Sandy Hyslop’s retirement marks the end of an era. No matter how mighty the lighthouse, there comes a time to switch keepers. Keeping the ships off the rocks going forward is Kevin Balmforth.
In his first interview since taking on the role of master blender at Chivas Brothers, Kevin talks about continuity, pressure, and what it really means to inherit one of the most influential blending jobs in Scotch whisky.
A seamless transition
Kevin worked side by side with Sandy for nearly 20 years. “We met at the end of 2005, so that’s given me the perfect transition into this role. Sandy was a big character, and he’s laid down the legacy which I need to deliver. I’m excited. I realise it’s gonna be a lot of hard work”.
In his previous role, Kevin was already embedded in new whisky creation and took over management of the blending department five or six years ago. “That’s a really important aspect of the role, managing that expertise, and imparting what Sandy imparted to me”.
Before Sandy, there was Colin Scott. Along the way, Abby Stevens, too. Three revered master blenders, three different perspectives, one long apprenticeship. “If you could write a transition,” Kevin says, “the core fundamentals of the blending role and the quality controls, it would be this. It’s almost seamless.”
Kevin stresses he’ll put his own flavour on things, and says the biggest change is responsibility. Sandy was the final sign-off. Now Kevin is. That brings pressure, but also clarity. The work remains steady; it’s just the stakes are higher.
From one master to another, Sandy Hyslop to Kevin Balmforth
What Sandy leaves behind
Ask Kevin about Sandy’s influence, and he does not talk about flavour blueprints or specific recipes. He talks about how the job is done. “We’re traditional blenders, with a very hands-on process. We’re there at every stage. From distillery, to maturation, to blending, to bottling.”
That presence is non-negotiable. “We travel constantly, speak to people on-site. We nose samples all the time. We’re uncompromising on quality. That mindset absolutely continues.”
Collaboration is another key tenet of the wider approach. Blending is a team sport, and Kevin points out that there are eight experts in his team assessing spirit across more than 6.5 million casks. “That’s our baby. It’s like a living animal to us”.
There’s constant conversation, with daily sample checks across the tens of thousands of samples in the library. Standards for every part of production. Grain, malt, blends, bottling. Hundreds and hundreds of reference points.
Kevin sees his role as developing that team as much as directing it. “I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in recruiting this team. My key criteria is they need to be passionate about whisky. We love doing the tasting notes. I’ve managed to bring together a talented group of individuals who work really well together.”
“I want this to be the best place in the industry to learn about blending,” he says. “The envy of the industry.”
Scott has spent half a century in whisky. Kevin Balmforth has learnt from the best.
Learning the craft over time
Kevin’s route into whisky would raise eyebrows today, where candidates come complete with considerable qualifications, whether that’s in chemistry or a BSc Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt.
“I did history at university, moving to Scotland because of a girl in 1998. After about ten months, I got a job at Chivas and started as a sample room assistant in 1999. My first interview was with Colin Scott, and there was a nosing test. The girl didn’t work out,” Kevin laughs. “But the whisky did.”
Kevin realised quite quickly his strengths lay in nosing and tasting, but says it took a few years to understand just how lucky he was. “I thought, actually, this is it. This is my career.” The next quarter of a century has been spent seizing that opportunity.
Kevin Balmforth takes on one of the most significant jobs in Scotch whisky
Trusting your palate
Much of Kevin’s expertise has been built around casks, particularly finishes. Chivas Brothers is among the industry leaders in this field, and he’s been at the core of that evolution. He sees innovation, experimentation, and cask finishes continuing as they explore the boundaries of whisky’s flavour.
He says that Chivas has been building a small reserve of exceptional casks, known as Casks of Blender’s Distinction. “Now and again, you come across something special that gets you emotional, you know? You get the whole team out. You don’t know why it happens sometimes, because you can have casks side by side, and you get a different flavour over the years. But those nuances evolved into something special, something you’d never replicate”.
Pernod Ricard’s Scotch portfolio is vast, and Kevin is acutely aware of what that means. It also makes narrowing down a favourite tough. Kevin notes a love for the fruitiness of The Glenlivet, the creamy, toffee quality of Longmorn, the unique tropical pineapple and new leather flavour in Scapa, and the jammy sweetness of Glenburgie.
Kevin Balmforth can draw from an enviable array of distilleries
The weight of the names
The role means being accountable for maintaining the quality of blends like Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, and Royal Salute. “That responsibility is so significant. I have to make sure that they’re living up to the names people have come to know and love,” Kevin says.
But it goes beyond that. With spirit coming from distinctive distilleries like Aberlour, Glen Keith, Allt‑A‑Bhainne, Braeval, and Strathisla (among those previously mentioned, and even more to boot), he understands there’s a responsibility to make sure that each distillery is properly represented in the final blend.
There’s also the long view. “When you’re later in your career as a blender, you’re working for the next person,” he says. “You’re building stock they’ll rely on.” It is as much about stewardship as authorship.
That mindset also shapes how Kevin sees his public role. He says he can’t be a full-time ambassador and a true hands-on master blender. While it is almost part of the brief that you have to be a part-time rockstar alongside a full-time scientist these days, I think a lot of whisky fans will be relieved to hear how seriously Kevin takes his primary responsibility.
“I do enjoy talking to people and doing tastings and hearing what people have to say about our creations. I think that’s important. But I won’t be doing huge amounts of it, because my core job is in Scotland”.
Best of luck, Kevin!
At home, and at ease
At home, Kevin’s sample cupboard is simple. Chivas 18 or Glenlivet 18 Year Old. “They’re my go-to,” he says. “I’m lucky to be able to have those in the house.”
Professionally, water is used carefully and precisely. Nosing at 20% ABV, tasting at 30% ABV… But personally, he is relaxed. “I never tell people how to drink whisky,” he says. “A little water can help if the alcohol feels hot. Really, it’s about enjoyment.”
He also loves an Old Fashioned or a Whisky Sour, the whisky cocktail standards.
Fitting, given he’s now a steward of the classics. Kevin does not talk about changing Chivas Brothers. The lighthouse is still shining. The beam, steady. You move it forward by degrees, not by knocking it down.
