For the launch of ForScotchLovers, Frank McHardy, the Director of Production of J. & A. Mitchell & Co. Ltd, granted Patrick Brossard the favour of answering a few questions.

Frank McHardy started his career in the whisky industry in 1963 at Invergordon, Tamnavulin , Bruichladdich and Bushmills. From 1977 to 1986 and from 1996 until August 2006 he worked at Springbank distillery as a Distillery Manager before being promoted as Director of Production for Springbank and Glengyle distilleries.

Patrick: Springbank and Frank McHardy. It is a love story?

Frank: Springbank has always been my favourite distillery. The fact that you can control all the processes in house from malting of the barley to bottling the final product makes Springbank quite unique.

Patrick: You have been in the industry for over 40 years. What have been the major changes for you during this period?

Frank: I have actually worked within the industry for 44 years, started in 1963 at Invergordon. One of the major changes for me has been the fact that almost all the distilleries in Scotland are owned by a couple of companies. The other being the upswing in demand for single malts which is still continuing today.

Patrick: It is often rumored that the single malts distilled in the 1960s were better than now. What do you think?

Frank: The biggest single contributor to the quality and flavour of Whisky is the cask in which the whisky has been matured. In the old days there were a lot of very good Sherry casks available for maturation of Whisky but sadly this is not now the case. However Whisky companies are now investing heavily in having sherry casks manufactured in Spain then seasoned there, this has improved the quality of Sherry casks used for maturing Scotch Whisky.

Now we all heavily depend also on the Bourbon casks coming from suppliers in The States. Overall I would say that, with the exception of selected casks, the quality of the whisky produced at present can compare with that which was produced during 1963 onwards.

Patrick: Among whisky enthusiasts, there is often some confusion between Springbank distillery, J&A Mitchell & Co and Cadenhead. Could you briefly explain the differences between these three entities?

Frank: William Cadenhead is part of the J & A Mitchell group of companies. J & A Mitchell own Springbank and Glengyle Distilleries. William Cadenhead`s main business is to bottle selected single casks of mainly Scotch Single Malt Whisky or Rum . All bottling is carried out in Springbank`s bottling hall.

Patrick: Springbank distillery is an innovative distillery producing three types of single malts: a triple-distilled non-peated malt, Hazelburn, a 2.5 distilled lightly peated malt, Springbank, and a double-distilled heavily peated malt, Longrow. In addition to the core range (the 10 and 15 YO Springbank), there is the Wood expression (“finish”) bottles at cask strength and the Society bottlings sold exclusively to the Springbank Society members. Should we expect something new in the near future (e.g., Local Barley or Single Cask bottlings)?

Frank: We will be producing a new Longrow™ during 2008. Longrow™ CV will be around 6 years old and will be bottled on a regular basis each year to produce around 5,500 x 6 packs at 46 % vol. This product has loads of sweet and smokey flavours and we are confident that it will sell well. Longrow™ CV should be available during Spring 2008. Early in the year another Longrow™ from distillation year 2000 which has been matured for the last 18 months in Gaya casks will also be available as a "Wood Expression".

Patrick: You have been doing quite some experimentation at Glengyle. When will we be able to test the first whisky from this distillery? Is Glengyle running as expected?

Frank: We intend to bottle Glengyle at 8 years old so the first standard bottlings will appear during 2012 . Glengyle is running very well on a limited production basis.

Patrick: Islay whiskies and peated whiskies are getting more and more popular. Have you seen an increase in the demand of the Longrow whisky?

Frank: There will always be a demand for peated whisky and we have seen a steady uptake in Longrow™ bottling. The new Longrow™ CV being around 6 years old has retained the smokey levels and we are sure that it will prove popular.

Patrick: What are the major markets for Springbank?

Frank: Major markets for our products include USA, Sweden and Japan. We are currently looking at India and China.

Patrick: In 2006-7, the majority of the distilleries have increased their output. What about Springbank?

Frank: At Springbank we only distill for ourselves and 100 % of our production will be bottled by us in the future. We have steadily increased production over the past four years and are now at a level where Springbank and Glengyle are either distilling or malting for 50 weeks of each year.

Patrick: At Springbank, you are malting the barley for Springbank and Glengyle. If the production is going up, will you keep malting 100% of your barley on your floor maltings to meet the demand?

Frank: Our aim at present is to always malt 100 % of the barley required for the two distilleries. The present production is geared to satisfy future case sales of our products.

Patrick: Talking about whisky production. Production is increasing, but some men in the business are concerned that we might face soon a new whisky loch. What do you think?

Frank: I think that we will be in great danger of creating a " Whisky Loch " in years to come. If the present trend for production continues and perceived sales do not take place then in five years time we may be looking at a downturn in production.

Patrick: Which whisky will you drink for toasting the new year?

Frank: I just happen to have a sample of the new Longrow™ CV and will be using that to wish all my friends and colleagues a Happy and prosperous 2008.

Patrick: Thank you very Frank and all the best wishes for the Springbank in 2008!

Patrick Brossard for ForScotchLovers and his www.whisky-news.com ©Jan. 2008

Disclaimer: The author of this article has not received any financial contributions or advantages of any sort from Springbank distillery or J&A Mitchell & Co. Ltd.