《6 Minutes @ Martin Daraz》

From acting/independent film maker to single Malt Whiskey Connoisseur, Martin Daraz ~ The Macallan Ambassador in the USA and the Asia Pacific certainly has one of the most rewarding jobs with a transforming effect. The Glasgow born Daraz was also awarded the Ambassador of the Year award by The Whisky Guild of America, in recognition of his contribution to Scotch Whisky awareness and education. Daraz told mylifestylenews his transition from the Graphic Design and film production field to loving the single malt whiskey for being a true Scottish at the newly opened Macallan Bar in Macau......

I am born in Glasgow, Scotland and studied Graphic Design at Grays School of Art and Film Production at the University of South West Scotland and worked as an independent film maker and theatre director in the UK before moving to the US in 2004 to take up a place at the prestigious Lincoln Center Directors’ Lab.

I was the first person from Scotland to be chosen to participate in this program and was subsequently invited back the following year. Less than two years into this job as The Macallan and Highland Park Brand Ambassador, I was awarded the Ambassador of the Year award by The Whisky Guild of America, in recognition of the contribution to Scotch Whisky awareness and education.

I had gone on to present to standing-room only seminars at every Whisky Fest and Whisky Live convention in the USA as well as Walt Disney’s Annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival. I began my career with The Edrington Group when I was appointed as the Brand Ambassador for the USA in 2006, based out of New York.

I was then relocated to Los Angeles in 2009 before taking up this current role with expanded responsibility for the Asia Pacific region in 2012. In addition to The Macallan and Highland Park, The Edrington Group also owns The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Brugal.

I particularly enjoy travelling back to the distilleries to share the single malt experience with VIP aficionados. These people are some of the largest collectors of single malt in the world. Besides, I travel the length and breadth of the country visiting key markets, conducting trade trainings and meeting the media to sing the praises of The Macallan and Highland Park in my distinctive Scottish brogue. That is what The Macallan Ambassador would do!

The design field has a transformer effect to get something more and I applied the same theory and transcend it to the Whiskey category. Being the Ambassador, it gives me the loyalty to build and maintain by capturing the value and the essence of the brand. Somehow, it could be whimsical and tough but the vision don't have template as the collaboration skill and communication are through the truth and purest form.

 

Drinking whiskey can be considered one of the distinctive lifestyle especially a premium spirit like The Macallan are a well known universal luxury single malt whiskey. There are many interpretation in different lifestyle, people can approach it by making their own way to enjoy it and to transform it to their very own preference by observation. It is all varies and can be quite personal.

For a Scotsman, drinking whiskey began at quite a young age and it does stand out in front of people and cutting-in in the communication by building an interaction with the others. It is sort of like going through a journey of life and build an unique story of your very own.

The Macallan fine oak is a "triple cask matured" in a unique, complex cask combination. Just like the brand essence, it is precious, rare, created and produced for treasure and love. It is approachable, reveals more of The Macallan spirit and has the potential to be embraced by a greater percentage of whiskey drinkers.

The Macallan's Curiously Small Stills and uniquely shaped copper stills are the smallest on Speyside. The unique size and shape helps to concentrate the flavour of the "new make spirit" and deliver the rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours so characteristic of The Macallan.

The finest "cut" from the Macallan is the amount of distilled spirit collected from the stills. The Macallan takes one of the finest "cuts" of any distillery in Scotland from the best of the best, typically just 16% is selected to fill the cask. This distinctly robust and characterful "new make" spirit is the starting point for all Macallan.

Every single cask is either handcrafted in Spain or hand picked in America. This unfaltering obsession with selecting Exceptional Oak Casks delivers the wonderful variety of colour, aroma and flavour to be found throughout The Macallan range.

The equation are 80% of the flavour, colour and texture from the wood plus 20 million spent on the wood annually to produced the 100% aged in an exceptional oak casks.

Different whiskies are used in different glasses not only to enhance the drinking style but also to concentrate and to collect the aroma, any receptacle are acceptable.

In Asia, drinking whiskey may apply to mainly older people but the time has changed now and many young working executives had switched to something that they value and appreciate the premium spirit for their serious and finest production and rich history culture.

My first whisky drinking experience is when was I at my age 11-12 during one of my uncle's Birthday Christmas parties. It wasn't the Macallan but it was the "Famous Grouse". It was indeed a big flavour and I still remember the taste from the Sherry Oak.

If I were not doing what I am doing now, I could be possibly going back to become a film maker or at least closer to do public speaking or a stand up comedian.

My ideal way of living lifestyle is to be around with the elites with genuine communication and conversation. The moment that we just spent was rather delightful and I enjoyed it very much.

 

  

mylifestylenews @ Martin Daraz at The Macallan Bar Macau