MASTER BLENDER HONOURED AT RECENT AWARD CEREMONY

Christopher Coates, Gregg Glass and Michael McLaren

Gregg Glass of Whyte & Mackay has won the coveted McLaren Packaging-sponsored Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year category of Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky and World Whiskies Awards 2023 Scotland.

The winners were announced at a ceremony at Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel honouring some the biggest names in the Whisky Industry from bartenders to brand ambassadors.

Stephen Woodcock of Glen Moray and Brendan McCarron of Distel were Highly Commended in the Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year category.

Michael McLaren, Sales & Marketing Director, McLaren Packaging, said: “Congratulations to Gregg, an acknowledged master and worthy winner of this popular and hard-fought category.

We are pleased to continue to support these awards to shine a light on the important role played by packaging in premium drinks branding and marketing. Given the challenges faced by the whisky sector over recent years, creative and inventive packaging has arguably never been so important.”

Christopher Coates, Whisky Magazine’s editor-at-large, added: “The Scotch whisky scene is going from strength to strength. This is perhaps most evident in the tourism and hospitality sectors, which have rebounded strongly in the wake of the pandemic.

In particular, the Scotch whisky category has doubled down on the quality of its visitor experiences, with an increasing number of highly immersive offerings to suit a diverse range of people – from the ‘whisky curious’ to seasoned enthusiasts. I can’t wait to see how this will continue to evolve in 2023.”