In 2022, we had the immense pleasure of hosting a celebration of Billy Walker’s 50 years in the whisky industry. Never one to rest on his laurels, we are delighted to be joined by Billy again, as this time he explores one of his favourite topics: oak.

This class will take us around the world looking at eight different species of oak. From the damp forests of Japan and Scotland to the wind blown Mongolian Steppe, the humid uplands of Colombia and the blistering winters of Ukraine, we’ll be previewing unreleased cask samples from the Sinteis Series.

Since starting out as a chemist for Hiram Walker in 1972, Billy Walker had a varied and influential career. An experienced master blender – taking on that role for both Inver House and Burn Stewart – since the 1980s he has been known for a different aspect of whisky making – reviving and revamping distilleries and their whisky ranges. This has seen him bring back Benriach, Glendronach, Glenglassaugh and, of course, GlenAllachie.