Master Blender - Michael Henry
What does the Master Blender at a distillery do? Well, let’s put it this way. If the spirit from our single malt and single grain spirit represents the orchestra, the Master Blender is the conductor. The one who brings everything together in the perfect harmony of flavours, making it more than the sum of its parts.
At Loch Lomond, we are fortunate to have a true expert in the role. Someone who combines passion with knowledge and experience. That person is Michael Henry.
Michael Henry
Growing up next to two distilleries, Michael developed a passion for distilling at an early age. This led to him studying Brewing and Distilling at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt, a university considered a world leader on the subject.
During his time at Loch Lomond, Michael has created a selection of exceptional single malt, single grain and deluxe blended whiskies. Each one unique and yet exemplifying our signature Loch Lomond style.
Although Loch Lomond Whiskies has a small team it has a large capability for what can be done. We understand the distilling process so intrinsically we can vary this to achieve the exact flavour we want before the whisky enters the cask. As we are in control of the process at every stage, we have a real opportunity to shape the whisky.”
Q&A with Michael Henry
How did you get into blending?
My path into Master Blending is pretty straightforward, really. Growing up near Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland, whiskey was woven into the fabric of our community. Both my granddad and dad enjoyed a good dram, so my early experiences were quite positive.
When it came time for university, I pursued studies in biology and chemistry. Interestingly, Bushmills Distillery sponsored me to delve into brewing and distilling, which was a pivotal moment. I worked there throughout my uni days. Afterward, I spent a decade in the beer industry, gaining a deep understanding of flavors through fermentation and malted barley.
I returned to the world of whiskey at Loch Lomond as a warehouse manager. Although it was primarily an operational role, it eventually led to me taking on the blending responsibilities for the company. This was during a phase when the company was heavily involved in producing high Commissioner Blend and bulk blends for third parties. That's how I got my start in blending. When the company changed hands in 2014, I naturally transitioned into the role of master blender and focused on elevating our single malt offerings.
When did you join Loch Lomond?
I joined Loch Lomond Whiskies in January 2007, so it’s been nearly 19 years since I first started.
What makes working at Loch Lomond so special?
Well, it all boils down to the approach to flavour. While the whiskey industry can sometimes be quite traditional, we have the freedom to really shape and craft our flavours. Unlike some distilleries, we're not bound by a rigid formula for a blend. We have an impressive distilling capability and a vast potential for creating unique flavour profiles. That's what truly sets Loch Lomond apart, and it's what keeps me excited about our work.
Do you have a favourite dram from the Loch Lomond range?
Loch Lomond 12 year old perfectly balanced. It’s the most representative of the distillery and is the best example of our signature distillery style.
It has a real fruit character so lots of apple, pears and lemon citrus which comes from the combination our fermentation process and our unique straight neck pot stills. Then you get a honey sweetness which comes from the American Oak our spirit is matured in, and lastly, it has a touch of soft smoke in the finish which ties it all together.
What’s your favourite occasion to enjoy a dram?
There’s probably several. So, everything from sharing a dram with friends, to introducing new friends to the world of whisky. But also, I enjoy a whisky when I get a bit of quiet time just by myself, where you can just sit and savour and really appreciate the whisky.
How did you come up with the Loch Lomond signature style?
Developing our signature style was a matter of pinpointing what makes Loch Lomond truly distinctive, and nailing down what was most important to us and making sure this was consistent across our full portfolio.
Firstly, fruit. We use a longer fermentation time to build up intense fruit flavour in the wash, and our straight neck stills ensure we only collect the lightest, fruitiest distillate.
Secondly, honey. Our focus on flavour is mostly within the distillation process and the use of American Oak allows the true distillery character to shine through. Wood impact and quality is really important to us, so having our own cooperage allows us to have complete control over this.
Lastly, soft smoke. Our straight neck stills give us a unique peat character to other distilleries, giving us a softer smokier style of peat.
And, from pinpointing these 3 characteristics, our signature style of orchard fruit, honey and soft smoke was created and is consistent throughout our full portfolio.
What does a typical day look like for you?
In the mornings I plan out vatting’s and spirit supply for product to be sent for bottling, review our sales against forecast and then manage our new-make filling and wood inventory. In the afternoons I concentrate on spirit quality and liquid development nosing cask samples to check how different stock is maturing, experimenting with different flavour trials, selecting casks for vatting’s and developing new products.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My inspiration really stems from when we talk about the potential for flavour creation from how we distil, and from that it’s really looking and breaking the process down to see what’s possible at each stage of the process. So, the inspiration really comes from looking at what's possible and then seeing how we can kind of shape that to create that spirit that our customers can enjoy.