Key facts
- Role
- Master Blender ("The Nose"), Whyte & Mackay
- Origin
- Scotland (Glasgow)
- Active
- In whisky since 1970
- Best known for
- Legendary sherry-cask blending and the most theatrical tastings in whisky
Life & career
Richard Paterson is the third generation of a Glasgow blending family and joined Whyte & Mackay in 1970. He built his reputation on sherry wood, negotiating access to rare Spanish bodega casks — including decades-old Matusalem oloroso butts — and using them to give The Dalmore its dark, marmalade-and-chocolate signature.
Known across the industry simply as The Nose, he became whisky's most recognisable presenter, famous for smashing a glass on the table to stop guests nosing too soon and for teaching a whole generation of enthusiasts how to taste. He also spent decades curating some of Scotland's oldest stock, releasing very long-aged Dalmore expressions and co-writing on whisky appreciation.
Distilleries & brands
- The Dalmore
- Isle of Jura
- Whyte & Mackay
- Fettercairn
- Tamnavulin
What they brought to whisky
- Made sherry-cask maturation a mark of luxury single malt rather than a regional habit.
- Shaped The Dalmore's house style and its long-aged flagship releases.
- Turned whisky education into performance and trained thousands of tasters worldwide.
Honours & recognition
- Honoured with an OBE for services to the Scotch whisky industry
- Third-generation blender from a Glasgow whisky family
In The Whisky Game
This personality appears on one of the character cards. Each player draws one at the start and uses its special ability during the game.
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