Whiskey in the jar

The Park Hyderabad celebrated the first Dewar’s Discovery in the city with Stephen Marshall, Global Brand Ambassador for John Dewar and Sons. The event was co-hosted by Subrata Majumdar, area general manager, The Park. Marshall, whiskey connoisseur extraordinaire, has to say about the golden brown elixirTell us a little bit about the whiskey tasting and blending session.The whiskey tasting and blending session in Hyderabad is to teach people how to appreciate and blend a good whiskey. Different aromas of whiskey were used in this session. Hyderabad is not the only city at which we are hosting these whiskey blending and tasting sessions. I also visited Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chandigarh and Ludhiana to host similar events.How knowledgeable are Indians about whiskey?I think that Indians are fairly knowledgeable about whiskey. People not only enjoy drinking whiskey, they are quite discerning when it comes to quality, flavour and price. A lot of people at the event came up to me to ask me questions about the subtleties of different types of whiskey. And it isn’t the the older generation that enjoys whiskey — a lot of young people also show a lot of interest. I am pretty sure that the future of whiskey is bright in this country.People consider wine tasting an art. Is blending and tasting whiskey also considered to be an art?Of course! In fact, I would say that one has to have far more expertise to be a true whiskey connoisseur. You see, it is fairly easy to identify different types of wine. But when it comes to whiskey, one needs a trained palate to discern different flavours as they tend to be more complex.How do the Scottish enjoy their Scotch?People drink whiskey quite often — social events, while watching matches — any excuse is good enough really! Teams, soldiers also drink whiskey.How have you been enjoying India?It’s been fun! I have visited Taj Mahal, which was beautiful. I also went to Chandigarh via train, which was a whole new experience. And I have really been enjoying the local cuisines. Indian food is very delicious.