Mark Westmorland about Wolfburn Whisky: 'Only dead fish go with the flow' (interview)
InterviewsWednesday, 24 June 2026 at 14:21
Born and bred in Thurso, Mark Westmorland (still feeling in his 20s, but with more experience) gets to work with Wolfburn Distillery every day. In his job as a Global Brand Ambassador for the whiskybrand he sees himself as a guardian of the spirit and gets to share the unique character of the brand with customers and whiskylovers worldwide. We got to talk to him and got to taste a bit of that passion in this interview.
In this interview, he reflects on his roots, his role and the handcrafted character that defines Wolfburn. And we get a sneak peek of what's to come.
How would you describe yourself in a few words?
'Just a wee lad from the Highlands.'
How did you end up at Wolfburn?
'A friend of mine, Charlie works at the distillery and he asked if I could help out at shows and festivals in 2016. The rest is history.'
What is your first whisky memory?
'I have a vivid memory of my older brother going out at the bells to celebrate Hogmany, It was his first and he was super excited. As he walked outside he slipped on the icy path and his cherished bottle of whisky flew through the air, meeting an untimely end. Smash. How we laughed! Another memory was the smell from my parents drinks cabinet in the sideboard.'
How do you think Wolfburn is doing this year compared to other Scottish whiskies worldwide?
'We march to the beat of our own drum. We don't care or take any interest how others are doing. We are Wolfburn, where Fortune Favours The Brave. As an independent company we can pivot quickly overcoming obstacles and global concerns. We are not like a massive tanker taking a mile to stop. We're a nifty speedboat; we can drop the tiller and speed off in any direction needed.'
The drinks industry is under some pressure, you could say. How are you noticing that?
'Our Wolfpack is strong globally. Yes, we want more focus and sales but that must be carefully managed with security and confidence in supply. We are not flooding the market, Quality over quantity.
Wolfburn regularly releases special editions, for example a Ukraine bottle and now the World Cup edition. How important are these kinds of releases for you?
'We support projects that mean something to us. We just don't jump on the bandwagon and take advantage. These expressions carry meaning.'
Which special editions are planned that you’re already allowed to say something about?
'Have a search for our Kylver Series. In 2016, we were asked to commission a bottling for the Caithness Viking Festival (history and heritage are important to us) Not only did we say yes but we decided to launch a series based on the Kylver stone and its discovery in Gotland. There will be 24 in the series and the next one is due next month. Shhhh'
Wolfburn hasn’t been around for very long compared to other established names. What do you think is the biggest misconception about young distilleries?
'My job is getting the liquid to lips, once tasted never forgotten. Be adventurous, try and decide for yourself. Too many folk just follow the herd and only dead fish go with the flow. Be courageous and search for the diamond in the dust.'
What is the relationship like between you and the King?
'I never kiss and tell.'
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Which other celebrities have visited you over the years?
'Who really cares to be honest. We are the same skin and bone as everyone else. Celebrity endorsements can come back and bite you in the ass so be careful what you wish for. The doors are open to all and sundry.'
Which Wolfburn whisky would you recommend to someone who doesn’t know the brand yet?
'Aurora is our best selling whisky worldwide overall by a nose because of it sweetness from both sherry and bourbon casks and our Small Batch no. 416 fully matured in port pipes for 10 years has been the best selling in the last 3 years. Only 3,900 bottles were released in over 40 countries. I am told there are very few bottles left at the stills but the fun is in the search. Once you find your quarry, the fulfillment is complete.'
What can fans expect from Wolfburn in the coming years?
'We are going on an adventure, grab onto our coattails, folks, and we will take you along on our journey. I could go full Bond villain and shout World Domination whilst stroking a cat. I do have the look of Ernst Stravro Blofeld!'
Favourite whisky: Wolfburn - any
Number of drams per week: Please drink responsibly
Favourite bottle in your collection: Inaugural Wolfburn
Whisky country to watch: Scotland
Least favourite whisky: 'That Depends on my mood. Getting promoted, coming in and celebrating with a Scotch can be awesome, sitting in your comfy chair, your favourite glass in hand and your favourite tunes on. The same whisky doesn't taste so nice when you get the sack, come home, kick the cat ( please don't kick cats and no cats were harmed in the making of this piece), slugging it out a coffee mug. It can be company and location as well.'
Number of drams per week: Please drink responsibly
Favourite bottle in your collection: Inaugural Wolfburn
Whisky country to watch: Scotland
Least favourite whisky: 'That Depends on my mood. Getting promoted, coming in and celebrating with a Scotch can be awesome, sitting in your comfy chair, your favourite glass in hand and your favourite tunes on. The same whisky doesn't taste so nice when you get the sack, come home, kick the cat ( please don't kick cats and no cats were harmed in the making of this piece), slugging it out a coffee mug. It can be company and location as well.'
Finally to end the interview, we got a tip for the summer from Mark:
'Make the pilgrimage to Wolfburn Whisky in Thurso, if you get your feet wet you have gone too far. Please stop at the edge. Sipping any Wolfburn at the Stills is a memorable experience.'- Mark
Have you already read our special about the Wolfburn Drams for the Tartan Army or the Whisky Review of the bottles?
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LATEST COMMENTS
- There is no distillery equipment there and also no licences to produce or sell alcohol.TRC19-12-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your response and for sharing the video. Unfortunately, the evidence you referred to consists only of two people talking about the whisky, without any explanation or identification. We have not spoken to the individuals in the video ourselves, nor can we verify who they are. We describe it as a Chinese whisky because it is released by a Chinese distillery. As you mentioned, the distillery has chosen to label the product as “pure malt” instead of “Chinese whisky.” Based on that, we do not believe they are doing anything illegal.M0nkey16-11-2025
- So - you have the proof......where's your write up?Yvonne16-11-2025
- You are absolutely right. Luckily that doesn't matter for the taste of the whisky. Have you tried it yet?M0nkey05-11-2025
- Guess what? Finland is not part of Scandinavia.Gray105-11-2025
- Throw in the towel? You mean restructure to compete and win in a challenging industry environment.WestwardFounder21-10-2025
- There is nothing legally to prevent the English whisky GI from coming into force, it complies with all the relevant laws and the single malt definition follows the precedent of Welsh whisky and US whiskyChefBear15-10-2025
- Three emails sent (two with videos, linked to a Google Drive Share). 1. The original video. 2. The video with subtitles as it was shared on YouTube 3. Screen grab of the YouTube channel where the video was blocked due to Pernod Ricard lobbying. The story was covered on Drinks Intel at the time - link here - https://drinks-intel.com/subscriber-news/pernod-ricards-the-chuan-pure-malt-whisky-not-sourced-solely-from-china-global-drinks-intel-exclusive/Yvonne10-10-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your interesting comment. Could you share your copy with us, so we can adjust our item accordingly? Mail us at [email protected]. Thank you in advance.M0nkey09-10-2025
- Let's keep this factually correct. Pernod Ricard DID NOT release a Chinese whisky. Their first output from The Chuan (the name of the distillery in Sichuan, China) wasn't fit for bottling. What they actually bottled was imported Scotch whisky. This is why the product is called "PURE MALT" and not "Chinese Whisky" - because Pure Malt is not a regulated term - this is not a secret. This was exposed about a week after they released it. There were even videos about their own staff on site admitting it was made from imported whisky - which Pernod Ricard got the lawyers onto to get the video pulled. I've got a copy if you want it.Yvonne09-10-2025
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