NUGGETS It’s not easy creating a whisky publication (I should know—I’ve been trying for eight years) but that doesn’t stop the moaning minnies from taking pot-shots at Scotch’s ‘new’flagship publication; Whisky Magazine. Launched nearly four years ago with our enthusiastic support, it wobbled towards the mire. There have been a few occasions when it has been in the cross-hairs of this column as well for being at best a poor rflection of the unique pride and quality heralded by this industry. However, that has changed over the last couple of years and now WM navigates the impossible divide between all its readers: the mildly curious through to the extreme enthusiast. If anyone can do better I’d love to see them try. That two year lead time that it took for the powers-that-be at WM to wise up can be seen throughout the industry. Repeatedly in SWR interviews the old guard bemoan the incidence of short-term appointments to key long-term, decision-making positions. On WM’s evidence, many of them are moving on just as they realise that the Scotch Whisky industry is unlike any other; a special, precious and delicate thing. Perhaps they assume that with its profitability it must be robust—but the recent departure of Jim Beam indicates that if you don’t care to understand you lose. If you do, like those who have been through UDV’s invaluable Advocate programme, you will succeed, witness Diageo’s soaring share value. All is quiet at present (or am I going soft?): weaklings Burn Stewart are filling out, even Allied are creating a malts policy at last; we await some action from Pernod and confirmation of Bacardi’s intentions. As Iain Henderson says, the future may be with the small players. They care, they look, listen and try to understand before acting. While the dim create more me-too finishes, the champions are giving us more flavoured, less tampered-with natural whiskies. Good on yer lads!