The answer is Easy

The Easy Drinking Whisky Company is out to demystify whisky, writes Ben McFarland.There is a scene in the cult film Swingers where a trio of young,...

The Easy Drinking Whisky Company is out to demystify whisky, writes Ben McFarland.

There is a scene in the cult film Swingers where a trio of young, testosterone-fuelled men are faced with the task of ordering a whisky in a Las Vegas casino. The boldest asks for a scotch. The barman asks if it's to be a single malt or a blend. Flustered and intimidated, the guy loses his nerve and says: "Whatever, just make sure it's got a Glen in it."

Whisky is perhaps the most unapproachable spirit you can drink. Despite the use of a quirky bird, a nonchalant Jools Holland and the ultra-cool Harvey Keitel to try and dispel whisky's perceived air of self-importance through marketing, the major brands have not, as yet, entirely shed the drink's snooty status.

The recent Cardhu controversy, when owner Diageo changed the label of its much-revered single malt to "pure malt", is a case in point. While the knickers of connoisseurs, industry types and rival brands got in an almighty twist about the idea, it would have seemed nothing more than a storm in a tumbler to the vast majority of drinkers who just like a dram or two once in a while.

It is these drinkers that may be interested to hear about the launch of a new company committed to making no-nonsense and no-fuss whisky that is refreshingly free of the snobbery and intimidating aura associated with the established brands.

The Easy Drinking Whisky Company is the brainchild of former master distiller at The Macallan, Dave "Robbo" Robertson, and brothers Jon and Mark Geary.

The concept began when Jon and Mark headed out for a post-Christmas walk in the Scottish hills two years ago. Talk turned to whisky, as it often did, and it was agreed that while they both adored the taste and flavour they didn't like the way it was being packaged, advertised or marketed. They decided the world needed a whisky that removed all the waffle, tasted amazing and was not aimed at some 80-year-old laird. "I just want to drink and enjoy good whisky, not worship it," Jon comments.

They took their idea to Robbo, the "nose" of the operation, and within 12 months the first bottles of Easy Drinking Whisky were clinking off the production line. There are three whiskies, two Scottish and one Irish, and they are less twee and more Trainspotting - the film that is, rather than the hobby.

The trio have adopted what you could call a "Ronseal" approach to whisky marketing. Fortunately, that doesn't mean the whisky is designed to protect your fence against the elements, but rather that it does exactly what it says on the bottle. There's the Smooth Sweeter One, the Rich Spicy One and the Smokey Peaty One - the preferred styles of Mark, Robbo and Jon respectively.

"We want to debunk the snobbery, connoisseurship and cliques that exists in the world of whisky and cut out the waffle," explains Robbo. "Rather than saying this is an 11 year-old single malt from the Isle of Skye, which doesn't mean much to the consumer, we've added simple descriptions that drinkers can understand."

A similar approach has previously been adopted by entrepreneurial wine companies who, in an attempt to demystify plonk's cork-sniffing pretentiousness, targeted new drinkers with the likes of Fat Bastard, Cat's Wee and Good Ordinary Claret. It was a well-documented success, but where wine succeeded whisky may face a tougher task. Making the name a bit funkier is all very well, but it is the liquid inside that is the challenge for a lot of unaccustomed drinkers.

Robbo disagrees: "Since the launch, we've spent a lot of time on the road and we're discovering that people who don't usually drink whisky are finding it surprisingly accessible. While the Smoky Peaty One does tend to polarise opinion, the other two are less harsh and less oily and it helps that people know what to expect."

It would be reasonable to assume that the Easy Drinking Whisky concept is based more on style than substance, but while they may have their own label, there's nothing cheap about the liquid.

The whisky is of the vatted malt variety - a blend of single malts sourced from a number of distilleries, ranging from the much-respected Highland Park to the lesser-known Bunnahabhain.

The Smooth Sweeter One is made with Irish whiskey - Cooley's single Irish malt whiskey - as they found that scotch could not deliver the smoothness of the malts from the Emerald Isle.

It is no surprise that the packaging represents a huge departure from the usual approach. The wax-sealed bottles are adorned with cartoons of bee hives, spice bags and a bonfire to depict the different styles.

Until the end of April, Easy Drinking Whiskies are only available exclusively through Oddbins but plans are afoot to target the nation's pubs and bars. With the financial clout of the Edrington Group behind them, hopes are high that rather than asking for a Glen drinkers will opt instead for a Jon, Mark or Robbo.

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