It is with some sadness that I hear my good friend and fellow Master Blender “Gentleman” John Ramsay has decided to retire at the end of this month after having distinguishly served for over 40 years in the Scotch Whisky Industry.
I have had the pleasure of knowing John for many years yet I can still distinctly remember our very first meeting back in 1971 when he was Chief Chemist with Wm Lawson Distillers…
We had just purchased from them some rare 25 years old casks for one of our Deluxe aged whisky blends and I was required to nose them prior to the deal going through. John therefore had the task of setting the casks ‘up’ to allow me to fully inspect them.
I would never forget on that day on my arrival because it was like a military styled operation, everything had been precisely executed down to the very last detail. Although John had given me a warm welcome there was little time for idle chat. To him it was a job that had to be done, but done well but more importantly with the highest precision possible. Nothing else mattered.
To my mind in all the years I have known him this dedicated attitude has never left him. It has served him well particularly when he was appointed Group Whisky Quality Manager and Master Blender for The Edrington Group in 1991 and latterly when he became Chairman of the Scotch Whisky Judges for the International Spirits Challenge in 2003.
He will be sadly missed in the trade but the high esteem and respect that I and my fellow Master Blenders have for him will never be forgotten. And I’m sure he won’t be a stranger.
As his favourite poet Robert Burns said:-
“Freedom and Whisky gang thegither,
Tak aff your dram!”
Slainte mhath John – we salute you!
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