The Dalmore’s Richard Paterson on his 50 years in the Scotch industry

Richard Paterson is one of the most celebrated and respected people in the Scotch whisky industry. Photo: Luen Heng Sdn Bhd

The first time I met Richard Paterson was in 2011, when he did a presentation and tasting for The Dalmore in Petaling Jaya. What struck me most about that session was how much of a showman he is.

Paterson is not only an excellent and engaging public speaker, he also gave an utterly memorable presentation. It involved getting the audience to taste an aged whisky he kept in a vial in his pocket (he said it was 50 years old), teaching them to nose a whisky by “jamming your nose right in there”, and tossing his entire drink onto the floor to make a point about wasting whisky, much to the dismay of the outlet’s owners!