Meet Cameron Millar.
A gentleman in every sense of the word, Cameron is the Eastern Canada Brand Ambassador and ‘caretaker’ to some of Scotch whisky’s most prestigious brands, including The Macallan.
Cameron seems to be the guy with the job that would make surely any whisky lover look on at with envy. Across social media, he manages to communicate an image of a modern whisky ambassador: well educated on whisky, well travelled, and of course, well tailored.
In speaking with Cameron, Kurt Bradley was able to dig a little deeper than the glossy veneer that Instagram projects, to find out exactly what a Whisky Ambassador position entails, how he got there, and where he’s headed.
Cameron Millar
Kurt Bradley, The Gentleman’s Flavor: Cameron, for those unaware, what does your job as Brand Ambassador involve?
Cameron Millar: This is one of my favourite questions to get asked when I cross the border for work. First and foremost, I am an educator of spirits and a story teller for our distilleries. However, my role takes on many different forms depending on the scenario. I could be planning a paired menu with a master chef, creating Scotch inspired pieces of artwork with artists, or I could be at your local liquor store educating the staff on our newest limited edition release. The job of a Brand Ambassador is to find ways of bringing our spirits to life.
TGF: Currently, what spirit brands do you represent?
CM: I am honoured to represent some of the most awarded spirits in the world. I am the caretaker for Scottish legends The Macallan, Highland Park, The Glenrothes, and Famous Grouse. In addition to these whisky distilleries, I also represent the luxurious Dominican rum, Brugal 1888.
TGF: Let’s focus on whisky. Where did your passion and knowledge for whisky first take root, and how did it evolve into stepping into this role?
CM: For many whisky drinkers we can recall our first interaction with the water of life through a parent or family member imbibing. In my household my father enjoyed a big smoky Islay; you could always tell when one had been poured as it smelled like the house was on fire. I used to think he drank the stuff to put me off drinking – clearly that didn’t work!
Highland Park 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
I always loved the advertising and story behind the different whisky brands and the original crossword ads for The Macallan. After graduating university, I got into the world of marketing and found my way to a job where I was being paid to be educate on Scotch whisky and conduct tastings in people’s homes across the Greater Toronto Area. Originally I started doing this to fund my growing whisky collection but soon it turned into a full blown passion. For over three years I worked evenings, after my full time office job, educating on Scotch. I eventually got to the point where I was ready to make this passion my career.
I took over my current role nearly four years ago and I like to say I won the lottery in having this job. In reality, I worked for years developing my knowledge base and skill set to do the job of a Brand Ambassador. Still, it didn’t hurt to wear a really nice suit to the interview.
In my household my father enjoyed a big smoky Islay; you could always tell when one had been poured as it smelled like the house was on fire. I used to think he drank the stuff to put me off drinking – clearly that didn’t work!”
TGF: You represent The Macallan, a very revered and storied single malt Scotch known the world over. As it’s Ambassador, how do you stay constantly informed and up to the minute with it’s ever-evolving portfolio?
CM: The best thing about Scotch whisky is that it takes a long time to make. People may believe things are in a constant state of flux, when in fact we are planning years in advance to ensure we can deliver the sacred liquid they have grown to love.
Through The Macallan’s ever-evolving portfolio we can see a continued commitment to using sherry seasoned oak casks, an expensive and time consuming process that attributes up to 60% of the final character of our whisky and 100% of its natural colour.
The Macallan casks await their destiny
Based on this commitment, my job is easy knowing that every bottle released from our distillery will be grounded in this pillar of production. Be it our recent expansion of the Double Cask range of whiskies or our recent collaboration with Sir Peter Blake for the Anecdotes of Ages collection, every bottling will be hand selected by our Whisky Mastery Team.
The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team
Although I am not flying to and from Scotland every year to be updated on this, I have a constant stream of communication with our Whisky Mastery Team to ensure I know each and every detail of our exceptional single malt Scotch whisky.
TGF: Tell us a little known ‘Highland Park fact’…
CM: Where to begin? Highland Park is one of the most unique single malt Scotch whiskies you will ever have the pleasure of enjoying. Located off the extreme North coast of Scotland, on the Orkney Islands, Highland Park is Scotland’s most northern distillery.
Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honour
This remote and rugged landscape helps forge one of the most awarded spirits in the world. Known for its unique aromatic peat smoke and sherry seasoned oak casks, Highland Park achieves a level of wild harmony most distilleries could only dream of.
TGF: You’ve led many groups through some lively whisky tastings. What can one expect at such an event, and what kind of groups do you typically lead?
CM: My whisky journey has allowed me to share my passion with thousands of people over the past 7 years; similar to a sip of your favourite whisky, the next experience is never the same as the last. In my approach, I always try to ensure those in attendance are going to get the same amount enjoyment out of the experience, whether it’s your first tasting or your hundredth.
My whisky tastings will always define the place, purpose, and people behind our distillery, how to enjoy our spirits to the fullest, and tools to aid in self discovery of the world of whisky. Any whisky fan that attends my tastings should feel educated, inspired, and excited to continue exploring the world of whisky.
TGF: Describe the profile of your favourite ‘go-to’ kind of Scotch. Is it peated? Is there a particular Scottish whisky region you lean towards? Is there a staple bottle that never leaves your shelf?
CM: My ‘go-to’ Scotch is a lot like the weather; many things will influence the result and you can always find something to enjoy about it. As a single malt enthusiast first, my ideal palette is a sherry matured spirit. The presence or absence of peat smoke will be dictated by the time of day I will be enjoying: early evening no smoke, end of the night heavily peated. One constant I enjoy is the body, or texture, of the whisky. I prefer a chewy and viscous style of spirit.
Regionality in the world of Scotch whisky can be very subjective, I will never navigate them by preference but instead by expectation of character. Highland: subtle spice, Lowland: light and accessible, Speyside: rich and balanced, Islay: peated and earthy, Islands: coastal and smoky.
The presence or absence of peat smoke will be dictated by the time of day I will be enjoying: early evening no smoke, end of the night heavily peated. One constant I enjoy is the body, or texture, of the whisky. I prefer a chewy and viscous style of spirit.”
TGF: Recently a 1926 bottle of The Macallan broke auction records for selling for 1.9 million. What are your thoughts on super old and super rare whiskies, and have you had the opportunity to try something quite old? Did it resonate with you?
CM: I am extremely proud to represent the most collectible spirit in the world, each and every bottle of The Macallan is a time capsule of history. If you see the Easter Elchies house adorning a bottle of whisky you know the level of craftsmanship and care that went into its creation. The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926, described as the ‘Holy Grail’ of whiskies, is a single cask bottling part of the largest assembly of vintage-dated, single malt whiskies in the world. Our ability to continue to release these super aged rare whiskies is a testament to our skill and dedication to our legacy.
The record-breaking The Macallan 1926 fetched 1.9 million
I was lucky enough to spend a day with our Whisky Mastery Team at The Macallan back in 2019, during this visit we explored all elements of the whisky making process. At the conclusion of our workshop, our lead whisky maker, Sarah Burgess, pulled a sample from a single cask of The Macallan that was 74 years old. The oldest whisky I have enjoyed to this day. A priceless experience, I could only describe it like drinking the Angel’s Share. Cask Strength at 42% ABV, you can only imagine the amount of time spent aging in oak casks mere steps from where I stood.
My emotional connection to that moment, that place, and those people cannot be overstated.
TGF: What words of wisdom do you have for someone who is just starting out with whisk(e)y?
CM: The best advice ever given to me in regards to whisky is to keep your mind open, your love free, and your glass half full. Each and every whisky produced the world over is something that takes immense time and dedication. The whisky you and I enjoy today was produced years ago, perhaps never to be enjoyed by those who crafted it. From Canada to Scotland, Ireland to Japan; whisky is made to reflect a place, purpose and people. Celebrate it to the fullest and continue to grow our whisky fabric across the globe. TGF
Follow Cameron Millar on Instagram here.
Kurt Bradley is the founder of The Gentleman’s Flavor, to which he is also a contributing editor, host and curator.
Kurt is a certified Whisky Ambassador accredited by The Scotch Whisky Association and has achieved Level 2 Award in Wine & Spirits Education Trust with distinction.
He loves pairing The Macallan 15 Year with a Montecristo No. 2 Cuban cigar.
