Unfiltered at
100
Unfiltered magazine marks its centenary publication this month. Editor Richard Goslan has been contributing since issue two in 2009, and reflects on his 15 years of writing and subsequently editing the members magazine for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
PHOTOS: PETER SANDGROUND AND MIKE WILKINSON
ABOVE: Taking a trip back to where it began with Society founder Pip Hills to the Aberdeenshire farm where he first tasted single cask whisky
When did you first get involved with Unfiltered?
The SMWS relaunched Unfiltered as a 36-page glossy magazine in November 2008. I can’t claim to have had any input into issue 1, but I remember my first feature was in issue 2. It was at the height of the financial crash and market meltdown, so I asked the question of a panel of industry experts: how will the whisky industry fare in the current climate? Turns out, it fared very well, thankfully!
How did your relationship with Unfiltered develop?
I was one of many commissioned writers contributing to the magazine, but by issue 4 in July 2009 I had my first ‘cover story’ and a trip to Campbeltown, visiting Springbank and Glen Scotia. I remember meeting Iain McAlister who had just started at Glen Scotia. The place looked derelict, in pretty terrible shape. But now look at Glen Scotia! For me it’s symbolic of the rise in the industry over the past 15 years, and we always remember that visit whenever I have the pleasure of seeing Iain again at a tasting or event.
ABOVE: Munro dramming with mountaineer and motivational speaker Jamie Andrew in 2010
ABOVE: Glen Scotia distillery, as it was in 2009
You’ve had some interesting adventures along the way with Unfiltered…
We’ve always tried to push the boat out and try new things, and tell new stories. In issue 5 from October 2009 I did a ‘Tour de Speyside’ cycle route, cycling 86 miles and visiting 11 distilleries, collecting a miniature at each one. That was quite a day out! Then in issue 6 from January 2010 I did a tasting at the top of a Scottish mountain with mountaineer and motivational speaker Jamie Andrew, who had lost part of his legs and arms due to frostbite in a climbing accident. To see him walk up the mountain – and enjoy some Society whisky at the top…was a real inspiration.
For me, Society whisky and membership has always been about the people and places it introduces you to as much as the incredible spirit in the glass, and we’ve tried to tell those stories in a variety of ways over the years.
ABOVE: A tough shift round Speyside in October 2009
ABOVE: Another cycle tour, this time with the ‘Tour de Islay’ team at Islay House during the Islay Whisky Festival in 2015
Any stand-out features?
In 2016 we did a whole series of Island Odysseys, in-depth features on some of Scotland’s whisky islands – Arran, Mull, Orkney and Skye.
Islay obviously always gets a lot of attention but we wanted to explore these other islands, not only talking about whisky but bringing the places to life and meeting the people who inhabit these islands, even if they weren’t directly involved in whisky-making.
We did something similar in issue 37 from November 2017, with a whisky-infused road trip around Scotland’s North Coast 500 in photographer Peter Sandground’s campervan, sharing drams and stories as we went.
ABOVE: A view through the casks at Bunnahabhain distillery on Islay
ABOVE: There’s nowhere else in Scotland quite like the Macallan distillery for the sheer ‘wow’ factor
You must have visited a fair few distilleries over the years
That’s been one of the privileges of the job. My last count was 56 distilleries in Scotland, so I still have some way to go and there are new distilleries popping up all the time. But visiting distilleries is a great reason to see more of the country. My favourites would include the Isle of Raasay – our last visit before lockdown – and a recent visit to Harris. I’ll always have a soft spot for Glen Scotia. And the new-ish Macallan distillery for the sheer ‘wow’ factor. And a shout out to the team at Tamdhu – especially when distillery manager Sandy McIntyre allowed me to draw a 50-year-old dram from the warehouse in my 50th year!
ABOVE: A tasting to remember at the Clachaig Inn in Glen Coe with Outlander actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
What have been your most memorable interviews?
I’ve chatted to lots of interesting characters – musician Richard Hawley, actor Sam Heughan, writer Irvine Welsh. Even Cleo Rocos – you might remember her from the Kenny Everett show – was a hoot talking about tequila.
But the most memorable has to be our founder Pip Hills. I tracked him down in 2018 when it was Society 35th anniversary, which took some effort because no one at the Society had had any contact with him since the 1990s and didn’t know where he was living or how to get in touch.
I found his address and wrote him a letter, and he invited me to his home to conduct the interview. We sat and chatted for about two hours about the Society’s origins. So it was great to make contact and reintroduce Pip to the SMWS – a real highlight of my time with Unfiltered.
And then in 2020 Unfiltered went from print to digital
Yes it was lockdown and suddenly everything had changed…and we decided to change with the times. We went from being a quarterly print publication to a monthly digital publication, offered up in different languages around the world for our members – more content, more stories, more often. Being digital has had some advantages in terms of how much more we can produce and share more quickly and easily, but at the same time, there’s nothing quite like print for an old hack like me.
So what’s the future for Unfiltered after hitting 100?
The great news is that print is coming back in 2025. Personally, I’ve missed creating it, and we know members have missed receiving it. I know there’s a place for digital stories, but nothing beats the feel of a great quality print publication in your hands – so that’s what we’re going to bring back in 2025, so after 15 years working with Unfiltered, I’m still very excited about what’s in store for our members. Our long-standing and excellent designer Renny Hutchison is working on a new-look magazine right now, and you can look forward to what I hope will be a fantastic print publication coming your way in early 2025.