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Forbes
08-07-2025
- General
- Forbes
Are The Dutch Responsible For The Creation Of Modern Scotch Whisky?
The thumbnail for the video upending the foundations of the history of Scotch whisky. The Liquid Antiquarian Over two weeks ago YouTube channel The Liquid Antiquarian released a new video. At the time of writing, its total views count sat at just under 900. Yet the video contains a groundbreaking revelation based on hard historical research - that Dutch distillers are directly responsible for the creation of modern Scotch whisky as we know it, shattering traditional narratives about the water of life. Co-hosted by whisky researcher and former managing director of Royal Mile Whiskies Arthur Motley and whisky writer and author Dave Broom, the channel is devoted to detailed historical research on Scotch whisky and other spirits. Broom and Motley don't approach whisky history as professional historians—Motley prefers the term 'antiquarian'—but instead as curious researchers with a deep love for the subject. In their latest video, they make the bold claim that many of the methods used to make modern Scotch whisky were introduced by Dutch distillers, some of them who were working in Scotland in the early 18th century. Drawing from obscure archival material, the episode outlines how a group of Dutch experts, most of them doctors and chemists, helped improve and formalise distillation techniques in Scotland. These practices were then taken on by local distillers which then spread out across the country, directly influencing how whisky is made today. A sketch/study by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer of an illegal whisky still. Hathi Trust and the University of Michigan Most accounts of Scotch whisky's early development focus on local, often rural production. They tend to feature a romantic image of Scottish farmers using leftover grain after the harvest to distil small quantities of whisky in pot stills. These stories suggest a simple, pastoral beginning—whisky as an agricultural byproduct rather than a refined commercial product. While this is certainly the case to a degree, what's missing in many of these accounts is any mention of the Dutch. The common misunderstanding is that Scotch whisky grew up isolated, slowly refined over generations by rural Scottish farmers. This was probably the case until the beginning of the 18th century, and very little is known about what these early 'whiskies' were like. 'There is no industry,' Motley explained to me. 'There's barely anything written about it [before the early 18th century]. We don't really know what it was like before, but it wasn't popular and it wasn't particularly commercialized as a product.' In fact, the few references that exist suggest these spirits were likely inconsistent and rough, especially compared to imported rum and Cognac which emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries and were more widely consumed and appreciated at the time. The Dutch Influence on Scotch Whisky The father of medical research and chemistry Herman Boerhaave. Amsterdam Museum By the early 18th century, the Dutch were well established as distillation experts. According to Motley, this included distillates that could become whisky, 'They had all the expertise of distilling malt, and it was a thorough, rational process. They had worked out how to do it better than anyone else. And they had taken almost a scientific approach, there was a process to it, and they certainly weren't making it up as they went along.' In their research, Motley and Broom uncovered one of the clearest examples of Dutch knowledge being shared with Scottish distillers. In a 1743 publication titled The Select Transactions of the Honourable Society of Improvers in the Knowledge of Agriculture in Scotland , a Scotland-based Dutch distilling expert named Henricus Van Wyngaerden answers technical questions from a struggling distiller called Groat. Here, Van Wyngaerden gives detailed instructions for how to produce a clean and refined spirit which includes ensuring a full fermentation, double distilling the wash, reusing 'faints' from previous runs, avoiding hops, and keeping bungholes sealed during maturation. These practices closely resemble how Scotch whisky is still made today. Van Wyngaerden is a truly important figure for Scotch whisky. Arriving in the country in the 1720s, he appears to have acted as a consultant for landowners looking to establish distilleries. Also illustrating how widely Dutch distillation knowledge was spread, a 1736 article in the Caledonian Mercury also offered instructions for best practice distilling methods—again influenced by Dutch distillers—and noted that copies of these guidelines would be distributed to the Justices of the Peace in each Scottish county to be shared with rural distillers. Another important Dutch figure mentioned by Motley is Herman Boerhaave, one of modern science's most important figures. A medical doctor and chemist who pioneered the concept of medical research as well as modern chemistry, his seminal Elements of Chemistry included detailed guidance on distillation. Though he never travelled to Scotland, Boerhaave had strong intellectual ties to the Scottish Enlightenment, and the University of Leiden where he was based had many links with Scottish thinkers. 'So one of the most famous men of science wrote down detailed instructions for effective distillation… which is miraculous stuff,' explains Motley. Another English-based Dutch doctor, alchemist and distiller, William Y-Worth (probably pronounced 'Yarworth'), published 'The Compleat Distiller' in 1705. He was motivated by the poor quality of distillates he encountered in England. To counter the problem, Y-Worth provides detailed instructions not just on effective distillation but even how to build distillation facilities. A large portion of the book also consists of detailed recipes of different pharmacological and alchemical substances produced through distillation. Together, these Dutch figures introduced consistency, quality control, and practical science to Scottish distillation. Prior to this, very few records exist about how distillation was done. 'Before that, there's not really any written records of is a really careful, written down process,' says Motley . Also, although many of the distilleries established with Van Wyngaerden's help disappeared from the historical record, their influence may have lived on in how distillation spread. The Dutch Legacy on Scotch Whisky Production Sir Edwin Henry Landseer's iconic 1829 painting The Illicit Whisky Still. Wikipedia (sourced under a Creative Commons License) The Dutch contribution to Scotch whisky included the standardization of core practices that are still central to production today. These include full fermentations without hops, controlled double distillation, the use of 'cuts' to isolate the cleanest portion of spirit, and careful maturation in sealed casks. Motley describes a few other techniques elaborated by Dutch distillers: 'Keeping the wash cool, distilling slowly, being careful of burning… taking a cut and understanding that the taste of it at the beginning and the taste of it at the end is very different to the taste of it in the middle. Being careful with fermentations'. But these innovations were not consistently adopted across Scotland. According to Broom and Motley, the second half of the 18th century brought extensive social and political turbulence—including the Jacobite uprising—and heavy taxation on distillation stifled development. Government also heavily taxed the industry and introduced unwieldy regulations this drove a new wedge in the production of whisky. So by the late 18th century, there was a clear division between Lowland distilleries, which were producing poor-quality spirit due these tricky conditions, and high quality Highland distillers, whose illegal whisky was highly sought after and whose running battles with excisemen have formed many a popular and romantic narrative within Scotch whisky's history. Motley finds it ironic that this high quality illegal whisky was likely the result of Dutch knowledge spread by the ruling classes in the first place. With the 1823 Excise Act, illegal distillation was largely eliminated and clear guidelines on how whisky was to be produced and distilleries built were established. The stringent standards on production set by the Act weren't new, though it heralded a new era for Scotch whisky - the Dutch had provided this valuable information 100 years before then. Understanding the history of Scotch whisky means recognising the role of these Dutch distillers (and doctors, alchemists and chemists). Their expertise helped move whiskymaking from inconsistent cottage production to a more methodical and replicable process—laying the groundwork for what would become Scotland's most iconic industry and a product enjoyed around the world today.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
One Of The Best New Whisky Distilleries Ever Is About To Close Down
Maison Lineti's distinctive fermentation eggs. Thomas Liaunet Last month, French whisky distillery Maison Lineti played host to the sixth edition of the World Whisky Forum, a celebrated industry gathering that welcomed around 70 attendees representing some of the top names in whisky to Bordeaux in southwest France. The event, lauded for its openness and intellectual depth, was a resounding success: 'You get the right people in the room, and you know that barrier that sometimes exists between a speaker giving a presentation and the audience just kind of breaks down, and everybody is chatting, everybody's discussing stuff, and some really positive things come out of it,' said whisky writer and author Dave Broom, who is one of the festival organizers. But behind the scenes of the event's convivial spirit, Maison Lineti (an anagram of 'Saint-Émilion' where it is based) was facing an existential crisis. Unbeknownst to the attendees, the distillery is heading toward liquidation after its principal shareholder suddenly withdrew financial support earlier this year. Now, unless a new owner can be found soon, it is likely to shut down entirely. While deeply unfortunate, Maison Lineti is not the first distillery or whisky business to face these kinds of ugly pressures as the wider whisky market begins to face a tough downturn, nor will it be the last. However, I was drawn to the distillery's story because two industry figures I deeply respect and admire, Broom and Dawn Davies, took to social media to express in no uncertain terms that the very possible closure of Maison Lineti would be a deep and unacceptable tragedy to the wider world of whisky. Davies is the head buyer for The Whisky Exchange, the world's first and largest online whisky retailer, and she is a walking alcohol encyclopedia. Broom is one of the world's leading authorities on whisky, and is deeply knowledgeable about all kinds of projects around the globe. So I wanted to know, what made them want to speak up for a small French producer? To both of them, Maison Lineti's approach to whiskymaking represents a potential paradigm shift for how the wider industry considers whisky production. Its closure before it ever releases an actual whisky to them is unacceptable given what they have tasted so far. "I thought, f***, I have to go to bat for this distillery, because I'm just not going to let this quality of liquid not arrive to the market', Davies told me. 'Because the market needs it. The industry needs this." How Maison Lineti Makes Whisky Maison Lineti's alembic stills. Gunther Vicente Maison Lineti is not a conventional whisky distillery. Located in the heart of Bordeaux wine country, it applies oenological techniques more commonly associated with winemaking than distilling. This hybrid approach is what has attracted an increasing amount of admiration within the whisky world, as attendees to the World Whisky Forum can attest. 'We try a lot of things used in the wine industry, like cold soaking, lees aging, and malolactic fermentation,' says Maison Lineti co-founder Alex Cosculluela. 'We do only long fermentations. We're applying different things to the whisky that are typically used in the wine industry'. Their production is rooted in detailed research and scientific precision led by Cosculluela's partner in whisky and in life Dr. Magali Picard. The distillery uses fermentation eggs—typically seen in avant-garde wineries—and extended aging on lees to develop complexity and texture. The use of malolactic fermentation introduces lactic acid bacteria to convert harsher malic acid into softer lactic acid, enhancing roundness and balance. Distillation is done through alembic stills, which are more typical of Cognac. The philosophy extends beyond practice to communication. Until a couple of days ago, Maison Lineti made its technical findings publicly available on its website, part of a broader mission to democratize knowledge. 'She [Picard] wants to collaborate, and she wants to democratise whiskymaking knowledge,' said Broom. 'She wants to share this information because what they are doing is mind-blowing'. Maison Lineti's approach is centered on what Cosculluela calls their "organoleptic DNA,' which defines the sensory identity of their whisky: 'We decided to base this DNA on four pillars. The first one is floral notes. The second one, mineral notes. The third one is tautness, tension. It's the perception of strength in the mouth due to the acidity. It's a notion from the wine industry, but really important. Our last pillar is roundness.' Broom, Davies, and others have been blown away by the results. 'These spirits are not even three years old [the legal age at which you can call whisky 'whisky' in the E.U.], and I would happily drink it at two years because they are so balanced,' said Davies 'The oak is so well integrated, and the spirit is texturally amazing' Coming from a wine background, Davies found the use of winemaking methods revelatory. 'Everything that I expected in my head based on what I knew about how they approached that combination of wine and whisky all came perfectly together when I tried it. It made sense in terms of texture, in terms of balance, in terms of just these beautiful flavours coming through the acidity.' Broom echoed her sentiments. 'I don't know of anybody who has gone into this level of detail about how to chart flavour, how to work out techniques and ways in which whisky can be enhanced' he said. This is high praise indeed. Will Maison Lineti Ever Release A Whisky? Distillery co-founders Alex Cosculluela and Dr. Magali Picard Gunther Vicente Despite revolutionary methods and the high quality of the spirit it has produced so far, Maison Lineti is now on the verge of financial collapse. Its main shareholder—a wine merchant and producer—informed Cosculluela and Picard it was pulling out of the project earlier in the year, citing instability in the wine market. 'Our main shareholders are from the wine industry... they preferred to stop their diversification strategy, and to be focused on their main business' said Cosculluela. France's wine sector is currently experiencing a deep crisis, with many businesses forced to consolidate or retrench. 'Right now there is a huge, huge wine crisis. We never had something like that before,' he continued. 'The wine and spirit industry in France is really struggling right now. They are in a storm, a huge storm'. With the shareholder exit, Maison Lineti lost its principal source of funding. Efforts to find a replacement investor have so far fallen short. 'We tried to find a few investor before the bankruptcy situation, but we didn't receive any sufficient offers,' said Cosculluela. 'We have three months to sell all the assets of the company and to find someone who is interested in relaunching the distillery'. Maison Lineti's uncertain future is a reflection of broader pressures facing the global spirits industry, where financial constraints and falling demand have squeezed new smaller producers particularly hard. If the distillery does in the end go completely under, it means us whisky fans won't get to taste the results of some of the best research ever done on the science of whisky's aromas and flavors. "They told me that they didn't think they were going to bring this project to fruition and it broke my heart, because I think that these are two absolutely amazing people who have really done something revolutionary in our industry', says Davies. "I just think they deserve a voice, and they deserve a chance."
