What does a day on the job look like?

I'll come to the warehouse on a Friday afternoon. I'll pick up the van and set it up for the run. I'll bring some copies of Whiskeria to hand out, too. If there's any whiskies to be delivered while we're on the route, I'll put them in the van. Other members of the team will set up the routes and I'll then look through them to make sure that they're okay.

The following morning, I'm up at 7:30am and I'm away. I go away the Saturday morning and come back on Tuesday. The work obviously depends on traffic a lot of the time, but I'll finish around 6pm every night.

The last day of the route, I come back up to the warehouse and the great team there help me empty the van. And that's it!

Do you get to enjoy any scenic routes?

The last one I did up north was very nice. I was up around Invergordon and Brora. I like going through the dales and the north of England - it's nice around about there. Easy driving, too!

I've seen so many different places. On the last run, I was in the centre of London. The driving was fine, but the parking was a problem! It was brilliant, though. It's such a different experience driving down south.

What do you enjoy the most about the job?

The feeling of independence. There's a great team in Auctions who make sure everything on my route goes as smoothly as possible, so I've got very little to worry about whilst I'm out and about. It's brilliant. I love it.

I get a wee blether here and there with the people I meet, too. They're all so interested in whisky and when they buy, they're often trying to buy two or three bottles so that they can taste a dram if they want to. Some of the customers are brilliant as they'll give you a wee taste in a sample bottle to go. I've got to taste a few whiskies that I'd otherwise never get the chance to try.

Why do you think the collection service is so popular with customers?

It's free, for a start, so I think they really appreciate it. Secondly, the convenience. Thirdly, I think they like to see the whisky go straight into the van that will be heading to the warehouse. They get some peace of mind as they can see the start of the journey.

What's the most interesting bottle that you've ever picked up?

I brought down a 35-year-old bottle of Springbank from Perth a few months ago - not something I'm likely to taste! Routinely, there's interesting bottles of The Macallan, too - again, not ones I'll be tasting on a daily basis! Often, the van will have a fairly substantial value.

Do you ever get worried about transporting such precious cargo?

I was in the police for thirty years, so I'm very particular about maximising the security of the van overnight. When you're going out in the morning, the first thing you do is make sure the van is still there! Then I make sure everything is still as it was inside.

Do you collect whisky yourself?

I do. Just a moderate collection of about 20 bottles! I've got a fairly significant number of Glengoynes of different ages.

How did you get into whisky?

I remember in my early years having a pint and being given a whisky after and I liked it. Blended whisky was my first introduction.

For the last ten years or so, I've been going to tasting events with a group called "The Whisky Connoisseurs" - ironically, there's not a connoisseur in the group!

What is your favourite whisky?

I like sherry finished whiskies and port finished whiskies. My favourite whisky of all is probably the Glengoyne 18 Year Old or the Glengoyne 21 Year Old. I love the depth of flavour.

The original feature is from the Winter 2022/23 edition of Whiskeria, delivered to the door of W Club subscribers and also free with any Whisky Shop purchase in store or online.