Matt Ferguson Stewart
Director, Spun Spirits Pte Ltd (Singapore)
What’s your favourite bottle at the moment?
My favourite whisky has long been the 1970 Laphroaig Samaroli. It’s rare these days – and very expensive – so I don’t get to try it very often. It has this incredible interplay of light smoke and tropical fruit going back and forth across your palate with every single sip. Last time I had it I felt emotional just drinking it. I call it my 99 point whisky, because you always have to leave a little bit of room for the next one.
What’s your view on the current state of the whisky world?
2020 figures show that Scotch whisky has taken a bit of a dive in global sales. Many people have put this down to the pandemic, but I think we are seeing the beginning of a trend away from Scotch whisky toward other whiskies and rum. Scotch whisky prices have risen dramatically over the last decade and people are starting to feel that they can get a better bang for their buck elsewhere. At the same time, the strict rules that have long-ensured the quality of Scotch whisky are in some ways stifling innovation. Thankfully there are a few fantastic exceptions like Arbikie Distillery who recently launched the first Scotch rye whisky, which is a cracking dram.
I expect to see continued but moderate growth in Irish and American whiskey, and in new world whiskies like Australian and Taiwanese. Scotch, I suspect, has reached a plateau at best. I really hope I’m wrong.
What are your thoughts on the regulation changes in Japan and New Zealand?
The changes in Japanese whisky in particular have been extremely well received and I think are best described as “better late than never”. It’s interesting to note that the new guidelines from both Japan and New Zealand have leaned very heavily on the rules for Scotch whisky, but they are still very much industry generated guidelines rather than actual regulation changes. There is no obligation to comply. While I do expect to see large-scale adoption by all significant producers, it’s going to take time before we see exactly how the changes affect the industry as a whole.
What’s your favourite whisky bar?
While I’m not going to trot out a cliche and say “that’s like asking which is my favourite child”, my answer is going to depend very heavily on what kind of atmosphere I’m looking for at the time. The Auld Alliance (Singapore) will always be the ultimate whisky library for me, with an astonishing array of very special bottlings. The Swan Song (Singapore) also has a tremendous selection of whisky by the glass and a lovely collegiate atmosphere. For fun whisky and fun times with loads of banter, The Single Cask (Singapore) can’t be beaten. That’s a very Singapore-centric list – I can’t wait until global travel resumes and I can check in on some international gems.
Which region’s whisky star is ascending?
While I think we’ll see a mixed bag of moderate gains and declines among the traditional whisky producing countries, the big movement will be in new world whisky. The Australian whisky industry seems to be hitting a critical mass with changes in scale, investment and appreciation that should see it poised for enormous global growth, albeit off a small base. There’s also a bucket load of great whisky influencers in Australia such as Nathan DiTienne, Niko Devlin, Andrew Derbidge, Dan Woolley and Matt Bailey who’ll help drive this forward.
