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01 April 2009
The Fixer
By
Jim Byers
Meet well-travelled whisky troubleshooter Jim Swan – if a distiller has a problem, he’s the man for the job
Harvey Keitel and Clark Kent are the two most unlikely of names that spring to mind on meeting Dr Jim Swan.
The swept-back silver hair, prominent nose and wide mouth are curiously reminiscent of the Hollywood tough guy. But the mild mannered personality, softly spoken Edinburgh accent and conservative dress sense – all classic signs of a man with hidden depths – point more towards the comic book character.
Calling him a superhero might be stretching the analogy a bit far of course. But, given his remarkably diverse 35-year career, it’s fair to say that this most unassuming of men is certainly a real unsung hero of the whisky world.
Intriguing roles spill out from his lengthy CV – chemist, analyst, blender, maturation expert, researcher and developer, inventor, author of scientific papers, project manager for Government programmes, expert witness in court cases, technical adviser, lecturer… it’s an impressive haul.
When we meet for a chat at the Queen Street Members’ Rooms in Edinburgh, Jim modestly describes his current role as a ‘consultant to the drinks industry’. But that is a bit like saying Einstein studied Physics; it doesn’t quite do justice to the scope of his work.
The deep, detailed knowledge Jim has gathered over the years about key topics such as maturation with oak wood products, cask management, flavour composition, distillation and blending is unrivalled. There is, quite simply, no-one else with his level of experience and understanding of such a wide range of subjects relating to the production of beers, wines and spirits.
His unique knowledge of, in particular, whisky-making technology and processes means inexperienced distillers and blenders around the world are queuing up for his services. He is the ultimate whisky troubleshooter – if a company needs help setting up a new distillery or a blender has a problem, Jim is the ‘fixer’ they call on.
Travelling to distilleries in far-flung destinations is a major feature of Jim’s working life. As we make our way to the bar on the first floor, he apologises for his slow progress up the stairs – the result of a little mishap during a recent trip to the Kavalan distillery in Taiwan. “I was out there recently being filmed for a promotional video for the distillery,” he said. “And I fell down some stairs and hurt my leg. I hadn’t even been drinking whisky at the time!”
In his capacity as a consultant, Jim has a huge array of international clients across the drinks industry. His passport bears stamps from South Africa (Anchor Yeast), USA (Anchor Brewing, San Francisco; Jim Beam; Buffalo Trace; Maker’s Mark among others), India (Amrut), Puerto Rico (Bacardi), Nicaragua (CLNA Rum), Taiwan (Kavalan), Barbados (R L Seale), Japan (Suntory), Portugal (J Dias Cooperage) and Australia (Rosemount Estate).
Though a passport isn’t required, Jim has also played a key role in the development of the Welsh Whisky Company’s Penderyn single malt and The English Whisky Company (St George’s Distillery). Naturally, he criss-crosses Scotland too on a regular basis advising a multitude of distilleries, most recently Kilchoman and The Annandale Distillery.
Being paid to travel around the world and help create great whisky… it is a dream career for many. It’s been an interesting journey since Jim started out by gaining a degree in Chemistry and PhD in Chemistry and Biological Studies from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
He then spent the first portion of his career as a chemist at research institute Arthur D Little near Edinburgh. While there, he displayed an early flair for innovation. “I believe I was the first person to identify what ‘chill haze’ [the process which sees the fatty acids in whisky turn cloudy when chilled or diluted] was,” he said. “It was never published because it was confidential at the time, but I can remember staying late at work one night and watching this pen drawing a straight line on the equipment we were using. I was getting fed up and just about to leave when I saw it moving. I went back and watched it and what we found went on to basically identify ‘chill haze’.”
He then spent 10 years as operations director of Blending, Bottling and Maturation Studies at Pentlands Scotch Whisky Research in Edinburgh, the forerunner of the Scotch Whisky Research Institute. In the 90s, he became owner and partner at beer, wines and spirits analysts and consultant RR Tatlock and Thomson.
During this time, Jim also acted as project manager for several government-funded programmes. One study considered ‘novel pyrolysis and mycological processes affecting Scotch whisky’ – answers on a postcard if you know what that is..!
He also acted as an expert witness in a number of court cases concerning the drinks industry. In one particular case, he was asked to give his expert analysis of whisky-making at a trial in Los Angeles. His presentations in court proved crucial in settling a dispute that arose when a company was accused of copying a rival.
His innovative side came to the fore again in 2000, when he invented a system to remove TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole – aka cork taint) from a batch of wine for one of the biggest barrel-making companies in America. “The company shipped barrels out to Australia, but they were found to have mould in them. They had a big problem with the musty flavour you get from TCA, but I developed a very simple treatment where we filtered the wine through a medium which completely removes this flavour selectively.” His work was so ground-breaking that it was patented and the patent is current in America, the EU, Chile and Australia.
{{Throughout his career, Jim has also long had strong links with the Society, having sat on Tasting Panels for many years and given talks to members in Edinburgh and London.}}
The extensive travelling began during Jim’s time with Tatlock and Thomson and the trips overseas have allowed Jim to witness first hand the emergence of new markets and new brands.
Asked to pick a favourite location, he highlights Taiwan as being particularly promising. “India is exciting, there is a tremendous interest in America and the Japanese are so enthusiastic – but Taiwan only has a population of about 20 million and it is the sixth-biggest market in the world for Scotch. They are very enthusiastic about their Scotch and, in particular, single malts. Taiwan’s biggest trade export customer is China, so it is a great springboard into another potentially huge market.”
Having witnessed the growth of whisky around the world, Jim warns that established Scottish companies need to be “on their
toes” in order to protect their position as market leaders.
“Whisky has tended to be made in cool climates – that’s why Scotland is ideal. But there are now ways round that – there are people making whisky in very hot countries and becoming good at it. Initially, they weren’t, due to lack of investment. But the investment and knowledge is now there.
“There is a bit of complacency in Scotland – a lot of people think they’re made for life, but that is not the case. People overseas are developing the technology and perfecting what they’re making and there is no reason why you can’t get top-quality whiskies from other countries now. We need to be on our guard and certainly not complacent or conservative.”
Jim Swan certainly isn’t complacent. Reflecting on his career and reputation, he remains modest despite his achievements and enviable lifestyle. “It’s a privilege to travel round the world and learn about new things. I am always shocked to go to a country and find that I am known. But I have to admit I love what I do. I love the whisky and the travelling. I feel for all those people who have to go to an office every day and hate every minute of it.”
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