Kevin Pietersen bats for Whyte & Mackay

Whiskey tasting sessions have been in vogue for some time now and celebrated master blenders across the world have made Bacchus lovers’ olfactory senses aware of the palate and the notes that distinguish a particular whisky from the other. It is when an iconic cricketer compares his favourite drink to the best cricketing shots in his repertoire and the aromas and textures of traditional Indian food that remind him of his trotternama through India, that the concept of tasting sessions takes a whole new meaning. Kevin Pietersen, the new brand ambassador for Whyte & Mackay, did precisely this.

To mark his association with Whyte & Mackay and to raise a toast to this new beginning, Pietersen decided to do a little extra and bring in that third elusive element to this whole scotch tasting session. A comparison between the different portfolio brands of Whyte & Mackay, Indian food from Kebabs&Kurries at ITC Royal Gardenia, and those crafty caresses on the cricket field, which has seen Pietersen notch up 5,000 test runs in the fastest time earlier this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Anant Iyer, Business Head - Luxury, United Spirits Ltd, said, “Kevin is a well known name today – known as much for his on field flamboyance as for his prodigious talent. Few know that within Kevin lies a connoisseur of scotch and single malts. And it is indeed that little extra from Kevin to let his fans and Whyte & Mackay patrons in on his scotch experience and culinary delights. Never before probably has any sporting icon compared notes between a spirit, a gourmet cuisine and the game itself. It is this little bit extra that separates Kevin from others. As a brand ambassador for Whyte & Mackay, the passion he had for the brand he was endorsing came out in his effort of comparing his game with the delicate nuances of the scotch he savoured.”

Founded in 1844, Whyte & Mackay, the world’s 4th largest Scotch whisky producer, possesses a rich heritage in the Scotch whisky business. Its brand portfolio includes single malts (Isle of Jura, Dalmore, Tamnavulin, Fettercairn), blended Scotch (Whyte and Mackay, Mackinlays, Claymore, John Barr) and whisky liqueur (Glayva) and vodka (Vladivar). The brand has a worldwide presence in all key markets, with an especially strong European presence.

United Spirits Ltd (USL) is the Rs 6,500-crore spirits arm of the UB Group. USL was earlier McDowell and Company Ltd. USL is headquartered in Bangalore with a global footprint and has a portfolio of more than 140 brands, of which 20 are millionaire brands, and has manufacturing and bottling units at 80 locations across the country.

USL represents the merged entities of erstwhile McDowell & Co Limited, Phipson Distillery Ltd, United Spirits Ltd, Herbertsons Ltd, Triumph Distillers and Vintners Pvt Ltd, Baramati Grape Industries Ltd, United Distillers India Ltd, McDowell International Brands Ltd, and Shaw Wallace Distilleries Ltd and Shaw Wallace & Co. The erstwhile McDowell & Co Ltd was first established as a proprietary business in 1826.