Another major bugbear is the ever-increasing rate of taxation on alcohol in the UK. “We are an easy target,” he argued. “Duty in the UK is one of highest in Europe and puts a very tight squeeze on margins. It’s a difficult conversation to have when a tourist complains that our whisky is more expensive in the place where it’s made than in their home town. We have to explain that it’s not us taking more than our fair share but government rules.”