The Last Sipper with Sarah Dowling
Dram job: Sarah Dowling
Suntory’s senior whisky blender shares her love of Ireland and Islay, and why Glasgow’s food scene tops the lot
My first dram was…
When I was at university in Edinburgh, my friend’s dad very kindly took a group of us to the rugby in Murrayfield. He produced a hip flask and passed it along. I vividly remember taking a swig when it arrived along the line to me and being shocked… it was Laphroaig 10 Year Old, and I had never tasted a peated whisky before. Honestly, I didn’t like it! It’s funny now looking back, I now nose and taste peated single malts most days and I love them – they’re so distinctive and complex. Your tastes do change and develop over time, and now Islay single malts are some of my favourites.
My all-time favourite whiskies are…
Ones that trace my journey in the whisky industry. Macallan 12 Year Old made me fall in love with whisky; Connemara distiller’s edition is fantastic; Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Finish taught me so much about maturation and flavour; and Laphroaig 18 Year Old is, for me, the top of the mountain. The iconic smoke is still very much to the fore, but after 18 years of maturation I start getting more of the tropical fruit and menthol notes coming through too.
My favourite whiskies right now are…
Laphroaig’s newly released ‘Willem by Willem’ limited edition, which is in collaboration with the iconic Willem Dafoe. It has been such a fun experience – it’s not every day I get to work with a legendary and globally-renowned actor – and I love the whisky we’ve made together; the smoke mingling with orange peel, cinnamon and brown sugar makes it such a decadent experience.
I’m also loving Highland Park 12 Year Old at the moment, which has lovely manuka honey and peach notes, making it an ideal dram for summer barbeques.
The best whisky bar in the world is…
It has to be Lucci’s [at the Bowmore Hotel] on Islay. Peter has such a passion for Scotch, and I’ve had a lot of lovely evenings there with colleagues, trying all sorts of drams (all in the name of research!). The bar attracts a mix of whisky makers, ambassadors, contractors and tourists, leading to great conversations and impromptu whisky tastings.
Peter’s Jnr and Snr of the Bowmore hotel on Islay, home to the fabled Lucci’s bar
Honourable mentions for The Pot Still in Glasgow, which offers any whisky you could want. It embodies everything great about Glasgow pub culture – welcoming, inclusive, brilliant fun and you never know who you will meet.
Dick Macs pub in Dingle, county Kerry, is a cathedral to Irish whiskey. It makes me so proud to go in there and see how the Irish whiskey industry has flourished over the past 20 years.
Where I get away from it all is…
Inishbofin, an island off the west coast of Ireland. I have been going there with my family my whole life, a walk on the beach followed by a cycle to the pub for a pint of Guinness with my dad gives you all the perspective you need on life sometimes.
One place I really want to visit is…
Patagonia. Or to Nepal to see the Himalayas.
My culture fix…
Food and drink. We are so lucky in Glasgow that the food scene just keeps getting better. Local gems such as Henry’s and Lobo are regular haunts. Standards are so high and it’s not prohibitively expensive to get a great meal. I love to travel and experience new flavours and I’m very lucky to be able to see the world with my career.
My go-to whisky cocktail…
There’s a cocktail bar in Glasgow called Daddy Marmalades which is fantastic, and a margarita there is always a great start to an evening. If I’m somewhere new, I love to try the bar’s take on a whisky sour.
Whisky in five words:
A never-ending quest for perfection.
My Last Sipper
An easy one to overthink, but quite simply I would go for a dram I really enjoy; Laphroaig 18 Year Old, shared with loved ones.
