Unassuming demeanour of Ewan Gunn doesn’t betray his exalted status in the Diageo hierarchy and also in the global alcoholic beverages industry. The Global Whisky Master, Diageo, has over two decades of experience in the Scotch whisky industry, which sits lightly on his shoulders. In 2012, Ewan was inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich, one of the highest honours within the Scotch whisky industry. Talking to Swarnendu Biswas, he shared that his passion for whisky and travel makes his job a continual joy through various challenges and opportunities.
Over the two decades, Ewan Gunn, a graduate from Glasgow’s Strathclyde University, has developed a unique understanding of the subtle nuances of Scotch whisky business, ranging from distilling and maturation to cocktail development to engagement with movers and shakers globally; around the realm of Scotch. PaSSion to ExPEriEncE Unlike many Senior Managers, he is not devoid of enough practical experience. “I gained hands-on experience at the famous Springbank Distillery in western Scotland, where I got the opportunity of learning every element of whisky production, from malting and mashing to distilling and bottling,” said a cheerfully smiling Ewan. His passion for whisky has also facilitated to nurture his other passion; the passion for travel. By his own admission, he has travelled to 78 countries; many of them in his professional capacity. “This exposure to various geographies, cultures, food & beverages has in turn helped me to grow in my profession,” admits Ewan.
The Making of the Master
Talking about the essential traits to succeed in the ever challenging and fascinating business of whiskies, the Master spells out, “The person should first of all have a deep curiosity or inquisitiveness about the varied nuances pertaining to preparation of whiskies, and this should be complemented by the thirst for acquiring more and more knowledge about varied whiskies, which include, of course, the knowledge about different flavours and notes of different whiskies.” Only then, according to him, can a person become a “whisky ambassador” in true sense.“Moreover, the person should be passionate about whisky and should be great at listening. Someone who is confident in her/ his knowledge and abilities, but is humble enough to always be learning,” he elaborates.
At the same time, according to the expert, if she/he has handson experience in making whiskies that would be the icing on the cake. However, he hastily adds that having hands-on experience in making whiskies is neither a necessary and nor a sufficient condition for a manager to thrive in the business of manufacturing and marketing of whiskies, but that can surely be a facilitative factor towards her/his sustained career growth in the whisky business.
Interesting Projects
While talking of interesting projects with Diageo in the recent past, he sounds particularly enthusiastic about the launching of Johnnie Walker White Walker in October 2018, in association with HBO and its extremely popular show, the Game of Thrones. This limited-edition Scotch whisky is inspired by the most enigmatic and feared characters on the hit show — the White Walkers.
The product is released at an appropriate time as anticipation builds ahead of the final season of the talked about show. According to Diageo, created by whisky specialist George Harper, alongside the small team of expert blenders at Johnnie Walker, this innovative whisky is best served directly from the freezer. This attribute associates the whisky with the chilling presence of the White Walkers. The packaging and design of the product also endorse this association strongly. The launching of Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection is another recent development at Diageo, about which the Global Whisky Master of the conglomerate is quite enthusiastic about. According to Diageo, this collection, which has eight Scotch whiskies, has already found its presence in Europe. “The main project I am working on at the moment is supporting the talented team of people who are fostering the Johnnie Walker experience in Edinburgh,” he asserts further. Ewan also happens to be the Global Whisky Master for Haig Club – the single grain Scotch whisky with smart packaging; launched in partnership with the globally renowned footballer, David Beckham and the globally renowned film and television producer, Simon Fuller. In this role, Ewan has had the exciting opportunity to mentor David Beckham on Scotch whisky, and partner with him at launch events and press conferences throughout the world. “It was an experience worth cherishing,” he recollects. Unfortunately, Haig Club is yet to flow to India. “The wonderful drink is now present in nine countries of the world, which includes China, South Africa and France among others,” he discloses excitedly.
Age is Not Everything
As was expected, Ewan doesn’t come across as unduly obsessed with the age of whiskies and openly admits that though old whiskies have strengths of depth and flavour on their side, the young 3-5 year-old whiskies “can and do reflect vibrancy and character of concerned distillery very well.” “Age is certainly a factor in how the flavour of whisky is being developed, but there are many varied factors at play in a quality whisky beyond simply the number of years the whisky has spent maturing.
This means that there can be exceptional whiskies at a range of age points,” he elaborates further while pointing out that “Scotch whiskies which do not carry an age statement are invaluable, as they give our whisky makers the freedom to access a wide range of flavours.” To drive home his point, Ewan cites the example of drinks like Johnnie Walker Red Label and Johnnie Walker Blue Label, which are alcoholic beverages with enduring global popularity, with neither of them carrying the weight of age statement.
The Scotch Flows Gracefully
Ewan is unfazed by the growing popularity of beer among the young generation, and of wines among women. He thinks that Scotch whisky will continue to have a significant market of its own; far away from competition… for class always do have its own appeal among discerning clientele. “Scotch whisky continues to be the world’s favourite whisky, and we are seeing this global love for Scotch being reflected in the growth of many markets for Scotch whisky around the world, including India,” explains Ewan. He naturally feels elated over the fact that Scotch whiskies are gaining popularity in India during the recent years, and whisky cocktails are gaining wider acceptance among drinkers of alcoholic beverages in the country. Ewan sounded quite hopeful about the growth of the whisky segment in India, in the near future.
