The whisky production history of five or six hundred years is something the Scots are proud of. The simple and honest Scottish people take pride in their national traditions and are willing to preserve the ancient things of their nation. Cao Hua is China's first certified whisky brand ambassador, who once received rigorous training and examination in Scotland. "Training in Scotland was a beautiful yet very painful experience," Cao Hua described his time in Scotland this way. "Beautiful" because he was the first Chinese person to uncover the secrets of whisky brewing and tasting. Much of this knowledge was traditionally passed down from master to apprentice, with no written records, only insights. And for the first time, this door was opened to a Chinese person due to Cao Hua's arrival.
Cao Hua studied computer science in university and worked at Glenfiddich International Limited after graduation. "After graduation, I have always been doing sales work in the company. I am an employee who asks a lot of questions and is curious, and I am indeed very interested in whisky. So the company felt that I was suitable to be the domestic brand ambassador. They thought since this person has so many questions, why not send him to Scotland to ask them." Thus, Cao Hua became the first Chinese brand ambassador for Glenfiddich whisky and went to Scotland.
Upon arriving in Scotland, Cao Hua found that the weather there was unpredictable. It was cold in winter, not too hot in summer, but the temperature difference was large, sometimes raining, sometimes snowing. The maritime climate and fresh air provided a great environment for whisky. The whisky production history of five or six hundred years is something the Scots are proud of. The simple and honest Scottish people take pride in their national traditions and are willing to preserve the ancient things of their nation. "When I first visited the Glenfiddich distillery, I was amazed because this global best-selling malt whisky distillery still used traditional techniques, even somewhat 'backward'. It was hard to imagine that the malt whisky produced here accounts for one-quarter of the global market share, and they almost have no competitors."
"Gradually, I realized that this handcrafted production method was exactly what Glenfiddich was determined to preserve. Those distillation machines that produced the first drop of Glenfiddich in 1887 are still in use today. Despite the continuous increase in demand for Glenfiddich, the family resisted all temptations and did not change the size and shape of the distillers because some tiny changes in the distillers would affect the taste of Glenfiddich. Glenfiddich continues to produce in the same location as it did over a hundred years ago, using the same raw materials and production processes. Skilled blenders, coppersmiths, and coopers still exist and are valued as before."
When Cao Hua first arrived, he was sent to the production line to learn the entire whisky brewing process, from malting barley until the alcohol is produced and stored in the cellar. Afterward, Cao Hua worked as a guide at the distillery. The Glenfiddich distillery is open to the public and serves as a scenic spot in Scotland, attracting many visitors each day. About 100,000 people visit annually. Clearly, introducing others to the distillery's production techniques and processes was the most diligent learning of the distillery's history and culture. Among the visitors Cao Hua greeted were Scots, British, Germans, French, and Nordic people, while Asians were mostly Singaporeans and South Koreans. "The Chinese market is big, but there is still a long way to go." Cao Hua remembers that every person entering the Glenfiddich distillery would see a documentary introducing the distillery's history and production methods. This film had versions in nine languages but not Chinese. In all of Asia, only Japanese was available. As a Chinese person, Cao Hua felt quite uncomfortable then because you weren't considered a big market, so you didn't get attention. However, Cao Hua also believed that it wouldn't be long before there would be a Chinese version.
Afterward, Cao Hua spent two weeks at a modernized grain whisky distillery on an assembly line and finally got to study under David Stewart, Glenfiddich's chief blender. "He is a very famous expert in the Scottish whisky industry. Each large distillery has its own blender, whose job is to ensure that every batch of the same-aged whisky has the same quality, which is a challenging task. David Stewart started as an apprentice in the distillery when he was a teenager and has nearly 40 years of experience." Cao Hua learned from him daily how to appreciate whisky, including observing the color, smelling, and tasting.
Being a blender requires some sense of smell, but Cao Hua believes that everyone can do it. "So-called appreciation of wine means we all smell the same wine, but I can summarize it with some words while you cannot. Actually, we..."
[1] [2] Next page
This article comes from...
If we don't bother...