Billy Walker marks 50 years in Scotch whisky with celebratory series

19 May

The whisky great’s career spans six distilleries and countless brands

2022 represents a significant milestone for world-leading whisky maker, Billy Walker, who celebrates a remarkable 50-year tenure in the Scotch whisky industry.

Renowned for his role as Master Distiller at The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, Billy has spent the past five decades creating some of the world’s most coveted whiskies, achieving the fiercely contested title of World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021.

His enviable experience spans iconic, household name brands such as Ballantine’s, Deanston, Tobermory, BenRiach, GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh and The GlenAllachie.

To mark the achievement, Billy is releasing a celebratory series of GlenAllachie single malts: The Past, Present & Future Series. These momentous whiskies represent key milestones throughout Walker’s vibrant career.

The first instalment, released yesterday, is a 16-year-old 100% Sherry Matured expression representing his track record of specialising in a heavily sherried style of whisky. The GlenAllachie Billy Walker 50th Anniversary Past Edition (UK RRSP £225) therefore celebrates the style category many fans believe Billy played an instrumental role in developing.

Combining nine 2005 vintage Spanish sherry butts personally selected by Billy, the resulting liquid exudes opulence and indulgence with enticing layers of dark chocolate and glazed fig, alongside a banana bread and espresso coffee character. Said to be “the archetypal Billy Walker style”, the sentimental limited edition of only 4,000 bottles is proudly presented at a cask strength of 57.1% ABV, natural colour and non chill filtered.

Billy, who is a qualified chemist, has been at the helm of The GlenAllachie for almost five years, having previously led an illustrious and expansive career across numerous household name brands and companies. His enviable experience spans iconic names including Ballantine’s, Deanston, Tobermory, BenRiach, GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh and The GlenAllachie.

From his time working on these world-renowned brands, he has acquired an extensive understanding of whisky maturation; selecting the finest casks, continually evaluating the ageing spirit, re-racking into new wood to elevate the flavour experience, and determining the perfect time for bottling. This incredibly broad spectrum of experience has translated into an unrivalled reputation amongst his peers and exceptional quality whiskies enjoyed across the globe.

Billy has achieved some exceptional accolades, most recently including:

World’s Best Single Malt (World Whiskies Awards, 2021)
Best Blended Malt Scotch (San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2021)
World’s Best Blended Malt (World Whiskies Awards, 2020)
Master Distiller/Blender of the Year (Icons of Whisky, 2020)

In addition, he was inducted into Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Hall of Fame last year – a permanent tribute to the lasting contribution he has made to the world of whisky.

Business partner Trisha Savage, who has worked beside Billy for the majority of his career, comments: “Working alongside Billy for 35 years has been a total pleasure. I can honestly say I’ve never come across anyone with his level of drive, dedication and passion for Scotch whisky.

“His focus has always been to achieve ‘perfection’; only using the highest quality of wood and monitoring the spirit every step of the way. Nothing leaves the cask until it’s deemed to be exceptional.

“I would personally like to congratulate Billy on his 50th Anniversary year. You’re a true industry legend, and I was lucky enough to share the journey with you for 35 incredible years.”

Reflecting on his colourful career, Billy added: “I’m incredibly lucky to have been involved in the fascinating Scotch Whisky Industry for 50 long years. What a privilege it has been to have worked alongside some truly amazing people, and indeed to have been involved with some world-leading brands.

“Of course, there are some great memories and I truly pride in many of the achievements which our teams have achieved over the past half-century. The latest adventure is The GlenAllachie Distillery, and without question, we are so very fortunate to be steering this great distillery into the future, introducing its whisky to an ardent international audience.”

The GlenAllachie Billy Walker 50th Anniversary Past Edition is available to purchase through global specialist retailers, with a UK RRSP of £225.

Billy Walker’s career

Graduating from the University of Glasgow in 1967 with a BSc Honours Degree in Chemistry, a youthful Billy Walker had the perfect foundations to enable him to build an intimate knowledge of the science behind whisky making and flavour development.

Billy’s whisky journey began in 1972 at Hiram Walker & Sons – the company behind Ballantine’s at the time – where his role covered almost all aspects of production. After four years, he moved on to Inver House Distillers, taking up the position of Master Blender in 1976.

Fast-forward to 1982, and Billy joined Burn Stewart Distillers where he went on to spend two decades, most notably playing a key part in the resurrection of Deanston and Tobermory Distilleries. When the company was sold, an entrepreneurial Billy was left to decipher his next move.

The next twelve years saw him acquire BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries, each of which were either mothballed, closed or under exposed to the market. It was at this point in his career where Billy truly made a name for himself within the industry, leading the brands’ rejuvenation and subsequent phenomenal success.

Billy’s next move was to his current position as owner and master distiller at The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, encompassing The GlenAllachie single malt, White Heather blended Scotch and MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits. 2021 saw Billy delve into a new spirits category for the first time, releasing a new experimental rum line under the MacNair’s label – Exploration Rum.

It’s from this incredible record of success that Billy has earned widespread acclaim and recognition for being one of the most prominent whisky figures of his generation.

About GlenAllachie

One of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed distilleries, The GlenAllachie is led by industry veteran Billy Walker, who boasts a 50-year tenure in whisky. With an emphasis on wood policy, The GlenAllachie’s cask budget for 2022 stands at an eye-watering £2m/$2.6m. With 16 on-site warehouses holding over 50,000 casks, the distillery team have complete control of the end-to-end maturation process.

The GlenAllachie focusses on quality over quantity and therefore chose to reduce our production capacity from 4m to 500,000 litres of alcohol and increase our fermentation period to 160 hours for an ester-rich, fruity spirit.

All GlenAllachie whiskies carry an age statement and are bottled at a minimum of 46% ABV; they are natural colour and non-chill-filtered for maximum flavour experience.

The distillery’s other brands are MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits – encompassing Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Exploration Rum – and White Heather Blended Scotch Whisky.