

Every category needs to stay fresh if it is going to stay vital and I see disruption as an important way to achieve that. There are lots of ways to disrupt a category – people’s minds tend to jump naturally towards the kind of PR stunts which we employed at BrewDog a decade ago. But there are other styles of disruption too. At Compass Box we launched the Scotch Whisky Transparency Campaign, which really just asked for the right to provide full transparency to consumers. It was a much more polite ask but still led to an important conversation taking place across the industry. In my mind both styles of disruption are completely valid and in both instances they added to the category. Back in 2012 the beer category needed a loud voice championing change and the beer selection available within the UK is much better for it today. The conversation around transparency in Scotch whisky rumbles on to this day but what is important is that it is on the agenda – that people are talking about it. I do think that House of Hazelwood can influence the category in which we operate in. By putting liquid quality at the heart of everything, and by shining a spotlight on blends and grains at the very top of the market, I think we can have a positive impact on the category which we operate within.

Is the plan to issue two sets of releases annually henceforth until stocks are sold out, or will new spirit be laid down too?

We intend to continue bringing a new collection to the market each spring and autumn, possibly with additional projects built in around this. With regards to selling out of stocks, I should be clear that this is a long-term business and we fully expect to be here this time next century. We are fortunate to have access to an inventory which is large and diverse. There is no question of selling out and there are so many compelling stories within the whisky stocks that we are yet to explore. And the family continues to lay down new stocks today in the same way which they have for generations. If you look at what we’re bringing to market you’ll understand that it’s very unlikely we will touch these new stocks for thirty, forty or fifty years, but they will be there when we seek to draw on them.

What should we expect within the forthcoming Autumn Collection?

Like our launch range, the autumn release is a true collection of individuals. Each whisky is unique and remarkable given its provenance and rarity. Within this collection, we have the first peated expression from House of Hazelwood, an incredible, enlivening Blended Grain aptly named A Breath of Fresh Air, and at the heart of the range our show-stopping 1963 A Singular Blend. This is a whisky encapsulating much of what we aim to achieve at House of Hazelwood. The whisky is incredibly rare, being an example of a Highland single distillery blend, with both malt and grain components distilled within the same site in the same year. It is beautifully aged, dating back 58 years to 1963, and the liquid character is absolutely stunning, carrying butterscotch sweetness on the nose and a beautifully poised balance of sweet and sour on the palate. It’s a whisky guaranteed to get people talking and a treasure to collect and a pleasure to drink.

Do you envisage purchasers actually consuming the whiskies or will they sit on them in an investment context?

We will see a mix of both. These are certainly collectable bottles and I fully appreciate the impulse to collect and preserve a piece of Scotch history given my wife is an historian so it would be hard for me not to support collectors! Equally, the liquids are so good and so compelling and this is really the starting point for us when we’re selecting stock to release that I’d love to see a few bottles being opened and whisky shared on special occasions.

How do you become a “keyholder” and what does that entitle one to?

It’s very simple to become a Keyholder and for the time being we’re offering this free of charge to anyone with an interest in the House of Hazelwood collection. Simply visit houseofhazelwood.com and sign up by sharing a few details and we will offer you preferential access to our latest releases, invitations to private tastings and bespoke content. The idea is to build a community of like-minded individuals around the business who are interested in what we’re doing, who we reward with access and who – in the fullness of time – may even get to know one another through House of Hazelwood events and tastings.

What is a “storytelling whisky”?

We use the word “storytelling” because every one of our whiskies acts as the entry point into the story of how they were aged, when they were distilled, the people that produced them, the ambitions those people held and of course the character of the whisky itself. You might counter by saying that by this definition every whisky has a story and that is certainly true, but some stories are invariably more interesting and unusual than others!

How does your degree in psychology help in your day-to-day business?

The parts of my degree which engaged me most were social psychology, being the behaviour of the crowd and how a group’s behaviour can influence the decisions of an individual, and contextual framing, which is about how we can assess the same item or phenomenon very differently based on how it is presented to us. Both these areas are always worth considering within our industry. There was a time when blended Scotch was prized over single malt. There was a time when vodka was more fashionable than gin. Things can and do change based on the way they are presented and the opinions of the group. If you can find a way to see past the current group viewpoint that’s where the opportunities lie – though it is easier said than done!

Who has been a mentor to you?

What I can say is that I have found certain people who have been extraordinarily generous with their time and who have contributed meaningfully to projects with which they have nothing to gain out of a sense of genuine interest and passion for the industry. That’s always an incredible characteristic to come across – it’s one of the wonderful things about this industry.

If not alcoholic drinks, what job might you have done?

I still say to my children that one day I’d love to go into space (and I genuinely hope that I will, at some point!) so I’ll aim for the stars and go with astronaut!

Would you prefer to share a dram from the collection with James Watt, Bernard Arnault or Annabel Thomas?

Annabel Thomas whom I met a number of years ago. I really admire everything she has done in the years since. Funnily enough, my wife and I had one of our happiest holidays at Drimnin near where her new distillery is located so I might have to stipulate we grab the drink up there…