New Zealand museum thaws 100-year-old whisky
A crate of Scotch whisky that has been frozen in Antarctic ice for more than a century is being slowly thawed by New Zealand museum officials.

The crate of whisky was recovered earlier this year - along with four other crates containing whisky and brandy - beneath the floor of a hut built by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton during his 1908 Antarctic expedition.
Four of the crates were left in the ice, but one labelled Mackinlay's whisky was brought to the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island, where officials said it was being thawed in a controlled environment.

Nigel Watson, executive director of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, said the whisky might still be liquid.
"When the guys were lifting it, they reported the sound of sloshing and there was a smell of whisky in the freezer, so it is all boding pretty well," he said.
An Antarctic Heritage Trust team that was restoring the explorer's hut found the crates in 2006 but couldn't immediately dislodge them because they were too deeply embedded in the ice.
Drinks group Whyte & Mackay, the Scottish distillery that now owns the Mackinlay's brand, launched the bid to recover the whisky for samples to test and potentially use to relaunch the defunct Scotch.
Mr Watson said the whisky may still be drinkable but would probably not be tasted.
"This was a blend so they are hopeful if there is enough alcohol left and it is in good condition they may be able to analyse and hopefully replicate the liquid so in fact everyone could partake in this," he said.
"It has been put on ice for 100 years so I don't think it is too unromantic a suggestion. The reality is that it is very limited quantities and our focus is on the conservation and not the drinking."
Shackleton's expedition ran short of supplies on its long ski trek to the South Pole from the northern Antarctic coast in 1907-1909 and turned back about 100 miles short of its goal.
The expedition sailed away in 1909 as winter ice formed, leaving behind supplies - including the whisky and brandy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

TOMINTOUL SINGLE MALT WHISKY FROM THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS ANNOUNCES OU KOSHER CERTIFICATION

From the highest of the Scottish Highlands now come varieties of single malt whisky manufactured by Tomintoul Distillery and newly certified by OU Kosher. Tomintoul, located in the community of the same name, the highest village in the Highlands, is owned by Angus Dundee, an independent company with over 50 years' experience in producing, blending, bottling and distributing top-quality Scotch whiskies and other spirits.

These Tomintoul varieties, known in the industry as “the gentle dram,” include Tomintoul 10, 16 and 33 years old; they also include Peaty Tang, which is crafted using peated malted barley to impart a distinctive smoky and heathery flavor to the product.

Medek Wine & Spirits, a division of Royal Wine Corporation, is distributing this “Gold Medal” line of whisky that now is available to a wider audience worldwide thanks to its OU certification. “Given the growing popularity of Scotch whisky among kashrut observant Jews, Medek feels that providing the highly regarded OU kosher certification adds value to the Tomintoul offerings,” declared Gary Landsman, public relations spokesman for Royal Wine Corp.

Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher’s Vice President of Communications and Marketing, commented that the Orthodox Union is pleased to add Tomintoul to the growing number of highly regarded OU certified scotch liquor products, and is gratified that the-ever growing kosher market place will now also be able to enjoy this ‘Gold Medal’ line of whisky.”

Angus Dundee, the parent company of Tomintoul, has a broad range of stocks of Scotch whisky of all ages, up to 45 years of age, which are supplied either as bottled in Scotland or in bulk for bottling locally. These whiskies are exported to more than 70 countries around the world, producing solid business growth, year after year, over the last decade. A key to the company’s success is the special relationships it establishes with its customers, who are treated very much as partners. Angus Dundee tailors product specifications to meet customers’ requirements, providing a rapid response to customers’ demands and expectations anywhere in the world by supplying excellent products at competitive prices.

Tomintoul, with its OU certification, is a perfect example of this business plan. http://www.ou.org/

China gives whisky legal protection

Scotch whisky is to be given improved legal protection against imitation in China, it has been confirmed.

The Chinese government is to introduce Geographic Indication (GI) of Origin Status for the spirit aimed at ensuring all products labelled as scotch whisky come from Scotland.

It follows talks on Wednesday between First Minister Alex Salmond and Shuping Zhi, the Chinese government's deputy minister for general administration of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine (AQSIQ).

Following the meeting in Beijing, Mr Salmond said: "Mr Zhi has reassured me that this important legal protection for one of Scotland's premium global exports will be introduced shortly, helping to further increase exports and secure jobs.

"It is a tremendous boost to our whisky industry as producers seek to expand their presence in the hugely important Chinese market, and further recognition of the internationally-renowned quality of scotch whisky.

"I am grateful to the Chinese government for its continued commitment and work to approve the designation, which of course will enable an increasing number of consumers in China to enjoy genuine scotch whisky with confidence."

The Scotch Whisky Association applied to the Chinese government for GI status in 2007.

Mr Salmond, along with the UK Ambassador in Beijing, met last year with China's minister of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, Wang Yong, to help secure the designation.

Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Gavin Hewitt added: "The Chinese government's commitment to protecting scotch whisky and consumers from imitations is welcome.

"We have been grateful for the support of the Scottish and UK governments, as well as the British Embassy in Beijing, for our efforts to secure this additional protection for scotch whisky." Source: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk

Teacher's sprucing up its image
Teacher's, which sells about one of every four bottles of Scotch whisky in the UK, is sprucing up its image in hopes of increasing that share.

Teacher's will unveil its new look (bottle on left) sometime this month with the launch of a more contemporary package which also highlights the high malt content of the blend. The new logo will emphasize the 45% malt content of Teacher's.

Janette Peat, Maxxium UK's brand manager for Teacher's, says, "Teacher's has a rich history in pioneering packaging, from being the first whisky to invent the self-opening bottle without the use of a corkscrew in the 1910s, to inventing the jigger cap in the 1960s.

"We decided to highlight the 45% malt content as it sets Teacher's apart as one of the highest of all blended Scotch whiskies and gives Teacher's its distinctive malty, peaty full flavor. ... Teacher's is made up of at least 35 single malts from around Scotland, including its fingerprint malt, the award-winning Ardmore."

The newly designed bottle will be available in 70cl and 1L sizes Source: http://spiritsnotebook.blogspot.com

WISHER (KWWL) -- The first bourbon whisky made from Iowa corn and distilled in the state since the Prohibition will make its debut Thursday.

It's made at the Cedar Ridge Vineyards Winery and Distillery in Swisher.

They'll be celebrating through Sunday with a "Bourbon, Blues and BBQ" festival. Each night they'll be serving barbecue chicken, cowboy baked beans, and grilled corn on the cob from 4:00 to 8:30. The meal costs 10 dollars. The, from 6:00 to 9:00, Gary "Bubba" Gibson of Cedar Rapids will be playing Chicago-style blues.

Graeme Wearden and Simon Bowers
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 1 July 2010 15.17 BST

Diageo, the drinks group, is handing millions of barrels of maturing whisky to its pensioners as part of a scheme to close its pension deficit.

Under the 15-year deal, whisky stocks from distilleries across Scotland will be transferred to the Diageo pension fund, whose deficit was measured at £862m last year.

The deal is the latest example of a company using core assets to plug a hole in its pension scheme. This gives the scheme a guaranteed income in the coming years, plus a valuable, tangible resource to underpin Diageo's commitments to its retired workers.

It also helps the company, by cutting the amount of cash it needs to put into the scheme now.

The stock in question will be less than three years old – freshly distilled spirit must sit in a barrel for at least 36 months before it can legally be called whisky. At that stage, the company will decide whether to turn the liquid into single malts such as Talisker, Oban and Dalwhinnie, or to mix them into a blend like Johnnie Walker.

Up to 2.5m barrels will be included in the scheme at any one time, including "butts" that hold 330 litres. Diageo plans to keep adding fresh stock to the scheme as barrels mature and are eventually bottled.

Diageo will pay the pension fund a fee of £25m per year, and has also agreed to buy the stocks back in 15 years for up to £430m if the deficit has not been eliminated. Today's deal will also see the company inject £197m into the fund, with another £338m over the next 10 years if needed.

"This is a way of instantly reducing the deficit," explained a Diageo spokesman. "Our hope is that the performance of the assets in the pension fund will yield a much better return in the years ahead and close the gap."

If that happened, then Diageo would be able to buy back the stocks for a nominal sum in 2025.

Distillers are notoriously reluctant to disclose how much maturing whisky they hold, and at what ages. One of the industry's challenges is to predict likely demand many years in the future, when deciding how long to leave whisky in the barrel and whether to produce single malts or blends.

The total amount of whisky quietly ageing is considerable, though. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) estimated three years ago that these reserves would, if sold in this country, have a theoretical excise duty value to the UK exchequer of about £56bn.

"We used to joke that our stock was worth more than all the gold in the Bank of England – that was before Gordon Brown took the decision to sell his reserves," Campbell Evans, a director of the SWA, told the Guardian in 2007.

This is the first time Diageo has used its whisky in this way, but the concept of using a company's key asset as a pension guarantee is not unique. In May this year Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's both announced they were committing property to their pension funds, and analysts believe that this kind of "non-cash funding" deal will become more common in future as companies wrestle with huge liabilities.

Pension deficits £100bn and rising

A survey by Aon Consulting published today has found that the combined deficits of the 200 largest private pension funds exceeds £100bn. This is likely to increase in the short term, Aon believes, as the UK's austerity measures kick in. Britain now plans to issue £20bn less debt in the current financial year, for example, which means that pension funds will be offered less lucrative terms for holding gilts.
"The government's mantra is that 'we're all in this together,' and final salary pension funds are going to share the nation's pain," warned Marcus Hurd, head of corporate solutions at Aon.

"A consequence of the tough financial measures introduced in the UK emergency budget is that deficits could increase in the short term. This will be a bitter pill to swallow to companies who are already piling in billions of pounds to plug these deficits," Hurd explained.

The long-term picture is rosier, though, Hurd believes, as gilt yields – effectively the interest rate paid for holding a government bond – should rise once the UK economy is on a firmer footing.

Other pensions experts have predicted that yields will pick up once the Bank of England ends its quantitative easing programme, during which it has bought £200bn of debt.

What can Scotch whisky imports tells us about emerging economies?
A few days ago, The Economist published an info-graphic showing the countries that import the most Scotch whisky. France and the United States topped the list, with each country importing well over 100 million bottles, but the interesting information was the dramatic increase in imports from South America, Venezuela and Brazil in particular.

Venezuela’s Scotch imports jumped 77 percent and Brazil’s 56 percent in 2009, according to The Economist.

And this in a year that was characterized by recession, Venezuela’s economy was inflation-plagued and shrank by 2.9 percent in 2009, while Brazil’s growth flat-lined at 0.2 percent

So what’s going on? Is there a contradiction here? This is how The Economist explained it:

In Brazil whisky is a status symbol for the growing middle class (in the north-east of the country it is often drunk with coconut water over ice). In Venezuela bottles of whisky may be serving as both a store of value and as a diversion in an economy in deep trouble.

So, for The Economist, this jump in Scotch consumption is a reflection of Brazil’s increasingly robust and more widespread prosperity, a result of a decade of economic stability. The 2009 recession, then, was just a ding for a well-oiled machine that continued attracting investment and creating wealth and hence middle class lifestyles.

I don’t know about whisky as a “diversion” from a troubled economy, but lets parse “troubled.” It is persuasive that as inflation ate away at Venezuelans’ pocketbooks they rushed to buy and stockpile their beloved Scotch before it became prohibitively expensive.

I buy that. As any Latin American with a memory of the 1980s knows, when inflation begins to creep up to a 30 percent annualized rate, as it has in Venezuela, consumers begin acting kooky and all manners of distortions may occur.

And Venezuelans do love their Scotch. The country imported about as much as Brazil in 2009 and has like one-ninth its population.

However, in The Economist’s comment string there was an alternative interpretation on offer, a reader arguing that President Hugo Chávez’s social policies were helping to create new coterie of Scotch guzzlers. The commenter’s handle, “soyrojarojita,” (i.e., “I am red”) made it clear she had a dog in this fight. She wrote:

Historically for forty years Venezuela has been the principal importer of whisky in South America. To drink whisky you have to buy it and how can you buy it if the economy is ailing. We have an economy that is better than most and the money is reaching more people because due to government pressure the private sector has dignified salaries, banks are giving credits, and some companies have been nacionalized (sic) permitting workers access to shares.

This comment raises an interesting question: did Venezuelans’ Scotch consumption rise because of redistributive economic policies or because of a hoarding impulse triggered by inflation? I think the latter but it would be interesting to hear other points of view.

The same question might be asked with regards to Brazil. Is it really evidence of a newly strong middle class, or is it a semi-panicked hedge brought on by importers worried about future Scotch costs vis-a-vis inflation and local currency value, since Brazil did shovel billions of stimulus dollars into its economy?

Incidentally, even though Brazil imported some 40 million bottles of Scotch in 2009, per-capita consumption is still at about an eighth of the levels in the United States, 4 servings per year in Brazil compared to 32 in the United States, according to a recent study by drinks company Diageo. Source: http://trueslant.com/

Scotch whisky 'worth £4bn to economy'

E-mail this to a friendPrintable version The SWA described Scotch as a "cornerstone of the Scottish economy"
Scotch whisky is worth nearly £4bn to the Scottish economy, according to research carried out for the industry.

The analysis shows the extent of the boom in whisky from 2000 to 2008, when years of sharp export increases were stopped by the global recession.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), representing the major distillers, said the product had as much impact on the Scottish economy as tourism.

It said it produced earnings per worker 12 times higher than those of tourism.

Only the oil and gas sector has more impact, and represents higher earnings per worker.

Behind the sharp increase in exports over the past decade, there has been a 12% decline in the number of people who work for the SWA's members - down from 11,100 to 9,800.

However, it is claimed most of that loss has been in other parts of the UK, and that the number of whisky jobs in Scotland has fallen 3%.

Continue reading the main story
With the right support, the Scotch whisky industry can deliver even more to communities across Scotland
There has been a decline in the number working in blending and bottling, while the number employed in visitor centres has been one of the industry's new success stories.

And although the industry is seen as being rooted in rural Scotland, only about a fifth of its jobs are in the Highlands and Islands.

It is claimed that the number of jobs supported indirectly through employment by the industry - including employees spending their earnings - reaches 35,000 people.

The analysis has been carried out for the SWA by consultants Verso Economics.

It shows that, in 2008, annual turnover in the industry was £6.4bn.

Exports reached £3.1bn. Spending with Scottish suppliers increased by 61% over the eight years, reaching £1.1bn. That includes £200m spent on cereals.

The industry's capital spend reached £355m, though most of that was spent on equipment from outside Scotland. A third was invested in Scotland.

'Wrong message'
Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the SWA, said the study confirmed that whisky was a cornerstone of the Scottish economy.

"The new UK government wants to support manufacturing and exporters, and build a fairer tax system," he said.

"It could combine all three objectives by reforming an unfair duty regime which undermines the competitiveness of the Scotch whisky industry.

"The alcohol duty structure is no longer fit for purpose, discriminating against Scotch whisky at home and sending out the wrong message overseas."

He welcomed the new coalition government's commitment to reviewing alcohol taxation.

"The aim must be to put in place a fairer and more socially responsible regime where all alcohol is taxed according to content," he said.

"With the right support, the Scotch whisky industry can deliver even more to communities across Scotland".

It was published one week ago, but worth reading. The website is definitely worth checking (http://www.annandaledistillery.com/), in particular the section Archaeology

Annandale whisky to flow after 90-year gap

Plans have been approved to reopen a whisky distillery in southern Scotland which closed more than 90 years ago.

The Annandale Distillery ceased production in 1919 and the area was turned over to farming use.

However, a £4m project has now been granted the green light to start the distilling process once again.

The Scottish Whisky Association said that with only five distilleries in the lowland region it would be a "very welcome addition".

It said a new distillery could bring sustainable benefits to the local economy in terms of both employment and tourism.

The plans also include proposals for a visitor centre, shop and cafe or restaurant.

It hopes to attract about 25,000 people every year once it is fully operational.

The scheme was approved by Dumfries and Galloway Council's Annandale area committee when it met on Wednesday.

It received Scottish government support two years ago with a Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant of £150,000.

Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said at the time he hoped the funding would help in "resurrecting whisky production" in Annandale. http://www.ukwirednews.com/

Special Distillery-only Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bottlings
Diageo has announced four additions to their extensive range of single malt whiskies - but only for visitors to their Scottish distilleries.

Lagavulin, Oban, Glenkinchie and Blair Athol will shortly be selling a single malt Scotch whisky bottling that isn’t available anywhere else in the world.

Like other Diageo distillery-only bottlings sold at Talisker, Caol Ila, and Clynelish, these new expressions are bottled at natural cask strength and without an age statement.

Nick Morgan, spokesman for the Classic Malts Selection™ range of Diageo’s single malts, said:

“When visitors take the trouble to visit our distilleries, it’s nice to be able to give them the option of buying something that they couldn’t get anywhere else.

“Of course they will still be able to buy the more familiar and widely distributed expressions, but these distillery-only bottlings might be regarded as even more special.

“In fact, with three of these new ones – Lagavulin™, Glenkinchie™ and Oban™ – we have been able to take advantage of a number of special casks that had been intended for bottling as Distiller’s Editions over the past few years but were found to be surplus to requirements, and have been sitting in our warehouse ever since. These have undergone a second (or ‘double’) maturation in American Oak cask wood that has previously held a fortified wine - in this case, sherry treated American oak casks.

“But unlike our regular Distillers Edition bottlings, these are offered at natural cask strength, and carry no age statement.”

The Lagavulin™ distillery-only bottling is expected to be available for visitors to buy during the Islay Festival this year. The prices will be between £55 and £70 UK RRP.

Feis Ile:

Special 2010 Islay Festival single malt scotch whisky bottlings announced by Diageo
The 2010 bottlings will be from a Lagavulin™ cask filled in August 1994 and from a Caol Ila™ cask filled in August 1999. Both malts have been bottled at natural cask strength, and will be priced at £74.99. The bottles will be rationed to one per visitor.

The Lagavulin special bottling will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the distillery, starting on the distillery's open day, Saturday 22 May. The Caol Ila bottling will be sold with effect from Monday 24 May which is the Caol Ila open day.

Billy Stitchell, long-standing distillery manager, whose family connections with Caol Ila distillery go back many generations, personally chose the Caol Ila special bottling. The Lagavulin bottling was chosen once again by warehouseman Iain McArthur, renowned among enthusiasts for his sell-out warehouse tastings.

This year’s single cask bottling of Caol Ila is taken from a European oak ex-sherry cask, which has provided just 558 70cl bottles of Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 61.9% ABV.

The Lagavulin has been drawn from a European oak cask hand-picked from stocks stored at the famous Port Ellen warehouse. This edition, bottled at 52.7% ABV, consists of 528 bottles Source: http://www.discovering-distilleries.com

Ardbeg: Festival Bottling available on Saturday 29th May only

Bowmore : Eddie MacAffer has specially selected, numbered and signed the first 500 bottles of ‘Bowmore ’ to celebrate 25 years of the Feis Ile. This small batch release will be on sale at the Distillery Visitor Centre from 10am on Saturday 22nd May at £45. To formally mark the 25th anniversary of the Feis Ile, we have created just 100 bottles of an exceptional 25 year old Bowmore. Every bottle will be individually signed and numbered by Eddie MacAffer and will only be available from the Distillery Visitor Centre from 10am on Wednesday 26th May at £325.

Bruichladdich : Special Valinch

Bunnahabhain : Bunnahabhain 18yo Pedro Ximinex Finish

Isle of Jura : Prophecy, a heavily peated batch, and the Boutique Range, a completely new and exciting collection that will be ongoing; new additions becoming available as time progresses.

Kilchoman : An exclusive single cask bottling will be available from the distillery on the open day only £55

“This MASTER edition of CÀIRDEAS, which means ‘friendship’ in Gaelic, is a masterful harmony of spirit ranging from 11 to 19 YEARS OF AGE. It was specifically selected by Laphroaig Master Blender Robert Hicks in celebration of the 2010 Feis Ile and our Friends of Laphroaig worldwide. £45.

3 bottling feis ile by Queen of the Moorlands

Queen of the Moorlands Rare Cask Bowmore 1999 10 years old
Nose: Sweet, light and heathery at first with slowly building peat
Palate: Again sweet but incredibly smokey with a very oily mouthfeel
Finish: Smooth, medicinal, peaty and very long
Max 200 bottles available.
£49.99 per bottle 2.

Queen of the Moorlands Rare Cask Laphroaig 1996 13 years old
Nose: Light peat smoke followed by red fruit and spice
Palate: Very sweet, phenolic, bonfires, oily mouthfeel
Finish: Huge peat smoke aftertaste that lasts forever
Max 200 bottles available. £59.99 per bottle 3.

Queen of the Moorlands Rare Cask Bunnahabhain 1997 12 years old Islay Festival Bottling 2010
Nose: Classy and rich with raisins, smoke and the seashore
Palate: Smooth with vanilla, olorosso sherry notes, fruit and nut chocolate, raisins and hints of the sea, oh and lots and lots of peat smoke
Finish: Rich and clean, the sweetness and peat smoke lingers for an age
Max 300 bottles available. £59.99 per bottle .

Source: http://www.theislayfestival.co.uk/

Status Quo Star Rossi Raises Spirits & Cash At Beefy’s Cancer Charity

Bottle No 1 of Music Maestro’s Whisky Brand Fetches £7,000

Veteran rocker Francis Rossi has tweaked his tune from rocking to walking all over the world, thanks to a bottle of his new whisky which has just fetched £7,000 at a charity auction.

The Status Quo frontman was called in to help Sir Ian Botham’s cancer charity appeal after playing at a celebrity bash to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Beefy “walking all over the world”.

Every year since 1985, Sir Ian has walked from John O'Groats to Lands End to raise cash for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research charity – raising more than £12m for the cause.

Rossi, who recently made worldwide business headlines last month after helping to re-launch the 196-year-old whisky Glen Rossie, got into the spirit of things by donating the very first bottle of Scotch produced under the new brand, which he signed.

And celebrity auctioneer Lord Jeffrey Archer raised £7,000 from the sale of the bottle at the celebrity dinner, providing a welcome boost for the charity.

David Birchall, Chief Executive Officer of the whisky’s new co-owners The Brand Cellar, said: “We are delighted that Francis’s profile has already helped raise valuable cash for what is an incredible charity and we look forward to raising more as our brand develops.”

The Glen Rossie whisky brand, which dates back to 1814, was in danger of disappearing from the shelves after owners First Quench went into administration last year.

The Brand Cellar, which specialises in acquiring old brands, helped secure the future of the vintage spirit by buying up the company and persuading Francis Rossi to become chairman of the new look whisky.

David Birchall added: “The relationship between Francis Rossi and Glen Rossie actually stretches back 10 years or more when a caterer brought a bottle onto the band’s tour bus.

“The band found it amusing that Francis almost shared a name with an historic Scotch and after that the whisky made regular appearances on tour.

“Glen Rossie is one of the oldest whisky brands in the world and will soon be celebrating its 200th anniversary.  With our new rock star front man as Chairman we believe we can grow the vintage drink into a global brand.”

As part of the rebrand of the whisky, the bottle has been given a guitar plectrum-inspired logo in honour of Rossi.

The first bottle auctioned for charity is one of 50 first-run, limited edition, signed and numbered bottles – 30 are up for grabs in an online competition at the new website www.glenrossiewhisky.com.

In 1985 when Sir Ian first started walking for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, of which he is now president, the survival rate for childhood leukaemia was just 20% – now it is 90%.

£12,000 for 50-year-old whisky

A bottle of 50-year-old whisky has been sold for more than £12,000.
The Macallan went for £12,350 at the world's biggest whisky auction in Glasgow.

The rare dram, which is a bottling of three barrels distilled between 1926 and 1928, was sold to an American buyer based in New York.

It is the highest price ever paid for a 50-year-old Macallan, auction house McTear's said.

The price includes VAT and a 15% buyer's premium.

It was one of over 700 lots in the McTear's Rare and Collectible whisky sale.

Almost every distillery in Scotland was represented in the sale, which also saw a 50-year-old Glenfiddich sell for £10,600.

The bottle is the product of several barrels distilled between 1937 and 1939.

McTear's whisky specialist Andy Bell said: "These two whiskies are amongst the finest you will find anywhere in the world. We knew there would be a lot of interest in both bottles and we are absolutely delighted with the prices they fetched on the day.

"There is no doubt that whisky continues to hold its own as a long-term investment opportunity with good examples of the big five distilleries - Macallan, Bowmore, Highland Park, Springbank and Ardbeg - showing the biggest increases in value over the past few years." http://www.lanarkgazette.co.uk

William Grant buys Irish spirits from C&C group

Tullamore Drew sells 600,000 cases a year
The distillery company William Grant is to buy the spirits and liqueur business from the Irish company C&C group for around £250m.
The brands include Tullamore Drew, Carolans, Frangelico and Irish Mist.
William Grant is more than 100 years old with brands including Glenfiddich, Grants and Hendrick's Gin.
Stella David, chief executive officer of William Grant, said: "We have been looking to further develop our non-Scotch portfolio."
She added: "Irish whiskey is a natural fit and C&C's spirits business provides a unique opportunity to acquire a number of significant brands and enter the highly desirable and dynamic Irish whiskey category.
"We shall make significant investment in Ireland and invest in the long-term value growth of the brands, including Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey which, at 600,000 cases, and given its potential, will become a core global brand in our business."
The deal needs shareholder approval but William Grant expects the deal to be completed by the end of June.
C&C, which is based in Dublin, bought Tennent's lager in a deal worth £180m last year.
It also owns Magners and Bulmer cider. http://news.bbc.co.uk/

200-Yr-Old Whisky Gets Rebrand & Rock Star Chairman

Sales & Distribution Channels: ‘Talks Underway’

One of the oldest whisky brands in the world, Glen Rossie, is being given a fresh rebrand with a new label, new bottle and a new chairman – Francis Rossi, lead singer and guitarist in legendary rock band Status Quo.

What began as a tipple on a tour bus ten years ago has matured into a Chairmanship for Rossi, who has taken a significant minority stake in the 196-year-old brand with The Brand Cellar, which acquired Glen Rossie from First Quench.

It is understood that The Brand Cellar is in talks with a number of interested parties regarding sales and distribution channels for the whisky – both via retailers and direct sales – although a decision on the final selected partners has yet to be agreed.

Dating back to 1814, the brand is being re-launched with a plectrum-inspired label and logo in homage to its new guitar-playing Chairman. Francis Rossi also features heavily on the new website, www.glenrossiewhisky.com, where 30 first-run, limited edition, signed Glen Rossie bottles are being given away.

David Birchall, Chief Executive Officer of The Brand Cellar, said: “Glen Rossie has a tremendous whisky heritage and as we approach its 200th anniversary in 2014 we have the ambition to turn it into a global brand.

“We signed a deal with Francis this year in Melbourne where he was touring and as Chairman – and as ‘front man’ for the Glen Rossie brand – we believe he can help us reinvigorate sales not just in the UK but, as someone who has sold 118 million records worldwide, overseas too.

“We are exploring a number of opportunities to support our sales and distribution strategy and intend to announce those plans soon after the conclusion of our discussions.

“From a marketing perspective, we have some exciting and innovative ideas for the brand which we’re currently planning. For example, to mark the initial unveiling of the new bottle and identity we’re running an online competition to win one of 30 first-run, limited edition, signed bottles on our website at www.glenrossiewhisky.com.”

Imminent release of four new expressions of Highland Park exclusively for global travel retail.

The Vintage Editions range will replace the current expressions in duty free and consists of four whiskies which were distilled in 1998, 1994, 1990 and 1973. We looked into our maturing stocks to find sherry-seasoned casks which would showcase different dimensions of the classic Highland Park profile of honey sweetness and aromatic peat. Whisky Maker Max McFarlane identified specific vintage years with exceptional casks.

The differences between the expressions lie in the extent to which first-fill or refill European and American oak casks have been used; as always, maturation influences the colour and complexity of each whisky. So the 1998 and the 1990 Vintages emphasise the smokier notes whilst the 1994 and the 1973 highlight the sweeter characteristics.

We asked some whisky luminaries for their opinions. For example, Charlie MacLean found the 1998 “a flawless malt for its age”. Dave Broom reckoned the 1994 tasted of “ripe fruits and melting dark chocolate”. Dominic Roskrow thought the range as a whole was “amazing to see... totally unexpected characteristics”.

The whiskies are not available anywhere other than duty free – not even at the distillery – and will be priced as follows; 1998 Vintage €46 (1l), 1994 Vintage €65 (70cl), 1990 Vintage €99 (70cl) and 1973 Vintage €750 (70cl).
The Highland Park Vintages range is available with immediate effect. Full tasting notes can be found on our website.

For more information on the Best Spirit in the World visit www.highlandpark.co.uk

Some changes in the management of Scottish distilleries occured over the last few days and weeks:

SPRINGBANK, the iconic Campbeltown whisky distillery, has this week announced a summertime change of management that will see the first locally-born man take charge of production in over 60 years.

Gavin McLachlan, aged 36, will take over as Manager of Springbank and its sister distillery, Mitchell’s Glengyle, from August 1st 2010.

Neil Clapperton, Managing Director of parent company J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd, said: “Gavin is Campbeltown born and bred and his appointment gives us great pleasure and also reflects our company’s long-term commitment to Campbeltown.”

Gavin, who began his career in the whisky industry in May 2002 as a bottling hall operative at Springbank before quickly moving into malting and distilling within eight months, has been assistant manager for the past four years.

In his new post he will work alongside Director of Production Frank McHardy to oversee the day-to-day operations at Springbank and Glengyle.

Gavin’s promotion follows the resignation of present manager Stuart Robertson, who is leaving the company to take up a new appointment in the north east of Scotland.

Stuart will be with us for a few weeks yet but when he does leave he will do so with the best wishes of everyone at Springbank. Source: http://www.springbankwhisky.com

Huntly Distillery - New Appointment - Stuart Robertson - 20th April, 2010

Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Stuart Robertson as Distillery Development Manager for its Huntly Distillery project. Stuart’s expertise in this field, gained through his management of Distilleries within Diageo and latterly Springbank Distillers, will bring a wealth of experience to Duncan Taylor and its ambitions of becoming a Distiller in 2010. Stuart who will be joining the company next month will be instrumental in managing the new Huntly Distillery build and its production on completion.

Euan Shand, Duncan Taylor Managing Director, said today that “This is very exciting times for Duncan Taylor, we have had a great year despite the recession. Our new brand lines are introducing us to developing markets such as India and China, it is now time to build our Distillery. We believe we have got the best man to do the job”.

And the oldest one:

John MacLellan, Distillery Manager of Bunnahabhain, moving to Kilchoman DistilleryWe are delighted to announce that John MacLellan will be joining us as General Manager. John has worked in the whisky industry for over 20 years and for the past 12 years he has been the manager at Bunnahabhain, so brings with him lots of experience. He starts on the 3rd of May and will be responsible for the day to day running of the business, freeing Anthony up to concentrate on developing sales around the world.

Diageo reports ‘green shoots’ of recovery in sales

Diageo: customers have regained their enthusiasm for trading up to expensive tipples
Tim Sharp, http://www.heraldscotland.com

The company last year announced plans to close its Kilmarnock bottling plant and its Port Dundas grain distillery in Glasgow, with the loss of 900 jobs as part of a cost-saving drive.

But while it makes preparations for the final closure of the operations later this year, the company acknowledged things are improving on the sales front.

Chief marketing officer Andy Fennell said: “We are now starting to see some green shoots.”

The company has seen accelerating sales of top-end brands in the last three months, although he noted markets like Spain and Ireland are still tough.

Some analysts have questioned whether the strategy of “premiumisation”, persuading customers to buy more expensive tipples, pursued by both Diageo and its main rival Pernod Ricard, the company behind Chivas Regal whisky, would work after the recession.

Fennell said top-end shoppers had continued to snap up its most expensive products, such as its recently launched $3,000 (£2,000) a bottle John Walker whisky, during the downturn.

But he noted there had been changes in habits since the downturn hit the drinks industry in 2008’s autumn.

“For the mass of consumers who were impacted during the downturn there was trading down,” he said.

But he added: “Premiumisation has been a big force in the past and will be a big force in the future. The dynamics of trading up are not cyclical, they are impacted by the recession but not changed by it.”

But Fennell said there would be one lasting impact: “When people have the money again we do not think they will go back to ostentatious frivolous purchases.”

The company, which makes Smirnoff vodka and Guinness, started offering products in more affordable smaller pack sizes in markets such as the UK.

It also introduced lower- end brands, like Bell’s whisky, in markets such as Russia to stop shoppers switching back to domestic drinks.

Fennell said: “When Russians have more money in their pockets they will aspire to the most expensive one they can afford.”

Diageo, which owns the Lagavulin and Talisker single malt brands among others, is seeking to expand the reach of this end of its product suite.

Fennell said: “Malt whisky is still a developed world product apart from Taiwan, so that will be a source of growth for us to take our malt brands to the rest of the world.”

Beer brewery in Suffolk moves into spirits production

A well-established beer brewer is to build a distillery at its Suffolk plant to produce gin, vodka and whisky.
Adnams has been granted a licence to distil spirits at its Sole Bay Brewery in Southwold.
Now a planning application, for a micro distillery and refurbishment of the old brewery Copper House, has been submitted to Waveney District Council.
The aim is to produce gin and vodka for sale by November this year and whisky, which needs ageing, in three years. http://news.bbc.co.uk

Scotch whisky exports reach record high in 2009

Exports of Scotch whisky reached a record high last year, despite the economic downturn in some major markets.
Figures show the amount of whisky being shipped abroad increased by 4% worldwide during 2009.
The value of these exports rose by 3% to reach about £3.1bn, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
Paul Walsh, chairman of the SWA, said the figures showed the importance of Scotch whisky to the UK economy.
The SWA said there had been a slow start to 2009, partly due to weaker consumer confidence.
But an "impressive" export performance was reported during the second half of the year.

The USA remained Scotch whisky's largest export market by value, with an increase of 13% last year.
The drink is also enjoying increasing popularity in Brazil, where the value of exports grew by 44%.
However in Spain, the third biggest market, the value of exports fell by 5%.
'Leading export'
An extra 3% - or £71m - of blended Scotch was exported last year, compared to 2008, while malt Scotch whisky shipments rose by 1%, or £4m.
Mr Walsh said: "Scotch whisky distillers have delivered record exports in the face of a global economic downturn.
"The industry is continuing to invest and sustain its efforts to secure fair access to export markets."
Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the SWA, added: "As one of the UK's leading manufactured exports, all political parties should recognise and support the Scotch whisky industry, both at home and abroad, during the next Parliament." http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Diageo launch the next batch of their single-cask collection of Malt Scotch Whiskies

Following the first batch launched in September, and a second collection released in January, Diageo are now launching the third batch of their single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

Among the seven expressions that feature in this third release are several single malts familiar to many malt whisky drinkers  -  Caol Ila™, Glenkinchie™, Glen Ord™ and Royal Lochnagar™.

But Dailuaine™, Inchgower™ and Mannochmore™ normally enjoy only very limited availability.

Each of the whiskies is drawn from one single oak cask, picked after a careful examination of distillery stocks, and bottled at its natural cask strength.

The collection encompasses all 27 of Diageo’s Single Malt Scotch Whiskies  -  the first time that Scotland's biggest estate of Single Malt distilleries has issued a comprehensive series of single-cask bottlings. Labelled The Managers' Choice because of the way the whiskies were selected, each distillery is represented by a special bottling of its Single Malt Whisky .

The rare limited-edition series is aimed at collectors and connoisseurs who will enjoy owning and exploring an unusual expression of their favourite Single Malt or even a whole anthology of highly individual Single Malts, chosen to represent a unique take on each of the 27 distilleries' distinctive distillery character.

The fourth and final release is scheduled for May.

Distribution
The Managers’ Choice bottlings are available from specialist retailers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Benelux only.

Release details – third release

Prices

The UK RRP are as follows:

Source: www.cognispr.com

Roadshow highlights counterfeit whisky law

By Martin Flanagan, http://business.scotsman.com
THE Scotch Whisky Association's overseas roadshow gathers pace this week to promote Scotland's best known export on the back of new regulations aimed at crushing counterfeit products.
SWA chief executive Gavin Hewitt will address trade representatives, distributors, retailers and members of the wider hospitality sector at a seminar in New York on Wednesday. It follows similar meetings in Edinburgh in February and Hong Kong in March. The US imports £400 million of Scotch whisky a year.

The regulations adopted by the UK government last year are widely seen as a landmark law governing every aspect of the making, bottling, labelling and advertising of the product.

The regulations are intended to give the highest level of legal protection from imitation products, as well as increasing consumer knowledge of the different Scotch categories.

Hewitt said the rules, introduced last November, were an opportunity to promote the industry worldwide. The SWA has other meetings pencilled in for Sao Paulo in Brazil in May and Paris in June, and a meeting in South Africa is also planned.

"Our seminar programme is helping distillers to take full advantage of what is a unique opportunity to raise consumer and trade awareness of each category in Scotch whisky, whether single or blended," Hewitt said.

GLENDRONACH GRANDEUR WILL GLADDEN THE HEARTS OF CONNOISSEURS WORLDWIDE

WHEN the BenRiach Distillery Company purchased GlenDronach two years ago, it signalled a re-birth for this the grandest of East Highland malts.

At the time MD Billy Walker said: "We hope our acquisition of GlenDronach will intrigue, surprise and delight whisky connoisseurs around the world."

And today (March 25), connoisseurs of re-born GlenDronach will indeed be delighted by the launch of a sublime new thirty-one year-old expression selected personally by Mr Walker - the appropriately-named GlenDronach Grandeur.

It's set to gladden the hearts of connoisseurs around the world.

Endearing and enduring, the GlenDronach style is that of a big, smooth, sherried whisky - and Grandeur preserves and perpetuates that great tradition.

Marketing Manager Kerry White said: "The whisky bottled as Grandeur has been specially selected by Master Distiller Billy Walker from some of the oldest and most unique Oloroso casks at GlenDronach.

"A vast selection of barrels, hogsheads, puncheons and butts has been maturing in the traditional dunnage warehouses since the 1960s, and it is the most extraordinary and remarkable of these which have been chosen for this very special bottling.

"This superb expression, a thirty-one-year-old at 45.8 vol. cask strength, is a classical representation of the smooth, complex and full-bodied style that the GlenDronach Distillery is famous for. Individually numbered by hand, each bottle is a one-off and truly unique."

Billy Walker's tasting notes reveal the remarkable subtleties of Grandeur.

Nose - A tremendous concentration of fruits, nuts and berries enveloped in a coffee and mocha glaze. Subtle sweet sherry notes interact beautifully with sticky date pudding aromas.

Palate - Very big and gusty flavours adorn each mouthful, yet with perfect balance and refinement. Initial spiced orange flavours and rich old Oloroso sherry are met mid-palate with roasted almonds, coffee and treacle. The dry concentrated flavours from the almonds and the oloroso sherry are balanced in perfect harmony with sultanas, chocolate and honey.

Conclusions - This is a rewarding, memorable and captivating GlenDronach expression for a very special occasion. 1013 bottles of this GlenDronach will be available shortly

Illuminating a new partnership between The Dalmore distillery and the

Mackenzie Clan

On the 17h March 2010 a unique gathering of Clan supporters and whisky aficionados’ is happening at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Underneath the shadow of the famous Scottish painting; ‘Fury of the Stag’, the first few bottles of a new edition of The Dalmore Mackenzie will be unveiled and enjoyed.

Only 3,000 limited edition bottles of the legendary highland single malt are being released to mark a new era in the distillery’s long affiliation with The Mackenzie Clan, and to help raise much needed funds for this famous Scots family.

The Mackenzie family, owners of The Dalmore distillery for almost a century, provides the inspiration for The Dalmore’s iconic stag head logo and its motto “I Shine, Not Burn” which is also the clan motto.

The launch will celebrate the single act of courage that an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie made when saving King Alexander III in 1263 from being gored by a stag, a scene that is depicted in the painting.

The star of the show will be this iconic piece of art, quite literally, as not only will the largest painting in the gallery (5.4m x 3.3m) take pride of place at this event, it will also be projected on to the National Gallery itself for one night only, so that the whole of Edinburgh can appreciate its brilliance in an entirely new way.

The partnership aims to raise funds to help refurbish and maintain Castle Leod and to support a range of activities organised by The Clan Mackenzie Society of Scotland & The UK.

According to The Dalmore’s master distiller Richard Paterson this is the first step of a long-term commitment, and the brand is hoping to raise a seven figure sum in the next 10 years to help protect this important piece of Scottish history.

He added: “Whether you are a Mackenzie or not, with only 3,000 bottles available globally, this is your chance to own a little piece of Scottish history.

“I have been nurturing casks at The Dalmore and monitoring their progress for some four decades. The challenge to craft a whisky fit for the Earl and all Mackenzies was an inspiration. I am proud to be able to help the clan by creating a whisky with a regal heritage and one which is truly fit for a king…….as well as a Clan Chief!”

Each limited edition bottle will be individually numbered and is adorned with the Clan and the brand’s iconic Royal stag formed in molten metal. All purchasers are entitled to claim a limited edition print of the famous painting personally signed by the head of the Clan himself who continues to reside at Castle Leod.

The Earl of Cromartie and chief of the clan, John Mackenzie, says; “As the head of the Clan I speak for all Mackenzie’s to say that we are really excited to be part of this special event which brings to life this iconic painting in more ways than one, celebrating a piece of history that forms the foundation of our joint heritage, as well as the dawn of a new era in our continued partnership with the distillery.

“I am delighted that The Dalmore are supporting the preservation of Castle Leod for not only me, but for the Clan, and for Mackenzies around the world and of course for Scotland”

Richard Paterson concluded: “This is the first step in a longer journey with the Clan Mackenzie as we work together for mutual benefit. The Dalmore and the Clan are inextricably linked. There are not many brands in the world that have these true royal connections, and we hope to announce more projects like this over the next couple of years. Watch this space.” Note: The RRP is £100.

Glenfarclas 40 Years Old
April will see the release of a new Glenfarclas expression; Glenfarclas 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, bottled at 46%. This whisky has been created using casks filled in the late 1960s, and selected by George Grant.

We are offering the chance to be amongst the first to taste this exciting new release, on Thursday the 29th of April, during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. To book your place at this unique tasting with George Grant please click here

Gan Tian (China Daily)

While drinking liquor is still largely viewed as a 'guy thing', one whisky expert sees more Asian women imbibing stiffer tipples. Gan Tian reports

The idea that drinking liquor is just for men leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of Annabel Meikle, a Scottish sensory expert and creator of Glenmorangie whisky.

This was a theme of a whisky-tasting party she hosted in Beijing last week.

"People believe whisky belongs to men, but the situation is getting better these days," Meikle says.

Women now account for 10 to 15 percent of some alcohol clubs' memberships, compared to about 8 percent in 2001, she says. "It was not the case with my mother's generation," Meikle says.

"Women are growing in this business, although slowly. It means courage, confidence and knowing your mind for a woman who drinks whisky."

She states her case while drawing sips from a small glass of Glenmorangie.

Meikle has experienced ups and downs in her decade of working in the whisky industry.

She was involved in developing Kaleidoscopic Sensory Experience and Sonic Tasting for Glenmorangie. These special whisky-tasting methods combine sight, sound and other sensory experiences when a customer is trying the alcohol.

Meikle attributes her success to her background as an art student.

"I believe tasting whisky and art have something in common. I was given the title of 'sensory expert', perhaps because I am talented in art," she says.

She explains that as a woman, she has been able to convince more women to try whisky. This may be why the company interviewed her for a spot as the global brand ambassador, Meikle says.

"Women can use more language to describe flavors for whisky beginners," she says.

"I can compare it with various things. I think men are afraid of using more words. If it's salty, they just say it is salty. Is it like seafood salty or like smoky meat salty?"

Her whisky-tasting party included Glenmorangie Original and Signet. The Original variety, favored by many whisky buffs around the world, has 145 aromas. Newbies tend to prefer Signet because of its strong chocolate and coffee flavors.

Meikle suggests women start out with something light. Sweetness is something they should look for, too. Good flavors for taste-testing the firewaters are white grapes, fruits, cake and ice cream.

After sampling the relatively sugary types, they can move on to something stiffer.

The sensory expert offers four recommendations for whisky varieties available in China.

Rosebank, she says, is soft and goes best with seafood, while Highland Park, contains heather and honey flavors. Talisker is spicy and smoky, and Ardburg is very smoky.

Part of Meikle's work as a whisky educator is traveling the globe to explore different cultures' imbibing habits.

She was surprised to find that in Asia, especially in places such as Taipei, Tokyo and Beijing, a growing number of young women have a penchant for strong whiskies - something not seen anywhere else in the world.

"China has a great alcohol culture," Meikle says.

"For Chinese, it is a social activity, even drinking whisky. They share bottles, drink together and look into each others' eyes when toasting."

She recalls a story she heard about a Chinese couple who bought a bottle of whiskey in Europe.

The clerk asked them, "Why did you two only buy one bottle?"

They replied, "Because we drink it when there's no one else around - sometimes, secretly."

THE world's oldest malt whisky went on sale today with a price tag of up to £10,000 a bottle.

The Mortlach 70-year-old Speyside was sampled by a select group of tasters at a ceremony in Edinburgh Castle.

Bottles of the rare piece of Scotland's "liquid history" have now hit the market.

Only 54 full-size bottles, costing £10,000 each, and 162 smaller bottles at £2,500, have been made available.

The whisky has been released under Gordon and MacPhail's Generations brand.

It was filled into its cask on October 15 1938 on the order of John Urquhart, the grandfather of the firm's joint managing directors, David and Michael Urquhart.

Exactly 70 years later, the decision was made to empty the cask and bottle its contents.

A bottle of Mortlach was piped into Edinburgh Castle today and tasted by guests in the Queen Anne Room.

David and Michael Urquhart today described it as a malt "without comparison".

They said: "This is a very special day for us, one we've literally been anticipating for generations.

"Our family has been in the whisky business for a long time, with each generation building and handing on a lifetime's expertise to the next.

"We believe Mortlach 70 Years Old is a malt without comparison.

"If the reaction of those lucky enough to enjoy a dram today is anything to go by, whisky fans and people wishing to own a unique piece of Scotland's liquid history will be very excited about it."

The rare whisky was matured in a former sherry cask made from Spanish oak. It has been bottled in a teardrop-shaped hand-blown crystal decanter with a silver stopper.

Whisky writer Charles MacLean described the dram as "delicate, fresh, vital and fruity", with hints of waxiness and smokiness.

Speaking at the launch, he said: "It's the oldest cask of whisky that, in my knowledge, has ever been bottled.

"The spirit and the wood have inter-reacted beautifully over this long period of time.

"It's very exotic-tasting whisky made before the Second World War, but purely from a flavour perspective it is just astonishing, with layers of flavour which you really only get with long maturation.

"It's a superb, beautifully-made whisky." http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk

A bespoke eCommerce website has been designed for Ardbeg by Story to drive sales and increase efficiency for process orders.

The system has been developed to meet growing international demand and will support the brand’s CRM programme, Ardbeg Committee by encouraging membership.

The website integrates with payment and shipping platforms to provide a safe and trusted online shopping environment.

The website uses the brand’s earthy, muted colours and in line with Ardbeg’s brand values, using new photography by Packshot Factory to display its products.

Hamish Torrie, brands director at the Glenmorangie Company, explained: “To support the Ardbeg Committee and to manage increasing demand, we needed something that would ensure secure and efficient accessibility to our products and drive sales. Story, with both strong creative and digital expertise, has created an innovative eCommerce system which continues to push the boundaries and persuasively spreads the Ardbeggian message worldwide.”

Manos Riglis, digital director at Story, added: “It was a real collaborative effort and we worked closely with The Glenmorangie Company I.T. department. Our digital team had to be technically innovative to allow us to achieve something that not only gives Ardbeg’s customers a sense of security and confidence when buying online but also didn’t disappoint emotionally. Ardbeg fans expect to be seduced by the brand’s quirky personality, so the design of the website has also to charm and tease whisky lovers. A very provocative combination.” http://www.thedrum.co.uk

Glenmorangie has generated £500,000 worth of revenue and increased membership of its fan club by 2,000 since it launched an ecommerce site for its Ardbeg whisky brand last week.

Glenmorangie launched the ecommerce site, created by Edinburgh-based agency Story, to boost global sales of its special-edition Ardbeg Rollercoaster whisky.

Ardbeg Rollercoaster was issued to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Glenmorangie’s relaunch of the Ardbeg brand.

Hamish Torrie, brand director at the Glenmorangie Company, said the campaign generated orders for 10,000 bottles in its first week. Ardbeg Rollercoaster retails at £50 a bottle.

The campaign also encouraged an additional 2,000 consumers to sign up to Glenmorangie’s 50,000-strong fan club, the Ardbeg Committee, according to Torrie.

The company generated interest in the ecommerce site through a direct mail campaign in the run-up to launch. “Through this mix of old techniques and new technology we generated huge demand,” said Torrie. “Ardbeg is a very cult brand so we wanted to keep a hand-made element to the campaign.” http://www.nma.co.uk/

Glenfiddich takes throne as best-selling malt
By Tristan Stewart-Robertson, http://news.scotsman.com/
FOR more than a decade it has held its position as the best-selling single malt whisky in Scotland.

But after 13 years at the top, Glenmorangie has lost its title as the nation's favourite to its rival Glenfiddich.

Latest figures show a massive jump in sales of Glenfiddich and a parallel drop by Glenmorangie.

According to market analysts Nielsen, sales of Glenfiddich in the UK have rocketed 24 per cent to £27.1 million while Glenmorangie has plummeted 24 per cent to £17.5m over the past year.

Neither firm was available last night to comment on the figures but whisky experts expressed their surprise that Glenmorangie had been dethroned.

The report, in trade magazine The Grocer, said that while it was already the leading single malt in the UK market overall, taking the top spot in Scotland had previously eluded Glenfiddich.

James Stocker, marketing controller for premium dark spirits at First Drinks, the distributor bought by Glenfiddich distiller William Grant & Sons in 2006, put the success down to continued investment in the brand.

He said: "Despite the tough market conditions, we have continued to invest in Glenfiddich when other people have decided to cut back.

"William Grant is still a family-owned company and see Scotland in particular as a key market. The fact that we continue to invest in our Scottish distilleries and employ Scottish people is very important."

In 2004 Glenmorangie was bought by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Edinburgh-based whisky writer Charles Maclean said they had upped their game to improve their "premium position". He said Glenmorangie had ceased chill filtration to improve the texture.

Mr Maclean said: "It's difficult to understand why this change has happened. I would think it comes down to advertising and pricing. From a taste perspective, Glenmorangie have upped their game. It's little things like filtration that have enhanced the flavour, and that can be influenced by a whole range of factors in malt whisky.

"Generally distillers don't like to change the flavour of their produce because customers don't like it. And 90 per cent of whisky goes into blends.

"But I think Scots are shopping around a bit more. Both Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich are relatively light styles of malt whisky compared to McCallum's, for example."

Ken Storrie, owner of The Pot Still in Glasgow, renowned for its large whisky collection, said the reported sales figures do not match those of his customers.

He said: "It would be nice to start shifting some Glenfiddich. For every seven or eight cases of Glenmorangie, we sell one bottle of Glenfiddich. Glenmorangie has always been more popular.

"I think customers are getting more sophisticated and we get a lot of overseas visitors and they can get Glenfiddich anywhere. They look for something more unique.

"Taste is more relevant than anything when customers have flown over and spent money on hotels and food. They're not looking for cheap malt of the month.

"Glenmorangie is something people flock to and has different expressions, where Glenfiddich is just the same old, same old 12 and 15 year old. People can explore more with Glenmorangie."

Earlier this year, Glenmorangie announced it had found a new home for its headquarters in the centre of Edinburgh. The company said it would move from Broxburn, West Lothian, to The Cube building in the east end of Edinburgh by September 2010.

In 2008, the top brands in the UK were Glenfiddich, followed by Glenmorangie Original, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie 10 year old, Laphroaig, Highland Park, Aberlour, Glen Moray, Isle of Jura and Talisker.

More than 2,500 brands of Scotch whisky are sold around the globe, with as many as 200 available in the UK. In the first nine months of 2009, more than 807 million bottles were shipped abroad, a growth of 1.5 per cent on the previous year.

Seven whiskies have scooped the titles of ‘World’s Best’ in the final round of Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Awards 2010.

The 2010 winners are:

World’s Best Single Malt Whisky
Ardbeg Corryvreckan

World’s Best Blended Whisky
Hibiki 21 Years Old

World’s Best Blended Malt Whisky
Taketsuru 21 Years Old

World’s Best American Whiskey
Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 proof

World’s Best Whisky Liqueur
Wild Turkey American Honey

World’s Best Grain Whisky
Greenore 15 Years Old

World’s Best New Release
Parker's Heritage Collection Golden Anniversary

For the full results, click here

The 16th annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards were recently announced on Malt Advocate magazine Publisher John Hansell's blog, What Does John Know?

The categories and award winners are:

Best Buy Whisk(e)y of the Year:
The MacPhail's Collection (Tamdhu 8 year old,
Glenrothes 8 year old, Highland Park 8 year old)

Artisan Whiskey of the Year (operating 10 years or less):
Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Batch #49)

American Whiskey of the Year:
Parker's Heritage Collection "Golden Anniversary"

Canadian Whisky of the Year:
Crown Royal Cask No. 16

Irish Whiskey of the Year:
Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve (2009 release)

Scotch Whisky: Blend of the Year:
Compass Box, "The Peat Monster"

Scotch Whisky: Single Malt of the Year:
Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Industry Leader of the Year:
Mark Brown, President and CEO of Buffalo Trace Distillery

Distillery of the Year:
Cooley

Pioneer of the Year:
Whisky bloggers

Lifetime Achievement Award:
John Ramsay & Robert Hicks

Also announced were the Top Ten New Whiskies for 2009
(listed alphabetically):

Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Brora 30 year old (2009 Release)
Dalmore 50 year old
Gold Bowmore, 1964 Vintage
Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve (2009 Release)
Laphroaig 25 year old
Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve (Bottle B1986)
Parker's Heritage Selection Golden Anniversary
Rittenhouse Rye 25 year old (Barrel #1)
William Larue Weller (2009 Release)
The Malt Advocate Whisky Awards exist to recognize excellence in the world of whisky. Now in their sixteenth year, these awards are the oldest and longest-running annual whisky awards program. They honor the world's greatest whiskies and distilleries, and the individuals who make and promote them. To be eligible for this year's awards, products must have been sold in the U.S. during the 2009 calendar year.

A complete write up of each award winner will be published in the Spring issue of Malt Advocate magazine, out March 1st. You can see this in advance, with a lively discussion about each winner, on John's blog (www.whatdoesjohnknow.com).

Scotching the myth that all whisky has to wear a kilt

Ian McConnell, http://www.heraldscotland.com
Hiroyoshi Miyamoto quips that his Japanese employer, Suntory, does not use Sean Connery to advertise its whisky any more because the Scottish actor is “too expensive”.

But it is not just a matter of cost. Miyamoto, whose business card signals to people that he is just as happy to be known as Mike as Hiroyoshi, hammers home his belief that there is absolutely no need for Japanese whisky to dress itself up as Scotch to sell.

He knows plenty about both Japanese and Scotch whisky.

Miyamoto has been executive general manager of Suntory’s Yamazaki single malt whisky distillery, between the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto and the city of Osaka, for five-and-a-half years.

Prior to that, he was based in Glasgow as deputy managing director of Suntory subsidiary Morrison Bowmore. This was his second stint at this Scotch whisky subsidiary, known best for its Bowmore single malt from Islay. He spent about five years at Morrison Bowmore on his first posting, while his second term in Scotland followed an interlude at Suntory’s Tokyo office and as head of the Japanese firm’s Hakushu distillery.

Miyamoto is dressed in a fawn-coloured distillery uniform with purple piping, complete with hat. The uniform, particularly the hat, gives him the look of someone who might be going for a round of golf. Miyamoto has a laid-back air, in keeping with the “Hiroyoshi (Mike) Miyamoto” name on his card.

However, when he starts to speak it becomes clear he is driven by a real passion for the production of whisky at the Yamazaki Distillery. And he seems determined to build further the reputation of Japanese whisky on the world stage.

He talks of himself as a whisky “engineer” and about the “science” of the production process. He emphasises his belief there should be continuous improvement in the product. Miyamoto also highlights his view that the Scotch whisky industry is more resistant to change.

Suntory’s old habit of using western actors to advertise its whisky brands provided the pretext for the fictional film Lost In Translation, in which a jet-lagged Bill Murray finds himself bemused at the instructions of an ultra-trendy and volatile director making a commercial for the Japanese drinks giant’s whisky. Murray is confronted in a subsequent scene by a photo-grapher who wants him to act like Roger Moore.

Asked about Suntory’s use of famous actors, Miyamoto replies: “We don’t use Sean Connery any more. He is too expensive for us.”

Miyamoto highlights the publicity which Suntory’s whiskies receive from amateur bloggers and the boost from visits to the Yamazaki Distillery. Word-of-mouth is now a key marketing strategy.

“About 110,000 people came to this distillery last year,” he says. “They went back with a good impression of whisky.”

Eschewing the idea of using a “very famous” western actor to advertise Suntory’s whisky these days, Miyamoto says: “We don’t want to give the consumer the wrong impression, that we are making the Scotch whisky-type. We are making Japanese whisky. Maybe 25 or 30 years ago, the image of Europe seems to be higher and better. That is why we might have decided on the European actor in our TV commercials for whisky, but the Japanese people these days understand the Japanese product should be good as well.”

Miyamoto highlights the raft of gold medals won by Suntory whiskies, including Yamazaki, at prestigious international events.

As he conducts a tour of the Yamazaki distillery, which began production in 1924, he pays tribute to Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii’s “bold” move to diversify into the production of whisky.

Suntory, founded in 1899 as a small merchant store in the Osaka area, was by the 1920s doing very well for itself, selling lots of fortified port wine or Akadama.

Miyamoto says of Torii’s vision: “He just wanted to make authentic whisky for the Japanese palate. At that time, Scotch whisky was too characteristic and unique to the Japanese palate.”

The company board, Miyamoto declares, told Suntory’s founder that he was “insane” to take such a step with a business which had made them wealthy. Miyamoto notes that, at that time, Japan was at a “primitive or pre-advanced” stage relative to the likes of the UK when it came to industrial processes.

However, he says that creating whisky for the Japanese palate was Shinjiro Torii’s dream and “his dream has come true now”.

Asked about the differences between whisky production in Scotland and Japan, Miyamoto replies: “Scotland is blessed with Mother Nature. That is why whisky-making started.”

He noted that Japan, in order to overcome potential negative factors in terms of the environment for whisky-making, had to adopt a “different type of approach and philosophy”.

Miyamoto, however, highlights the quality of water at Yamazaki. He points out that a famous Japanese tea master, Sen-no-Rikyu, built a tea house there nearly 500 years ago.

Humidity is another vital factor to ensure whisky remains in good condition as it matures, notes Miyamoto. Scotland has no problem in this respect. Miyamoto says that it can often by too dry in Japan. However, he adds that three rivers merge at Yamazaki. These rivers are at different temperatures and their confluence causes a “fog”.

Yamazaki Distillery uses Scottish barley, with Miyamoto noting the Japanese equivalent is four or five times the price.

And he makes a big deal of the fact that the fermentation vats are made of wood. He says Yamazaki has moved from stainless steel vats to wood, whereas a lot of Scotch whisky companies have moved in the opposite direction.

Miyamoto is sure this is the right way to go because the small bacteria which play a part in the fermentation process stay in a wooden vat even after washing. Such bacteria would be wiped out at this stage if the vats were made of stainless steel.

In a whisky nosing and tasting session after the tour, Miyamoto points out the “oriental incense” and cinnamon aftertaste from the Japanese oak in the Yamazaki 12-year-old single malt, which sells in shops in Japan for the equivalent of about £50 a bottle. And he flags the sherry flavour of the 18-year-old Yamazaki, which retails for about £120.

Asked about the impact of the global economic downturn on the privately-owned Suntory’s whisky sales, Miyamoto notes that there was an increase in volumes last year. This followed 26 consecutive years of decline.

Yamazaki increased its sales. Suntory’s Hibiki blended whisky suffered a fall in sales, with Miyamoto pointing out this whisky is often bought for business entertaining and such expenditure appeared to have been reduced by most companies last year.

However, Suntory’s Kakubin standard blend “square bottle” whisky did well, because of the successful promotion of this product as the base for a “high-ball” drink with soda, and this helped ensure the rise in overall volumes.

Miyamoto says Yamazaki now sells about 150,000 cases of 12 bottles each year in the Japanese market and about 25,000 cases overseas. He hopes for a significant increase in overseas sales in countries such as the UK, France, Sweden, the US, China and Taiwan.

UK supermarket giant Tesco has expanded the number of stores in which it stocks Yamazaki 10-year-old from 100 to 370. Hibiki was introduced last year to the UK market-place.

Asked if Morrison Bowmore had proved a good investment for Suntory, Miyamoto replies: “Yes, indeed...It is a long-term investment. Now Bowmore is...one of the top 10 single malts in Scotch whisky.”

Suntory acquired a minority stake in Morrison Bowmore in 1989 and took full ownership in 1994.

Miyamoto says: “Scotch whisky people don’t want to introduce something new to their system. They don’t want to change things. On the other hand, as a Japanese whisky engineer, you like to be as progressive as possible. We like to be slightly better each day.”

Asked what his colleagues at Morrison Bowmore think of Yamazaki, Miyamoto replies: “They really appreciate the quality of the whisky we produce.”

He adds: “We sell lots of Bowmore in Japan today. We like to see both grow together.”

Miyamoto’s time in Scotland has had a lasting impact not just on him but on his family.

He laughs when he recalls how his daughter, Yoshino, who went to the High School of Glasgow, speaks with a “perfect Glaswegian accent”.

This confused some in the industry when he took her to the Whisky Live event in Tokyo three years ago.

“Japanese look but Glaswegian accent,” he laughs.

BERRY BROS. & RUDD TO SELL CUTTY SARK BRAND TO EDRINGTON

Britain's leading fine wines and spirits merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (BB&R), today announced that it has finalised an agreement under which it will sell the Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky brand to The Edrington Group, makers of The Famous Grouse and The Macallan.

Under the deal, BB&R will acquire The Glenrothes single malt brand from Edrington, which has signed long-term supply agreements to provide whisky fillings and stocks to BB&R. Edrington will retain ownership of The Glenrothes distillery.

The transaction will also involve Edrington acquiring all distribution contracts on Cutty Sark in force at the time of completion. The Edrington sales-and-distribution alliance (Maxxium) will continue to distribute The Glenrothes in key international markets and is also expected to provide a distribution option for other brands within BB&R’s super-premium spirits portfolio.

The agreement is due to be concluded by April 2010. The total consideration has not been revealed.

Hugh Sturges, managing director, BB&R, said the sale of the Cutty Sark brand and purchase of The Glenrothes was in line with the company's long term vision of concentrating investment resources behind developing a world leading position as a supplier of fine wines and super-premium spirits. “The strategy that supports this vision is already reaping dividends, particularly within emerging markets,” said Mr. Sturges. “We are convinced that future growth will come from us focusing even more on our strengths. That means targeting our sales and marketing efforts on those brands and sectors where we can compete most effectively and develop market positions that will drive real value long term. We therefore believe this agreement is in the best interests of the brands concerned and both companies.”

Ian Curle, chief executive of Edrington, said the deal would enhance the group's position as Scotland's leading international premium spirits company and strengthen its position in the Scotch whisky category with an unrivalled and well-established portfolio of leading blended and single malt brands.

"In an ever-consolidating drinks industry, this agreement offers significant operational synergies and market advantages. It improves our distribution in key territories and strengthens our position as an independent premium brand company," said Mr. Curle.

Edrington has enjoyed a long-term partnership with BB&R under which it has supplied blended whisky for the Cutty Sark brand for over 70 years and is currently responsible for all aspects of producing Cutty Sark. Today, Cutty Sark is a top three whisky brand in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain and Portugal, where it is popular in the fast-moving on-trade. The brand continues to have a strong presence in America and is increasing its footprint in Asia and developing markets.

In Spain, Cutty Sark’s largest market, the distribution agreement with Importaciones Varma will come to an end prior to the completion of the sale of Cutty Sark. The brand will then be handled by Maxxium Espana, a 50/50 joint venture between Edrington and Beam Global Spirits & Wine. In Greece, the distribution of Cutty Sark will remain with WS Karoulias, which will continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BB&R.

BB&R said the acquisition of The Glenrothes reflected its ambition to grow its super-premium business as the brand was one of the world’s fastest growing single malts.

The long standing relationship between BB&R and Edrington will continue under the new arrangement. Both companies will continue to work hand-in-hand on projects of mutual interest that aim to maximise shareholder value and support the long-term development of their brands. Source: Edrington

Still Life
Islay?s Bruichladdich distillery have re-installed Scotland?s oldest pot still.
Commissioned in 1880 for the Harvey Brothers? purpose-built Islay distillery it is, according
to experts, likely to be the oldest pot still in use in Scotland at 130 years old.
The life expectancy of most pot stills is only around forty years. After which, having eroded
over the years with constant boiling, the copper becomes too thin and liable to collapse.
But this venerable pot still, riveted in the Victorian way, was made with an exceptionally
thick copper bottom to endure the intensity of a coal fire underneath it.
The wash still has been renovated and tested by Forsyths of Rothes, one of only two
remaining Scottish coppersmiths, and passed with flying colours for continued use.
Duncan MacGillivray, manager and chief engineer said: “We are told at 130 years old this
is most likely to be the oldest whisky still in the world. They don?t make them like this any
more - there?s plenty of life left in her and we intend to keep her going for a wee while yet.”
Bruichladdich?s stills, designed most likely by John Harvey, the middle of the three Harvey
brothers, are unusually tall and narrow-necked. The Harveys sought a unique shape to
obtain a spirit of elegance in contrast to the heavier spirits produced from small, more
compact stills on the island at that time.

To superstitious distillers, still-shape is sacrosanct. Any alteration is abhorred, fearing the
slightest of changes will impact on the style of the whisky. Often mistaken for miserliness,
they would prefer to continue with the still they have rather than buy a new one.
This still?s unusual longevity owes a good deal to fate. Under usage between 1881 and
1945 owing to struggling finances, two depressions, US prohibition, two world wars and a
fire that nearly destroyed the distillery, meant it was already in remarkably good shape by
the time it was converted to more forgiving internal steam coils in the fifties. www.bruichladdich.com

Springbank new releases:

Springbank 18 yo, £62.50
Springbank CV, £28.50

Taiwan whisky beats Scotch in blind taste test, says report
Asians have begun distilling malts that compete with the best distilleries

A Taiwanese whisky beat a trio of top Scottish blends in a connoisseurs' blind taste test organized to mark Scotland's annual Burn's Night festivities, the Times reported yesterday.
The Taiwan-distilled Kavalan brand, described as a "Far Eastern incomer," came top in a test against three Scottish and one English whisky in a historic hostelry in Leith, north of Edinburgh, said the paper.

"Oh. My. God," author and whisky connoisseur Charles MacLean told the paper when the unexpected result was confirmed.

The newspaper organized the test itself, in what it called a "piece of mischief-making" inspired by the launch of an English whisky, "St. George's" last November.

Its hope was to catch the experts out with the tipple from Scotland's traditional "Sassenach" English rivals - but to their surprise it was the Asian whisky which came up trumps.

"It's tropical fruits. Tropical fruit jam," said MacLean, chairman of the panel, after Kavalan - which is not marketed in Britain - came out top with 27.5 points out of a possible 40 maximum.

Langs, a three-year-old Scottish premium blend, scored 22 points, followed by King Robert - also from north of the border - on 20 and the English three-year-old malt on 15.5.

Last came quadruple-distilled Scottish blend Bruichladdich X4+3, on only 4.5 points, described by MacLean as "not cooking oil. Not diesel oil. Sewing machine oil."

In a commentary the Times noted: "Asians are not only some of the world's most sophisticated consumers of Scotch, but have begun distilling malts that compete with the best Scottish distilleries."

Burns Night, named after 18th century poet Robert "Rabbie" Burns, competes with St. Andrew's Day as a focus for traditionally whisky-fueled celebrations in Scotland and by Scots around the world. http://www.etaiwannews.com

Note: Well, calling a 3 YO whisky a "premium" blend and blind tasted against other unknown blends, the comparison is quite biased. A comparison with premium Scotch such as Chivas Regal, Glenfarclas or Linkwood would have been more corret. Never the less, the Ka Va Lan is not a bad whisky.

Distillers go with flow as Latin America develops taste for Scotch
By Hamish Rutherford, http://business.scotsman.com
A WORLD away from the whisky stills of Scotland, the Havana Club, a fashionable dancing venue in Cartagena, a colonial-era Spanish city on Colombia's Atlantic coast, is crowded with partygoers, part of an burgeoning middle class in Latin America.
Bottles of Buchanan's and Old Parr disappeared from bars and liquor stores in Europe decades ago, but in this corner of the southern hemisphere the brands are synonymous with a thriving Scotch whisky market. A growing class of affluent consumers in their 20s and 30s crowd chic bars across Mexico and South America, and in large numbers they have taken to one of Scotland's iconic products.

Along with Asia, Latin America has been identified by the Scotch industry as a key region for the future, with the likes of Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia already becoming substantial markets. In 2008, of all the spirits imported into the region, 56 per cent of it by value was Scotch.

The potential for growth is massive, with imported spirits accounting for only 13 per cent of total consumption in the region.

As political and economic volatility decreases in Latin America, affluence is increasing and the opportunity growing.

Diageo, which owns eight of the top 12 Scotch brands in Latin America, has seen compound growth in the category of almost 8 per cent a year during the last five years, as sales in the UK struggle.

Both Buchanan's and Johnnie Walker sell more than a million 12 bottle cases a year in Latin America.

"The great thing about Scotch is it's aspirational," Randy Millian, Diageo's managing director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

An American who lived in Argentina and Costa Rica as a child (his father was a diplomat) Millian knows the region well and has held senior positions with several multinationals there.

While most of Latin America's 340 million adult population may not be able to afford Scotch, Diageo estimates that there are 50 million households with an income of more than $10,000 a year.

"That's a big number," Millian says. As well as selling huge quantities of regular brands, Diageo continually introduces new premium and luxury lines to appeal to the growing middle class. Millian admits that while volatility goes with the territory, the trend is improving.

Latin America suffered a banking crisis in 2003, meaning the financial system was prepared for last year's troubles. "The banking system in a lot of countries in Latin America is a lot better than in Europe, because it went through all this," Millian said in Diageo's Colombia headquarters in Bogota. "The US looks to Brazil as a model of what they would like to do with their banks."

Although careful not to name targets, Diageo's Latin American executives are clearly excited by the future potential of the market.

While the future for countries such as Venezuela remains uncertain, Millian says highly social Latin Americans usually cope with whatever life throws their way.

"Latins will be good with life. The place could be falling down around them and they'll still be having a good time with their friends."

Latins also love to be linked with brands, both fashionable and historical. Another popular Scotch in the region, White Horse, had the label altered to remove the horse image, only to be replace it recently to fuel nostalgia. "Young men remember their fathers drinking White Horse and remember the label, so we put it back on there," says Millian.

Despite its dominance of the Scotch category in the region, United Distillers (which later merged with Guinness to form Diageo) only established a direct business in the region in the 1990s, many decades after Scotch was introduced to the wealthier parts of society.

The history of Scotch in Latin America began when the barons of the industry went across the world in the early 20th century, taking product with them in their suitcase. Sometimes establishing distribution links was secondary to recreational pursuits. Buchanan's – a brand which many Latin drinkers feel ownership of – was brought to South America when Sir James Buchanan, a keen horseman, went to Argentina to seek what were considered the finest horse breeders in the world.

But a long history has not prevented the image of Scotch there from moving with the times in Latin America, perhaps much more so than in the UK.

Johnnie Walker's "Keep Walking" campaign was launched at the Grand Prix of Brazil with a 500 seat stadium for its fans. The brand is closely linked with a major anti-drink driving campaign fronted by two time world champion Mika Hakkinen.

But the success in attracting young and upwardly mobile drinkers in Latin America raises questions about the struggles of the industry in the UK to recruit new drinkers in force.

Ken Robertson, Diageo's head of Scottish corporate affairs, says South America has a number of advantages in fostering a vibrant drinking culture, including its climate and family oriented society.

However Robertson, a board member on the Scotch Whisky Association and The Keepers of the Quaich, says the industry may have also lost touch with younger drinkers since the 1960s and 70s in the UK and has failed to reinvent itself to new drinkers.

Robertson believes that while brands such as Johnnie Walker have been focused at the massive international opportunities, domestic brands in the UK may have less appeal. He said: "Somehow or other we haven't kept (Scotch] as alive as we should have done. I can only speak for Diageo but I suspect in the industry that's something we need to address. Can we get any of that back? It will require a lot of fundamental change, and the problem is, at what point does it become the law of diminishing returns?"

So is it possible that international companies might simply accept that the UK may have turned ex-growth, and focus resources on markets such as Latin America?

"You could see that situation and you could almost end up there by default," he says.

"The brand owners have got to ask themselves, 'do we want to have a growing business here, or do we want to do it on a care maintenance sort of basis, and grow elsewhere'. That will be a tough one (to answer] because the opportunities in Asia and beyond are such that you're going to have to invest."

While Scotland appreciates the economic benefit of the industry, Robertson says most Scots know little of the workings of the industry, with little real ownership of the industry.

"If you have very willing consumers who actually want your products in other parts of the world, and you've got people you're fighting to convince at home, you're going to go where you can grow your business and it's joy to do so."

Whyte & Mackay increases profits

Mark Smith, http://www.heraldscotland.com
Whyte & Mackay, the whisky and vodka maker now owned by flamboyant billionaire Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya, boosted its profits at the pre-tax level, but sales slumped as the recession corked demand for its brands.

Nonetheless, the Glasgow-based Scotch whisky distiller, which last year announced plans to axe 100 jobs after the Chancellor’s tax rises, said it had managed to reduce the number of redundancies to 80 after consultation.

The company, whose brands include Vladivar vodka and Glayva liqueur, as well as the eponymous blended Scotch and Dalmore and Jura malts, posted pre-tax profits of £31.7m for the year to the end of March 2009.

As a result of the reorganisation at the company following its takeover by Mallya’s United Breweries in 2007, the latest annual figures are set against the previous 18 months. However, on an annualised, pro-rata basis, last year’s pre-tax profit compares with £17.1m.

Whyte & Mackay, whose accounts were obtained by The Herald from Companies House, noted that profits were boosted partly because “the decrease in interest payable and similar charges has contributed significantly”.

The accounts reveal that charges in the year to March were down to £14m, compared with £24.2m in the 18 months to March 2008.

The company was also hit by what it described as “onerous lease provision” of around £3.2m in respect of a rented property.

However, at the same time, turnover fell £216m last year, compared with £232.1m on a pro-rata basis during the previous period.

Rob Bruce, head of corporate communications at the group, said: “Without a doubt, it’s been very tough. The time period covered in these latest results was a very bland market with global consumption down almost everywhere, higher production costs and tighter margins.”

Distillery plans to cut costs with bacteria-eating 'digesters'
By VICTORIA THOMSON, http://business.scotsman.com
SLUDGE from a distillery on Islay is set to be turned into green energy to power whisky production on the island.
Bruichladdich will next month install two anaerobic digesters – in which bacteria eat yeasty waste to produce methane – at a cost of about £300,000.

The methane gas will then be burned to provide electricity for the distillery.

Managers forecast the system to have paid for itself within five years and expect savings on their waste disposal costs which currently run at £20,000 a year.

Seven other distilleries on the island are believed to be considering similar schemes.

Up to 80 per cent of Bruichladdich's energy needs could be met by the anaerobic digesters. At present, tonnes of waste from the distillery are pumped into the Sound of Islay each week via a pipeline.

The digesters will be built by Biowayste, company based in Northamptonshire, which has already installed five such systems, including one at Orchard House Foods in Northampton and one at Muntons, a brewery in Suffolk.

Spare gas from the digesters could potentially be used to run methane-powered cars on Islay.

Johnnie Walker gets intense
Written by Claire Hu, http://www.harpers.co.uk/

Diageo is launching a new variant of the world's number Scotch whisky brand called Johnnie Walker Double Black.
The new blend uses peaty west coast whiskies to create a flavour that is more smoky than Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Global brand director David Gates said: “Interest in the Scotch whisky category continues to be high and we believe consumers want to explore the huge range of flavour experiences that a brand like Johnnie Walker can deliver.

"We believe that Johnnie Walker Double Black will excite consumers in the blended Scotch whisky category while delivering a fantastic tasting new blend."

Master blender Jim Beveridge said: “Johnnie Walker Double Black takes Johnnie Walker Black Label as its starting point. Drawing on generations of blending and maturation expertise and with the keys to the largest, most diverse stocks of aged Scotch whiskies in the world, I have created Johnnie Walker Double Black to be a new and complementary perspective on Black Label."
From this month until June, Johnnie Walker Double Black is being trialled in airports around the world.

Just found on internet (www.maltadvocate.com) this.

Diageo launches the next batch of their first-ever single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies

Following the first batch launched in September, Diageo have announced that the second batch of their single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies has arrived.

The project encompasses all 27 of Diageo’s Single Malts - the first time that Scotland’s biggest estate of Single Malt distilleries has issued a comprehensive series of single-cask bottlings. Labelled The Managers’ Choice, each distillery is represented by a very restricted bottling of its Single Malt Whisky drawn from one single cask, selected after a careful examination of distillery stocks.

The rare limited-edition series is aimed at collectors and connoisseurs who will enjoy owning and exploring an unusual expression of their favourite Single Malt or even a whole anthology of highly individual Single Malts, chosen to represent a unique take on each of the 27 distilleries’ distinctive distillery character.

The releases are being staged in four batches over several months. September 2009 saw the first release of six malts: Cardhu™ (1997), Glen Elgin™ (1998), Linkwood™ (1996), Mortlach™ (1997), Oban™ (2000) and Teaninich™ (1996).

This second release comprises of:

Blair Athol £200 1995, 570 bottles, Bodega Sherry European Oak
Cragganmore £250, 1997, 246 bottles, Bodega Sherry European Oak
Dalwhinnie £250, 1992, 270 bottles, Refill American Oak
Dufftown £200, 1997, 282 bottles, Rejuvenated American Oak
Glen Spey £200, 1996, 276bottles, New American Oak
Strathmill £200, 1996, 300 bottles New American Oak
Talisker £300, 1994, 582 bottles, Bodega Sherry European Oak

For each Malt, the cask was nosed, tasted, discussed and finally chosen as a highly distinctive expression of that distillery’s Single Malts by a judging panel of acknowledged experts, including leading maturation experts and the distillery managers themselves.

In many cases, unusual cask woods will have had their influence on the final result. Perfect maturation and spirit quality have been the criteria, resulting in a bottling that delights with original and sometimes unexpected flavours whilst allowing the distillery character to still shine through.

Depending on the size of the cask and the rate of evaporation over the years since it was filled, the volume of bottles obtained can vary between approximately 600 and as little as 200.These are, consequently, extremely rare and distinctive whiskies.

Each cask is bottled at its natural cask strength. This means that the liquid the connoisseur pours into his or her glass is exactly as it emerged directly from the cask when it was hand-picked a few months earlier by the experts – it’s as good as a dram drawn from the cask in the warehouse itself.

Classic Malts Selection spokesperson Nick Morgan said: “As we said last year when the first batch of The Managers’ Choice was launched, this is the most extensive collection we’ve ever released of single cask malt whisky bottlings, from all 27 of our operational malt distilleries.

“Our announcement last September provoked a great deal of interest and comment. The release was a huge success, with a number of customers asking for more allocation. It met all our commercial expectations: in some territories, these bottlings turned out to be the fastest-selling limited-edition single malt whisky bottlings we have ever launched. We expect the second batch, which like before offers both celebrated and lesser-known single malt whiskies, will also be very well received.”

Full details, including tasting notes, will displayed on the Classic Malts Selection™ website www.malts.com. The updated website content includes the story of The Managers’ Choice and the selection process, a “Meet the Managers” page where they talk about The Managers Choice collection & questions related to the world of whisky, whisky tasting notes & audio, Q&A with a Sensory Expert, and details of where to buy the whiskies. Whisky enthusiasts registered as Friends of the Classic Malts™ have been given advance notice of the launch.

The Managers’ Choice bottlings are available from specialist retailers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands only