Rethinking The Approach To Single Malt Scotch with Smokehead

We live in a time when people often refer to Scotch not only by the brand name but also by the age of the liquid. 

In executive boardrooms and exclusive gentlemen's clubs, the names of single malts are mentioned with a certain reverence, and a hush will come over the room as a Glenlivit 74-year-old or a Dalmore 45-year-old, as discussed. They are expensive, they are exclusive, and they have given single malt scotch an air of rarity and distinction.

But there is one brand that seeks to throw all the trappings of labelling aside and who seeks to challenge the drinker to look to flavour and taste as a benchmark. 

With Smokehead, the liquid in its bottles is Islay single malts, but distillery names and age classifications are not mentioned. 

In other words, Smokehead is looking to take you down the road less travelled and presents cask-finished whiskies that have the pedigree but without the labelling. 

To find out what it all means we talk to Michael Brown, Global Whisky Brand Ambassador for Smokehead’s parent company, Ian Macleod Distillers about flavour, smoke and what disrupting scotch whiskey means