We have a very special member to spotlight this month. I am pleased to introduce a dear friend and colleague, Ms. Holly Seidewand! She is one of the sharpest people I know in this business and the limitless passion she brings to whisky is phenomenal. I assure you, if you’re lukewarm on the brown stuff, just spend an hour with Holly and you’ll be hooked for life.
Holly and I first met in Boston at The Algonquin Club for a SMWS America event. She was the whisky buyer at Gordon’s and a Buffalo Bills fan, so we hit it off immediately. Over the years we stayed in touch, and she became a more active part of the Society, culminating in a partnership with another dear friend and colleague, Charles Grabitzky. Charles and Holly opened First Fill Spirits in Saratoga Springs, NY in August 2021. This is a destination bottle shop for anyone in the Northeast of the country with every single bottle on offer personally curated by Holly and/or Charles.
When Holly isn’t hand-selling exquisite whisky, she’s hosting exquisite tours, often with Charles, through Rascal + Thorn Gastronomic Experiences. Since we started partnering in 2024, Holly, Charles and I have had an amazing time hosting Society members from across the US as we explore whisky-producing regions around Scotland and beyond. Holly is the cornerstone of these experiences, offering her sharp insights and warm hospitality which has garnered her the nickname “Mother Worm Tub” (this will make more sense as you read on!).
Please be introduced to one of the brightest lights in the whisky industry, Ms. Holly Seidewand! Holly, take it away….
TS: Hi Holly, please tell us a bit about yourself….
HS: My name is Holly! I live in Saratoga Springs, New York with my insane but adorable border collie, Leo. I love all whisky (Scotch is my first true love) but I also have an affinity for New World Whisky. In addition to good pours, I like skiing, hiking and just generally being outside in the woods.
TS: What is it about whisky that interests you the most?
HS: What initially drew me in was the intensity and power of a whisky’s nose. My first glass of whisky neat was Lagavulin 16-Year-Old, and I had never smelled anything so potent or intense before. I remember feeling as though I could sit there and smell and nurse that whisky for hours—maybe even days. Don’t get me wrong, I love drinking whisky, but it’s the aromas that keep me coming back.
In addition, what has kept me so deeply interested in the world of whisky as a whole is the culture surrounding it. I’m fascinated by the historical connections behind how certain styles of whisky are made. Whisky tastes the way it does in different corners of the world because of the society, location, and people it comes from. The type of grain, the strains of yeast, the methods of blending, even how it’s traditionally consumed—all of it stems from the distinct histories from which these whiskies emerged.
TS: What has been your most memorable whisky experience to date?
HS: There have been so many spectacular whisky events, distillery visits, and seminars—it’s hard to choose just one. The most personal and rewarding experience, though, was probably my time at Knockdhu (anCnoc) Distillery.
About ten years ago, I spent three months traveling around Scotland, visiting distilleries and learning as much as I could simply by showing up. For some reason, the stars aligned the day I visited Knockdhu Distillery—definitely off the beaten path compared to the big Speyside players. It was also the first time I saw worm tubs—the actual coils—in person, rather than just the external vessels that house them outside the distillery walls (like at Dalwhinnie).
Toward the end of my visit, a man introduced himself and asked what I wanted to learn about whisky. I had no idea who he was at first, but at that point I knew I wanted to learn how to make whisky. I told him I was studying distilleries during my trip and would be taking the General Certificate in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in a couple of weeks. He turned out to be Gordon Bruce, the distillery manager at Knockdhu, and on the spot he offered me the chance to shadow his distillery operators on the 6 a.m. shift—an internship of sorts.
Sometimes it really is just right place, right time. To this day, I’m still very close with Gordon Bruce and the Knockdhu team. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit multiple times since, and it remains a very special place with a very special group of people to me. They believed in me when I had nothing to offer them. That work experience helped me pass my certification, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
P.S. Let’s all write to Gordon and the Knockdhu team to bring back the fully bourbon-matured anCnoc 16-Year-Old! In the meantime, we’ll sip it through the SMWS releases. 😊
TS: You're stranded on a desert island with one bottle of whisky for an entire month, what is it?
HS: I’m a massive fan of Craigellachie and worm tub distilleries in general. While I enjoy peated coastal and island whiskies, I also appreciate more floral, citrus-forward malts like Miltonduff and Glenglassaugh. In a way, worm tub whisky gives you the best of both worlds. It’s not necessarily about peat, but about that weighty, earthy character—sometimes even a touch of “funk”—balanced with fruit.
To me, it’s like tasting history in a glass: heavy, robust single malts. The kind people in the Lowlands and England used to talk about in the late 1800s when they described Highland malts as being bold, heavy and dare we say “too” powerful.
TS: What is your favorite distillery to visit and why?
HS: Oh my, it’s so, so difficult to choose! Distilleries are always evolving, even the really old ones, so I recommend visiting—and revisiting—again and again. I’m the complete opposite of someone who thinks that once you’ve seen a few distilleries, you’ve seen them all. I’ve visited Aberfeldy over ten times, and I discover something new and taste something different on every visit.
One distillery that is open to the public and fairly easy to reach—but completely underrated in my opinion—is Blair Athol. Visiting it feels like stepping into an 1850s period movie, and the whisky is consistently delicious. It definitely shines in independent bottlings like those from the SMWS. A little further out, and recently opened to the public, is Speyburn—a new favorite of mine. If you’re an engineer or interested in the history of equipment or architecture, parts of this distillery are fascinating: many areas have been left untouched for decades, including the old malt converter belts on the malting floors. It’s a must-visit if you make it to Speyside!
TS: Why did you decide to become a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society?
HS: I first became a member when I set out on my whisky journey, as mentioned earlier. I was planning to travel for a year through Scotland, Ireland, Kentucky and Tennessee, Japan, and Tasmania. Since Scotland would be my first—and longest—stay, I knew I wanted the opportunity to visit some of the SMWS lounges while I was there.
I also understood that the Society would offer one of the only ways to taste whiskies from distilleries I wouldn’t be able to visit in person—whether due to the absence of visitor centers or other limitations.
I believe I let my membership lapse when I returned home. I know, shame on me, but it was our beloved Tom Smith, who I met just a few months later in Boston that had me right back in with the group after an event downtown. Thank you, Tom!
TS: What has been the highlight of your membership experience so far?
HS: I know I’ve been incredibly fortunate to become involved with the Society and to experience our new travel adventures, but this is truly where the world of whisky and what the Society stands for collide. The trips that Charles (Rascal + Thorn), Tom, the fellow SMWS America team, and I have been creating and leading have been fantastic. They bring members together from all over the country, and by the end, many leave as close friends. Whisky really does connect people—people we might never have crossed paths with otherwise.
TS: Any advice for the other Society members?
HS: Try them all! I sometimes find myself getting stuck in my “zone” of whiskies I know I enjoy. It’s easy to be influenced by others—or by what’s considered superior—but the reality is that single casks are the true equalizers. You might think you didn’t enjoy the last Glen Garioch you tried—but chances are, you could be very wrong!
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Thank you, Holly, for sharing your whisky love. And thank you, reader, for spending some time with us.
