Born in Lennoxtown, Scotland , John spent 4 yrs of his early youth in Capetown , South Africa before returning to Scotland to complete his education. In 1975 he immigrated to Canada but has made numerous trips to Scotland where his whisky passion has taken him on distillery visits to gain further knowledge of single malt whiskies. In 1998 John co-founded a very successful private whisky tasting club in the Niagara area which is still going strong with a waiting list every year. He is also a member of the Companions of the Quaich.