“We Are Such Stuff That Drams Are Made Of”

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Whisky Road
August 02, 2024

A Whisky Life: Rob Salimans, Part 1

Picture this: a young teenager, frantically clearing tables and scrubbing dishes in a restaurant back in the early 2000s. That was me, walking blindfolded through the chaos. It wasn’t all bad though. The restaurant had a very liberal stance on "staff tastings."

We called it that, but really, it was just an excuse to sneak sips. Back then - in the good old days - kids had the freedom to drink. A European style upbringing. I like to think of it as a kind of misguided internship in the school of life.

One day, amidst the clinking glasses and sizzling pans, I took my first sip of Dimple whisky. Cue the fireworks! Rich, complex flavours exploded in my mouth and I was blown away. It was love at first sip, and thus began my torrid affair.

Fast forward a few years, and I had swapped my dishwashing gloves for cocktail shakers. I moved to Spain to become a bartender. But dreams of whisky luxury quickly met a sobering reality: my pay-check. It was as bare as a Brit abroad. Hence, my whisky repertoire was limited to the bottom-shelf. J&B and Jack Daniels. Not exactly the nectar of the gods, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

After mastering the art of knocking back the cheap stuff, I packed my bags and headed to Malta.

It’s a former British colony. So there was whisky. It was there, in those sun-drenched Maltese streets, that my whisky obsession truly took off. No longer was I kitchen bitch. I was the head chef of a fine dining restaurant. That came with privileges. I had access to all the whiskies. I tasted them - I tasted them all - from the moderately priced to the “I need to re-mortgage my house” expensive. My whisky palate was broadening faster than my waistband after too much tapas.

After three glorious years in Malta, it was time to return to my Dutch roots. I arrived home with a singular mission: to find the perfect whisky-centric job. Enter BUS Whisky, one of the most sustainable whisky labels in the world. It was a match made in heaven. They needed a whisky enthusiast, and I needed more whisky. It was a win-win.

Now, here I am, working at BUS Whisky. I’m prepping for my Scottish Whisky Ambassador course in August. My days are filled with tastings and workshops, spreading the gospel of whisky across the country. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.