Pentlands Scotch Whisky Research

A New Era of Scientific Research

In 1974, Jim Swan became a founding member of Pentlands Scotch Whisky Research Ltd (PSWR), an independent research organisation dedicated to understanding the science behind Scotland's national spirit. It was a critical period of modernisation for the whisky industry.

Questions That Needed Answers

The period between 1950-1970 brought many changes to whisky production: New barley varieties were developed that promised higher yields. Distilleries moved from Brewing yeast to distilling yeast or in many cases a combination of both. Later in the period new yeast suppliers developed new distilling yeast strains that promised more stable fermentations. New technologies were entering distilleries that had relied on traditional methods for generations.

For Jim Swan and the experts at PSWR the crucial question was: how would these changes affect whisky flavour?

Working With Distillers

PSWR's approach was collaborative. Jim Swan and his colleagues worked directly with distilleries to help them investigate production challenges using systematic methods. They provided the frameworks and analytical tools that allowed distillers to document what happened when variables changed: yeast strains, barley varieties, fermentation parameters, spirit cuts.

This required bridging two worlds. Analytical chemistry revealed what compounds were present and in what concentrations. Sensory evaluation determined how those compounds translated to flavour. By combining both approaches, distilleries could understand and communicate the effects of process changes.

Barley: Beyond Yield

After World War II, Scotch whisky production relied almost entirely on a single barley variety: Proctor. This continued until the early 1970s when Golden Promise was introduced. Golden Promise dominated from 1970 to 1985, prized for its low dormancy and excellent performance in the six-day malting regime.

By the late 1960s, concern was growing about reliance on a single variety. The Maltsters Association of Great Britain, working with the Scottish Crop Research Institute, began coordinating efforts to find alternatives. Modern cultivars like Chariot, Prisma, and Optic could produce around 7.5% more spirit per tonne of malt compared to Golden Promise.

But did they produce the same whisky? Each variety brought subtle differences in behaviour. PSWR helped distilleries establish systematic methods to evaluate new varieties, documenting how changes in raw materials affected the final spirit.

Understanding Change

Whether examining fermentation variables, distillation cuts, or raw material selection, the fundamental contribution was enabling distilleries to record and communicate effects scientifically. This systematic approach helped the industry navigate modernisation whilst maintaining the character that made their whiskies distinctive.