This month’s Society Life features a good friend and top Society member. I was introduced to Greg Cloyd in July of 2021 by a mutual friend. That friend told me, “This is a guy you want to know.” Little did I understand how much my professional life would be shaped by this introduction.
After many phone conversations, Greg and I finally met in Washington, D.C. after a Tasting Panel Experience event with Charlie MacLean. Greg had invited us to taste a rare bottling of 1930’s era White Horse Blended Scotch Whisky. I have never seen Charlie so speechless as when that beautiful dram hit his mustachioed lips. It remains one of the most memorable drams in my life. Fast forward to present day and I have been given the chance to taste scores of whiskies (American, Japanese and Scotch) that I would have never been able to without Greg’s generosity.
Whisky lovers like Greg are generational. He has the knowledge, passion and inclination to stage unforgettable tastings for those lucky enough to enter his orbit. I am one of those lucky few and I will be forever indebted to him for welcoming me into his community. I will strive to repay this debt by welcoming as many as I can into the world of Society whisky and fellowship.
Pour something really special, because you deserve it, and get to know Mr. Greg Cloyd.
TS: Hi Greg, please tell us a bit about yourself….
GC: I grew up in Kentucky, married my High School sweetheart fifty years ago, raised our family and had great careers. Now retired from medicine and enjoying gardening in our home we’ve been in almost forty years.
TS: What is it about whisky that interests you the most?
GC: I enjoy the quiet ephemerality of appreciating a great whisky with great friends. Researching distilleries, finding great exemplars and curating tasting lineups for friends is my passion. Identifying the commonalities and best practices of whisky makers and finding the best ways to present whiskies to friends is fun.
TS: What has been your most memorable whisky experience to date?
GC: I’ve loved helping curate and host vintage vertical malts distillery tastings for SMWSA members in Whisky Legends tasting group and vintage American whiskey tastings with the Vintage Whiskey Society. Most recently, I’ve curated tastings with Old Crow dating back to 1870’s, Macallan back to 1930’s, Pre-Prohibition Monongahela and Maryland Ryes, History of Wild Turkey, Schenley Corporation, Ben Nevis, Clynelish and more.
TS: You're stranded on a desert island with one bottle of whisky for an entire month, what is it?
GC: I don’t really have a favorite whisky or distillery. I just seek topnotch expressions of distilleries produced during their peak years. 1965 Clynelish Sestante Brick Label or a 19th Century Monongahela Rye.
TS: What is your favorite distillery to visit and why?
GC: I enjoy visiting any distillery run by a talented, passionate and well-funded distiller. Walking the floors, shop talk and then tasting with the distillers is always educational and worthwhile.
TS: Why did you decide to become a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society?
GC: I joined SMWSA to interact with and learn from more knowledgeable, passionate enthusiasts and professionals.
TS: What has been the highlight of your membership experience so far?
GC: My highlight was an after-hours three-person quiet tasting of old whisky with Charles MacLean and Tom Smith.
TS: Any advice for the other Society members?
GC: Venture out of your comfort zone and taste new whiskies with members you don’t yet know. Keep reading, tasting, challenging and expanding your palate and network of friends.
Thank you so much for your thoughts, Greg, and thank you reader for spending some time with us.
