Sandy Hyslop’s passion for his job is clearly a huge part of his personality. When we catch him in a suite on the 41st floor of the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore, it’s evident that he could talk for days about the science behind his lifelong profession. But get him on to the topic of watchmaking? Then you’ll see his eyes truly light up.
“Oh, I love watches, they’re my hot topic,” smiles the Chivas Regal master blender. “Watchmaking is very much like blending. You take individual flavours and bring them together to make something bigger than its parts. Watchmaking is exactly the same. It’s tiny bits of metal that are crafted together with precision to make this amazing thing that tells the time.” We couldn’t agree more.
Proudly wearing his beloved Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph with glinting ‘lion’s mane’ dial, just one timepiece in his 300-strong collection, it’s the morning after Hyslop unveiled Chivas Regal Crystalgold, a groundbreaking clear spirit he and his team have been tinkering with in Scotland for almost three years. Alongside the Scotsman, and adding some star power to proceedings, was Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, Chivas Regal’s global ambassador. “The launch party was a mixture of tension, excitement and relief,” reflects Hyslop with a twinkly grin.
Hyslop started his career at Stewarts Cream of the Barley, a small drinks company in Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. It was 1983 and Hyslop was a 17-year-old who wanted to study chemistry at university.
“My father was in the antiques trade and was desperate for me not to go to university because he saw it as a huge waste of money,” explains Hyslop. “He spotted the job at the whisky company in the local newspaper and I’ve never looked back.” Hyslop completed his chemistry degree in his spare time while working at Stewarts and, decades later, put his education to use when crafting Crystalgold. “I had to think about how the molecules would change when the temperature changes and so many other aspects. It’s the most is the most I’ve ever used my chemistry in my career! I love the intricacy of what I do, and working right down into those tiny, tiny details.”
Charles Leclerc also took a forensic interest in Hyslop’s stock-in-trade during a research trip to Scotland. With the dizzying whirl of glamorous international destinations, private jets and five-star hotels that F1 drivers inhabit taking up the majority of their time, these cosseted, cashmere-clad superstars rarely find themselves in the blustery Scottish Highlands. But in January this year — with temperatures barely above freezing — Leclerc visited the rugged east coast of Scotland to take a deep dive into the world of Chivas Regal at its Strathisla Distillery, which was founded in 1786.
“The heritage, the history and the passion was mind-blowing,” he says. “Obviously I knew a lot of hard work gets put in by many people, but I didn’t expect it to be to that extent. It was all about the fine tuning of the product and that was something I took inspiration from.”
Leclerc will host a launch event for Crystalgold on the 2 December in Dubai prior to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the stylish 27-year-old is symbolic of the new lifestyle-focussed direction Chivas Regal is taking. “This is a milestone moment for us,” explains Hyslop. “It’s about breaking with tradition and being at the forefront of innovation.”
Breaking with tradition is something that struck a chord with Leclerc, a man who is surrounded by technical advancement every day at Ferrari. “As a person, but also as an athlete and a driver, it’s not enough to be satisfied with where you are,” he says. “If you want to progress and achieve great things, you’ve got to push the limits. I think it’s super important to always look forward, but you also have to stay true to yourself.”
Over the weekend at Strathisla, Hyslop was impressed by Leclerc’s eagerness to learn. “Charles was asking me loads of questions while taking notes on his phone — he has such an inquisitive mind.”
So as the festivities in Singapore wrap up and we look ahead to the upcoming events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, how does Hyslop feel about how his brand’s distinctive new direction will be received — with as much enthusiasm as he found during Leclerc’s visit?
“It’s a bold step,” he admits. “A few years ago we felt trends were changing and people were looking to try something different so we wanted to surprise them. There’ll always be a level of skepticism, but I think you’ve got to be groundbreaking.” And surely, with his experimental vision and chemical know-how combined, there’s plenty of new ground to be broken yet.
