CHARLIE MACLEAN Whisky/Whiskey Masterclass

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Feb 3, 2026 #wine #winetasting
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Whisky/whiskey writer Charles MacLean has been involved with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society since it was founded in 1983, and became a chair of the Tasting Panel in 1992.
Here, he presents a complete masterclass on how to best appreciate Society single cask, single malt whisky.
Hello my name is Charlie McLean I've been familiar with the panels at the Potl Whisky Society since 1992
I'm here to have a quick word with you about how we're handling the whisky
In truth how do you think they'll react when they see it So in truth how does the panel actually work
I think you'll enjoy the whiskey we've found for you
The first thing to remember is that they are all single unified councils
They are discussing natural strength Natural strength is the streng
They're coming out of the closet As you said most of the whiskeys are being shared strictly among friends
Cyn mynd i mewn i'r botwl yn ddiwylliannol 40% nawr yn ddiwylliannol 42% 46% beth bynnag
The first thing to consider regarding strong alcohol is that strong alcohols are
culturally for instance refers to cultural
enhancing and planning We'll discuss this further as we go on However large-stranded alcohols are being divided into
cultural Therefore if you are sharing if you are sharing the strength in the part of the sharing
Many of the molecules contributing to diversity are culturally divided
If you're feeling really thirsty and then you drink water from the glass we'll talk about that
goodness otherwise you'd have to do that all the time in my opinion then you could use the
e way you enjoy it and perhaps even more importantly makes them far more enjoyable
I'm different I'm feeling blue Right So that's the first thing They're
The specimens are strongly distinct originating from isolated populations and drawn from single collections
Now however look back from the beginning in the south the industry which still does
event a little bit of tension among individual stakeholders who stand to gain from the whisky as it unfolds
ey have a work plan in place for what’s going into the glass Some important figures are
They were strong contenders for free resources to win the green
In the early days of the 1980s society was particularly fascinated by it
its establishment it concerned the fact that winning was not what mattered but rather the importance of every participa
being distributed in various numbers and thus the number officials becomes apparent and then afterward
your number of collections Therefore the one I'm looking at here is the number of 29 voters
a total of 241 meaning I don't know how many of the 29 are significant
If you're continuing then here but only 241 bottles of this whisky available
These key individuals have been notified since the society's establishment
Right so we're not the ones responsible for the crucial wins and thus here's the help
I will use the main winners Therefore the main winners will come to the panel tonight
It looks a bit like this Can you see it
We assess it as a panel I'm going to use this example
Everyone's got a little bit of flaw and the first thing I'd suggest is for them to address it themselves
Now consider the whisky producers First and foremost the producers themselves
your focus is on the coelwch but there are also other surroundings So when we look at the coelwch
This tells us a great deal about how the whisky has been influenced and the manner in which it was aged
been informed This has received excellent feedback meaning for me to have
otify him in former Bourbon Welsh cases The urgency is what matters most
Welsh hoping for a European-style solution The European approach is more along those lines
You will receive the European grant a closer grant and this northern grant
Actually of course the longest time if I were to go on like this would be an example of
e European Union's bluefin tuna quotas especially since the longer the tuna is kept in care
The older the whisky the better The peat comes from mosses found in the hills
The longer the road is maintained the more extensive the available trails become
I'm saying I don't know what this world is all about but maybe someone else does
If it were a first-century ex-Bourbon I'd say or clearly European
Bourbon isn't as important as the coelwch Bourbon isn't visibly cared for
the Welsh social sphere Indeed but the first thing we do is
Yes at this point what I'm asking the panel to do is simply to raise the glass
I'll handle this one Let's get it done You can't see it
You might be able to see it I don't know if you can but you can see it if you shake the bottle
The big one you're getting this form on the water it's being written down
Why are you writing this so that the child will be after you
a 50% alcohol content You won't be writing much on a large scale
and if you'receiving any writing after a 50% period
The first thing I must tell you is that the whisky is
50% alcohol Right let's think about that on the glass
It's writing this film
Are you going to uncork the bottle the one labeled large
If you're going to tip the bottle it's going to spill and get messy
The first thing I need to tell you is if you're planning to complain this isn'
Interestingly if you're planning to scribble and write on a large scale
The green color indicates the whisky has a slight peatiness
Moreover there are effects emerging from the stage that take hold of people
People appear to be a bit more numerous
They’re taking people off the planet the planet off the planet
So you can learn you can learn a great deal
So you can learn first of all about the colony
It's very interesting it's a real puzzle
It's very interesting it's an impossible puzzle
One of the things we're asked to do
as a panel is write to the society
The case is ready to be dismissed now
ey must be categorized into different groups broader categories
Otherwise they would have to be available again in 5 or 10 years
Felly and clearly you can see that
this case is indeed very strong
It's clear that it will have to come from behind
The night is particularly enchanting tonight
First and foremost the place itself is fascinating
It is no longer particularly important
and there the attractions
going downhill and these attractions are being fulfilled
Over time they are carried out
They're going full speed and doing well
This means the interest has texture
interesting texture interesting
It's what interests him
That's exactly what he's doing
Absolutely fascinating going down
If they're interesting and we'really into it
Subtle texture a bit dull
with the whisky but they're not
getting any more interesting no texture in the interest
Felly there are two things you can learn by looking at the
whisky and by doing that
If you're looking at them
when I'm editing comparisons
I'm looking at many whiskies
you can learn a great deal
by examining them
rough the preview and doing
that you can
complete it quickly
you know tha
They’ready to edit Right
The full schedule
the most important station
is the overnight shift
You are assessing the
aroma The first
relates to the effect of tasting
What physical effect
The whisky has it
does the aroma have
it at night Is it
dry is it smooth
I'm a thief
I think
it 's about in
reality it's
about alcohol
and he was deeply
deeply in love with the girl the only one in the drama
This is extremely widespread
but it causes
any pollution
in the water
The effect of pollution
I'm talking about how
useful they are when they're
performing and how much
effort it takes to provide them
you would have to add a year or be involved
in adding a year do
you wish to proceed
I’d rather
stay in
my opinion rather than come
out of the
year when they’re
a year
So then take a look
at the aroma
Now this is particularly
special featuring a
first note
of caramel
a
first note
of spice
I'm saying
In addition
in reality
types of roads These
are caramel roads
caramel phenolic roads
I hope there
might be
another way
but we'll see
Felly it's a
key initial
point We're looking
at you can share
through your thinking
It's essential
to write it down
Some find
it harder
to write it down
It's very difficult
to write poetry but
it comes
with practice
and it's fascinating
Now I'm sharing
this with
my friends Do
you get this No
Are you experiencing this
Yes possibly
And it often
divides requirements
especially demanding
requirements over a year
It's difficult to
understand how some writers
coming with I've
been a
writer where requests
have come in
from above
and writers
when they
receive feedback
from editors
about writing requirementsPerhaps Christmas
or shareholders
or
Back again
or
Sweeties
more of
sweets from writers
some of which
are not available
Regardingpeople
who see them
writers
requirements
going back to requirements
[-]
e writers
So here is
part
of the
larges
oughtsnowthat
are
concerningthings
and when
we say
of course
I'm going
to say
frwt frwt your
descriptor for
political writers at the
end of
the day
and therefore you will be
tell the panel that
I will
yes we are
telling a flat
lie
wheat flour
common flour
wheat flour
request flour
request forms I say
I'm
trying to get
them to
split up
so it's
awkward then split
so the
It's part
of the
largest but it 's
also
usefulfor
me as
leaders
e new
trustees other panel
membersneed
to write
the
notes and
explain how the
notes are
not unique
ey are coming
from the
panels and clearlywriting
and it's
evident that
they are
sending a message
Someonehaving
somethingtruly
genuine and
not giving
it to
anyone else there I wouldn't
court of the writersbut
ifit's
writing it's often
much of writing
and
writing a few
[-]
can be writtenthis
way
allowing
it to be written in
one
line but perhapsnot
for
everyone
Having
experienced that you know
our writers ' car is the
real deal
the genuine article
you
alittle
of
writingwriters
you know
the
in my
writingof
writingso
is not
the
writersare
anythingthe
nation of the writershave
increased
[-]
He has
beenwriting
now[-]
'
smorelike
writersnow
than it is writers
of the
pas
[-]
listeningto
this you
can edit it
it' s good
feedback forediting
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developmentof
mechanics has changed
yet it continuesto
evolvewithin
the course
of the
future[-]
s
is openingafter
wellsmall
andmeans
starjane
dotic
Thank you for watching the
video
