Have you ever been on a group tour abroad and really connected with someone? Maybe you knew them beforehand, maybe not, but you left that trip feeling like you forged a lifelong friendship. That’s how I feel about September’s Society Life member, Mr. Phil Rudolph. In 2024, I had the pleasure of cohosting our inaugural SMWSA Tour in Speyside with Charles Grabitzky of Rascal + Thorn. This first group of members was essentially put on a whisky death march through the region, tackling 14 distilleries in 8 days. This was heavy work for the uninitiated, but we all had a wonderful time getting to know one another. Phil and I found ourselves chatting quite a bit and I learned he was retiring soon and would subsequently have a lot more time on his hands. His quick wit and superior presentation skills made him the perfect candidate for a Member Ambassador. After I bought him enough drams, he agreed to take on the San Diego and Orange County events we host in Southern California.
Phil and I have been on a few trips together now, and he’s hosted some wonderful tastings for the SoCal members to enjoy. He’s a sharp mind, a good friend, and a true evangelist for the Society. Our friendship and collaboration serve as a reminder of how this club enriches many of our lives. Cheers to that!
Without further ado, kindly pour a dram and get to know Phil Rudolph!
TS: Hi Phil, please tell us a bit about yourself….
PR: I’m a recovering lawyer (happily retired), originally from Southern California, but I've lived as well in the D.C. and “Chicagoland" areas. I worked for years at a large law firm but spent most of my final 20 working-years as a “hamburger lawyer” and executive, first for McDonald’s Corporation in Chicago and then for Jack in the Box in San Diego. I’m currently living in a beach community in San Diego, where I spend my time trying to figure out how to be retired. I have three grown kids, two adorable young granddaughters, and an acceptable inventory of scotch which I cannot possibly finish in this lifetime (but I’m trying).
TS: What is it about whisky that interests you the most?
PR: You know, it’s a variation on a theme that’s been shared repeatedly by other contributors to your Society Life features: What interests me most is the infinite variety and complexity of flavors and sensory experiences that spring from three simple ingredients and something seemingly as mundane as a wood barrel. And, beyond that, the infinite and enjoyable variety and complexity of the people I’ve met who share my passion for this beautiful liquid.
TS: What has been your most memorable whisky experience to date?
PR: Not fair - that’s like asking me to pick my favorite kid. So, here’s three quick-shots: Number 1 — My first taste of single malt whisky (you never forget your first) - I was introduced to Scotch whisky in a repurposed cellar bar in a 16th century estate in West Sussex, England, late one evening by the host of a conference at which I spoke. (It was your basic 10-year-old Laphroaig, not a traditional starter whisky. But my life changed at that moment.) Number 2: Drinking a dram or two of Glenglassaugh Sandend on a beautiful, blue-sky day, while standing on the beach adjacent to the Glanglassaugh Distillery and looking across Sandend Bay at Sandend Village on the Moray Firth (and doing so with a wonderful collection of fellow travelers who were sharing the same experience). Number 3: Enjoying a wee pour of James Eadie 10-year-old (with an artist’s rendering of the Craigallachie Bridge on the label) while standing mid-span on that very same Craigallachie Bridge on a rainy day at the River Spey (and doing so with my then-new friend and forever whisky-maven Fraser Campbell).
TS: You're stranded on a desert island with one bottle of whisky for an entire month, what is it?
PR: My answer to this question would almost certainly change if I had answered it last week or were to answer it next week, but I’m answering today, and today my answer is Laphroaig Elements 3.0 — it's just sublime.
TS: What is your favorite distillery to visit and why?
PR: I’ve got a few rattling around in my brain, but I think Ballindalloch wins the prize for me. I believe it was a drop-in (unscheduled tour) at a place that agreed to allow our group to drop in because our tour leaders knew the distillery assistant, Mr. Davey Norquoy. Davey was a lovely character who, when you could understand what he was saying (his accent was impenetrable), was one of the single funniest human beings I had ever spent time with (his facial expressions were as priceless as his wit). And he also knew that distillery inside and out, and he took us places and shared things with us that he kept insisting he couldn’t take us or share with us. And one near-miss we had with one of his colleagues suggested that this might have been true. Oh yeah — and the whisky was great.
TS: Why did you decide to become a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society?
PR: Really curiosity more than anything else. I had been to a few outturn previews in San Diego and enjoyed the experience and thought that I’d try out membership and see if I found it worthwhile (which I did). It was very little risk — the cost of membership is quite reasonable.
TS: What has been the highlight of your membership experience so far?
PR: Other than getting to know and become friends with my interviewer here (hi, Tom!), the Scotland distillery tours have been amazing. Through them I’ve become lifelong friends with many whiskies and with many people, and you can’t have too much of either.
TS: Any advice for the other Society members?
PR: Take advantage of everything they have to offer. If it looks interesting to you, try it! All of the experiences I've shared in this interview happened because several years ago I decided to join the Society.
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Thanks so much, Phil. And thank you, reader, for spending some time with us.
