Peter Currie's 25 Years in the Whiskey Industry: From Springbank to Shand Import

Gavin Linde interviews Peter Currie of Shand Import about his 25 years in the whiskey industry. Peter Currie discussed his journey, beginning with following his father into the industry, working for Line Whisies, and then spending eight years at Springbank Distillery where he was involved in all aspects of production and eventually became the sales and marketing director. He then moved to California in 2012 to work with Duncan Taylor before co-founding Shand Import. They explored the evolution of the whiskey market and pricing since the early 2000s, with Peter recalling selling rare bottlings for what were then considered high prices, and how collecting was initially driven by personal preference rather than investment. The conversation also touched on the shift from one-way communication to online forums and the impact of increasing global demand, particularly from Asia, on prices for vintage whiskies. Peter also explained the appeal of independent bottlers, describing them as offering a taste of the individual "ingredients" that go into distillery blends. He shared memorable whiskey experiences, including tastings in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and evenings in Bordeaux and Singapore, emphasizing the enjoyable social aspect of sharing whiskey and the nostalgia associated with older bottles.