Luxury Network Evening 2016: Thomas Aske

London – Thomas Aske, co-founder of Black Rock whisky bar, revealed to audiences at our Luxury Network Evening how to create an environment that makes an aspirational product feel accessible.

• Black Rock whisky organises its products not by brand but by flavour
• Whiskies on offer range from entry-level tipples to rare whiskies from single casks or from distilleries that no longer exist

Black Rock offers a safe environment for novices and aficionados alike to explore whisky and learn more about what they like and don't like from a product often beleaguered by barriers to entry. ‘Whisky as a category is quite aspirational but it can be difficult to get into,’ says Aske.

The main barriers of price and understanding whisky brands are alleviated by Black Rock’s set-up. Cabinets of whisky are ordered by flavour profiles such as ‘smoky’ or ‘balanced’ rather than by brand. ‘Our main goal was to make things as simple as possible, to take away all of the barriers you may associate with it,’ added Aske.