Our founder and figurehead Stewart Hunter Laing began his career in the whisky industry in 1963 with several years spent at Hiram Walker’s giant Dumbarton complex on the banks of the River Clyde, working in the sales and administration side of the company.
After this, his father Fred Senior sent him to work for six months on the Isle of Islay at the famous Bruichladdich Distillery, learning the traditional and time proven skills of distilling single malt whisky — a period Stewart describes as one of the happiest of his life.
After well over 50 years in the scotch whisky business, Stewart has arguably seen it all, but has lost none of his enthusiasm and energy and is still to be found at his office desk at 8am each day, keeping his finger on the pulse of everything that goes on at Hunter Laing.
Stewart admits he has a “sweet tooth” and his favourite whisky would probably be a well-aged bottling of Sovereign grain whisky – perhaps even one distilled at Dumbarton when he worked there all those years ago.