| 02 Nov 06 | Glenfiddich's £1m campaign FAMILY-owned Scotch whisky brand Glenfiddich is to invest £1 million on a major marketing drive to win a bigger share of Christmas season malt whisky sales. The firm, which latest research shows is in poll position as the UK's best-selling single malt, is to launch the campaign on November 8 based on the fact that the whisky was first distilled on Christmas Day in 1887. It will include the strapline "inspiring great conversation since Christmas Day 1887". |
| 01 Nov 06 | Diageo has expanded its Distillers Edition collection. After the Caol Ila moscatel finish, two new products have been released: Clynelish 1991 Oloroso-seco finish (60%) and Talisker 1991 Amoroso (45.8%) |
| 30 Oct 06 | Thai beer and spirits firm buys Inver House Distillers NICK BEVENS INVER House Distillers, the Airdrie-based producer of whisky brands including Old Pulteney and Knockdhu, Heather Cream liqueur and Coldstream London Gin, has been bought for a "high eight-figure sum" by International Beverage Holdings (InterBev), the international arm of Thai Beverages. Inver was founded in 1964, originally supplying the US market with the Inver House Green Plaid brand of blended Scotch Whisky. In 1988 it was sold to a management buyout and then again in 2001 to Pacific Spirits UK, part of the Virgin Islands-based Great Oriole Group, for £58m. It currently exports to over 80 countries worldwide and produces 500,000 barrels of whisky a year, and had an 8 per cent rise in turnover. InterBev was established in 2003 to support the export and international business of Thai Beverages. It has major operations in its home country, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, the UK and North America. Bangkok-based ThaiBev produces Chang Beer, Mekhong and Sangsom rums, and employs 20,000 people. It has a 60 per cent share of the Thai beer market, a 74 per cent share of the Thai spirits market and was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in May. InterBev said yesterday that operations at Inver House's Airdrie HQ and at its five Scottish distilleries including Old Pulteney at Wick, Scotland's most northerly distillery, will be "unchanged for the company's 150 Scottish-based staff". InterBev president Barrie Jackson said: "Their brands are growing fast and have a reputation for quality and distinction, in particular whiskies such as Old Pulteney, which has had a fantastic year in terms of sales. Our focus is now to drive the business." Inver's managing director, Graham Stevenson, added: "The shift into InterBev will allow us to capitalise on this success, and it will facilitate exciting brand development and expansion." Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 30 Oct 06 | Whisky galore for Chinese leaves sour taste as Scots face price rise LIANNE GUTCHER THE price of a bottle of whisky is set to rise by 10 per cent as growing demand for the spirit in China hits supplies in Scotland, distillers warned last night. Exports to China soared by 86 per cent last year, making 2005 one of the best years for whisky exports. And in the first six months of this year, exports to China rose by 30 per cent compared with the same period last year. The Scottish Whisky Association predicts China will rank among the ten most valuable export markets for whisky in 2006. But a report in The Grocer trade magazine today warns that the increased demand could push up prices by 10 per cent, an average of £1 per bottle on blended whisky. In Scotland, distillers buy whisky from each other to make their own blends, which can contain as many as 30 different single malts. Duncan Baldwin, regional director at Angus Dundee Distillers, told The Grocer: "We have noticed there is not much whisky available to buy any more and what there is sells at a much higher price. The bigger players have realised that sales forecasts for their brands in places such as China mean they need to guard their stocks to furnish this demand. Demand from China is not losing its momentum." He added: "We have to increase our prices due to the supply and demand situation. You cannot survive if you do not adjust your prices accordingly." Another industry source said: "It looks as though prices may have to go up considerably and we are not sure the situation will stabilise soon." A spokesman for the Scotch Whisky Association confirmed that distillers had pricing concerns. "We have heard similar statements from distillers," he said. "We do not really know what will happen but continued growth in China is expected." The spokesman said that some distillers were looking at increasing capacity as a long-term solution to the issue of rising demand. Since China joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001, the import tariff on Scottish whisky has fallen from 65 per cent to 10 per cent. Distribution rules have also been relaxed, making it easier to obtain. Consumption is being driven by aspirational Chinese in large metropolitan areas such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou keen to try international products. In recent years, Chinese consumers have found innovative ways to enjoy whisky - a particularly popular trend is mixing it with chilled green tea. In 2005, exports of malt and blended Scotch rose 4 per cent in total, reaching a combined £2.36 billion. The US remained Scotland's most valuable market last year, worth £372.7 million - a 10 per cent rise - followed by France, up 3 per cent to £255.7 million, and Spain, down 18 per cent to £240.4 million. Exports to Asia surged 24 per cent in total, led by South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. However, the picture at home was not so rosy. The SWA reported a 6 per cent drop in UK sales to 107 million bottles, down from 114 million in 2004. Concern about rising demand from Asia could intensify if the European Commission is successful in getting India, which has the potential to be a major export market, to scrap "additional duties" of up to 550 per cent on imported spirits. According to Chivas Regal, which is the No 1 brand of whisky in China, UK consumers do not have to worry about supplies running out. A Chivas spokesman said: "We are performing very well in China but we have an extensive stock of scotch whisky and quantity is not an issue. We have no concerns about meeting demand." A spokeswoman for Tesco said that the retailer was "aware of pressures on bulk pricing for whiskies from higher energy costs and rising interest rates" but she added that prices for whiskies more than ten years old "do seem to be stable". How Far East developed liking for wee dram WHISKY was introduced to China at the end of the 18th century along with beer, brandy and vodka. Traditionally, distilled spirits have been the preserve of men, with women opting to drink more wine and beer. Chinese consumption styles are quite different from that of the average British whisky drinker. The normal order is not a measure but a bottle and it is drunk throughout the evening. Pernod Ricard's Chivas Regal is currently the best-selling brand of Scotch whisky in China. But Diageo, which is the world's largest beverage company, is battling to overtake its French rival and make Johnnie Walker the most popular brand. As well as whisky, the demand for Cognac is also growing very strongly in China. However, the European distillers may have their work cut out for them. The locally made white spirit, baijiu, which is generally about 80 to 120 proof, remains hugely popular among locals. It is also very cheap compared to imported whisky, which sells for 15 times the price of similarly sized bottle of baijiu. Adding medicinal herbs to rice wine and turning it into a health drink is also a popular local innovation that sells well in China. Several companies in Southern China have begun producing their own whisky far below the quality of the imported spirits. While European whiskies have dominated the Chinese market, American brands such as Jack Daniel's are also competing strongly. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 28 Oct 06 | That’s the spirit as Scotch fights fakes DOUGLAS FRASER, Scottish Political Editor October 28 2006 The battle against imitations of Scotch whisky is to be extended, with moves to make it illegal for foreign spirits to be described as Highland or Lowland. The same protection would also apply to Islay, Speyside, and Campbeltown. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is pushing for legislation at Holyrood that would boost protection for the industry. The legal move would help its case for giving the regional designations of single malts the same protection Scotch already enjoys. If applied in international trade agreements, that would, for the first time, put Islay and Speyside in the same category as Champagne, Parma ham, Roquefort cheese, and Rioja wine from Spain, with protection from European trade law. The move follows several incidences of foreign distillers passing off their product as Scottish. They are already barred from calling whisky Scottish or Scotch if it is not produced in Scotland, and the SWA pursues imitators in courts around the world, with five lawyers working full-time in Edinburgh. This is seen as vital to protecting the £2.2bn export market, £350m of which was last year in the premium market for malts. Now the SWA wants the legal backing to go after labels that appear to be Scottish through their use of the regional designations. Among brands recently challenged through courts across Europe are Highland Gold Finest Whisky, produced in the Netherlands and Surinam, Lowlands Blended Whisky, produced in Spain, and Islay Whisky Cream, distilled in Italy. To tackle these, the association has had to take action under a country's laws of passing off or of unfair competition. It requires them to prove first that Scotch whisky has a recognised reputation. It then involves proving that misuse of the regional name, for example Highland, will result in consumers being deceived into thinking the product in question is a Scotch whisky. "This can be a complex, time-consuming and costly process, depending on the market," said an SWA spokesman. "If the new proposals are adopted and regional names were recognised as geographical indications in UK law, it would be much easier to protect them against misuse." Kenny Gray, of the legal department, said: "We used to keep a list of the actions we had taken, but the work has overtaken keeping up our lists. There's work to keep five lawyers busy, and there are always new things coming in." But he added that there was a bright side: "It's a mark of a successful product that people will try to ride on the back of it in one form or another." If backed by Holyrood, the SWA wants Highland, Speyside, and the other designations to be added to an EU list of Geographical Indications (GIs) which members of the World Trade Organisation would be obliged to protect, without having to prove deception. Meanwhile, the Treasury has rejected Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's call for increased taxes on alcohol, saying it is up to her department to combat binge drinking. Sources indicated the proposal was unlikely to get off the ground because it would punish responsible drinkers in an attempt to change the behaviour of a small minority. Tax was "too blunt an instrument" to tackle the youngsters' drinking habits, the sources said. Source: http://www.theherald.co.uk |
| 26 Oct 06 | Dram fine but Highlanders serve too much whisky INSPECTORS checking pubs for short measures in the Highlands found most publicans were serving drams that were too large. Drinkers of whisky and other spirits at 80 per cent of pubs in Argyll are being served measures up to 60 per cent over the minimum. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 24 Oct 06 | Morrison Bowmore dram fine despite sales fall in whisky ISLAY-based distillers Morrison Bowmore, makers of Bowmore Islay Single Malt, saw sales fall by 4 per cent to £30.6m in 2005, but pre-tax profits rose £154,000 as charges fell, latest accounts show. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 20 Oct 06 | World's 'oldest' whisky could sell for £10,000 A BOTTLE of what could be the oldest whisky in the world is to be sold at auction next month. The rare Scotch is thought to be more than 150 years old and is expected to fetch up to £10,000 - about £300 a dram - at the Bonhams sale of fine wine, port and spirits in London. The label reads: "Glenavon *** Special Liqueur Whisky Bottled by the Distillers." Research by the auctioneers shows Glenavon closed down in the 1850s, meaning that if it was bottled by the distillers, it will be one of the oldest bottles of whisky ever auctioned. The bottle has been put up for sale by a woman from Northern Ireland, whose family has owned it for generations. Bonhams is maintaining client confidentiality, but said the woman remembers the bottle being in her grandmother's home in the 1920s. The bottle is slightly smaller than the familiar 75cl and made from olive-green glass. The liquid appears to be pale gold and the level is surprisingly high for such an old bottle - almost to the neck - said Bonhams. The Glenavon Distillery was situated at Ballindalloch in Speyside where the River Avon meets the River Spey. It was recorded as operating in 1851 and licensed to a John G Smith in 1852. John Gordon Smith was the son of George Smith, founder of the nearby Glenlivet Distillery, and he joined his father in the business in 1846, helping to establish a small distillery at Delnabo in 1849. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 15 Oct 06 | Mallya in talks over Whyte & Mackay bid Sunday, 15 October , 2006, 09:35 London: Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya is currently in the midst of a 600 million pound bid to take over Scotland's major whisky distiller, Whyte & Mackay. Mallya, Chairman of the Bangalore-based United Breweries, flew into Glasgow this week to discuss the potential bid. Mallya is keen to acquire the Scottish distiller to get its hands on its vast aged single malt cellar and its distribution network so he can sell his own whiskies and rums in Europe. Mallya met Vivian Immerman, Whyte & Mackay's chairman, and other senior managers. He also had a tour of the distiller's central Scotland bottling plant in Grangemouth. Other options on the table for discussion were a strategic alliance or distribution deal, The Independent, reported today. As well as the approach from Mallya, the Scottish company has had bids for other parts of its business, which includes the Jura and Dalmore single malt whiskies, Vladivar Vodka, Glavya liqueur and an own-label whisky operation. Immerman has said the business, in which he has invested 110million pounds, is worth at least 600 million pounds based on a sum-of-the parts valuation. In pix: Newsmakers of the week It is Mallya's first visit to Scotland. Buying Whyte & Mackay would enable him to blend its single malts with his own Indian-produced whiskies, which would improve their flavour and given them authenticity. United Breweries is the third biggest spirits group after the UK's Diageo and France's Pernod Ricard. Source:http://sify.com |
| 13 Oct 06 | WikiHow has published on its website a "How to Taste Single Malt Scotch" |
| 13 Oct 06 | Mallya in talks over possible Whyte & Mackay bid LONDON (Reuters) - Indian entrepreneur Vijay Mallya is in Scotland for talks with Whyte & Mackay which may lead to him making a bid for the 600 million pound whisky distiller, sources close to the situation said on Friday. Mallya, who owns India's drinks-to-airline conglomerate UB, was meeting Whyte & Mackay's chairman and majority shareholder Vivian Imerman at the distiller's central Scotland bottling plant in Grangemouth for wide-ranging talks, the sources added. Earlier this week, South African born businessman Imerman told Reuters he was currently evaluating more than one unsolicited bid which may lead to the sale of part of the business, the whole of the business, or a strategic alliance. Mallya's plane has landed in Scotland for his first ever visit to the country, and the talks could concern a strategic alliance or distribution deal as well as the sale of part or whole of Whyte & Mackay, the sources added. A Whyte & Mackay spokeswoman would not comment on the nature of the talks in Scotland. "These talks between Vijay Mallya and Vivian Imerman are continuing to evaluate the strategic options for Whyte & Mackay," the spokeswoman added. Imerman has said the Scottish whisky group, which makes Whyte & Mackay blended scotch together with Isle of Jura and Dalmore single malt whiskies, is valued at 600 million pounds, and it was in talks with UB in addition to others over bids for the group. The valuation of Whyte & Mackay, which was sold for only 208 million pounds in 2001 to a group of investors including Imerman, includes 200 million pounds worth of aged whisky stocks, the sources said. Mallya, who has a controlling stake in India's top beer company, Kingfisher brewer United Breweries Ltd , and owns a spirits business and also founded Kingfisher Airlines, is interested in a UK distillery in order to use its distribution network to sell his Indian whiskies and rums in Europe. "In the course of discussions with them for long-term supply of scotch, we told them that if they are sellers, then we would be interested in buying. The discussion has not gone beyond that," UB's Chief Financial Officer Ravi Nedungadi told Reuters earlier this week. Imerman and his brother-in-law, Iranian-born property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, took full control of Whyte & Mackay last year and refinanced the group with Imerman now owning two-thirds and Tchenguiz one-third of the company. Source: http://business.scotsman.com |
| 07 Oct 06 | Bidders line up for Whyte & Mackay From Ashling O'Connor in Bombay WHYTE & MACKAY, the Glasgow-based distiller, has received approaches from potential bidders including United Breweries, the Indian spirits group with growing ambitions in Europe. Vivian Immerman, Whyte & Mackay’s chairman, said the company, whose other brands include Isle of Jura single malt, Dalmore single malt, Vladivar Vodka and Glayva liqueur, was evaluating “all strategic options” after discussions with more than one suitor. He denied reports that a deal had been agreed after an Indian newspaper yesterday said that United Breweries, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, had bought the company for £400 million. “It is a bit of a shock to wake up and be told someone has bought your company,” he said. “The situation is clear. Whyte & Mackay has not been sold. However, we have received offers for parts of the business. “The company is doing extremely well and the management and myself are committed to growing the business. We will consider all strategic alliances, sales of parts of the business, a merger or an acquisition.” Only last month, the company said it would be “crazy” to sell up having just invested £110 million in restructuring and relaunching its brands. Mr Immerman, who took control of Whyte & Mackay last June through a management buyout, declined to name the potential bidders but industry sources said that United Breweries was among the interested parties. Mr Mallya has known to want to buy a UK distiller to use its distribution network to sell his whiskies and rums in Europe In India, Ravi Nedungadi, United Breweries’ chief financial officer, said: “We are looking at whisky brands in Europe. We are also looking at wine brands in Europe, South America and Australia.” He would not comment on specifics, but added that the group had sufficient funds for acquisitions. “Financing is available. It’s not a constraint for us,” he said. Despite being among the top global spirits producers by volume, United Breweries is small judged by revenue. It needs to bulk up further following the $354 million (£189 million) acquisition last year of Shaw Wallace if it is to challenge Diageo, the market leader, whose net sales from spirits alone last year were $10.7 billion. Whyte & Mackay is one of Scotland’s most respected and famous whisky brands and has about 9 per cent of the worldwide Scotch whisky market. Besides reach, the acquisition would give United Breweries market credibility. India buys more whisky than Russia, China, Turkey and Poland but less than 1 per cent of spirits consumed each year is scotch. RICH TIPPLE Robert Tchenguiz, the Iranian property tycoon, and his brother-in-law Vivian Immerman, the South African entrepreneur, stand to make more than £250 million profit if a deal to sell the lion’s share of Whyte & Mackay for over £400 million proceeds The pair took full control of the business last year after buying the 30 per cent stake of West LB Mr Tchenguiz and Mr Immerman were in a group of investors who bought the whisky business in 2001 for £208 million Source:http://business.timesonline.co.uk |
| 02 Oct 06 | Springbank hase released last week an Hazelburn 8 YO matured in Bourbon and sherry casks (60% and 40% respectively, £32). In the Wood Expression serie, a 9 YO Springbank Marsala has been released. It has spent its last two years in a marsala cask. £37 per bottle. Source:http://www.springbankdistillers.com/ |
| 02 Oct 06 | Highland Park has new release a new limited edition bottling, The Lunar Bottling, a 18 years old single cask bottling for £69.99. Source:www.highlandpark.co.uk |
| 28 Sep 06 | The new Highland Park was shown at the Glasgow Whisky Live. More details about the design of the bottle in the "News From Scotland" report to be published within the next two weeks on whisky-news.com.
Photo taken at Highland Park. P.Brossar©2006 |
| 22 Sep 06 | Whisky 'sale' scotched STUART LAWRIE, managing director of Whyte & Mackay, says it would be "crazy" to sell the firm to tycoon Vijay Mallya. "We're investing £110 million in the next five years. We don't think now is the right time to sell," Mr Lawrie said in response to rumours of a £460m deal. |
| 21 Sept 06 | Winning bottler is in high spirits A WEST Lothian whisky bottling firm has won a prestigious industry award. Broxburn-based company Ian Macleod Distillers was crowned Blended Independent Bottler of the Year earlier this week at Whisky Magazine's annual "bottler's challenge" awards. It is the second year running that the firm has scooped the prize. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 14 Sep. 06 | Tudor Furir, the general manager of Pernod Ricard, one of the largest players on the imported alcoholic beverages market, says the abolition of customs duties once Romania has joined the European Union will lead to a drop in the price of imported spirits, whisky in particular. "The price of whisky will go down by 35% after accession because of the elimination of customs duties, as well as due to prices rallying to those in the EU," Tudor Furir says. This makes Pernod Ricard's boss say that the sales of whisky will double next year, once promotion budgets increase. "We have a portfolio of brands whose growth pace will allow us to double sales next year," he adds. Whisky brands account for over 50% of Pernod Ricard's turnover in Romania. Research institute IWSR says the whisky market will reach over 2.8 million litres this year, an increase of 10% on 2005. Pernod Ricard's general manager added that, under normal market circumstances, imported beverages account for 15-20% of the total of their respective category. "Imports currently represent about 3 to 4% of the volume sold, so that there is a 500% growth potential. I don't think it's just a potential, I believe that 10% of the domestic alcoholic beverage market can be covered by imports by 2010," he says. According to Furir, market growth will be driven by new consumers. "The whisky market is dominated by imports, there is no domestic competition and it is unlikely there will be in the future. This category clearly demonstrates that brands can be successful in Romania and that Romanians are as brand-oriented as the Spaniards and Italians are," Furir adds. Tudor Furir, formerly the general manager of Allied Domecq Romania, took over as general manager of Pernod Ricard Romania at the beginning of this summer. The company he runs became one of the largest players in the industry following the takeover of Allied Domecq. Pernod Ricard's market share was only just above 10%, while Allied had over 50% of the imported spirits market. Source: http://www.zf.ro |
| 11 Sep. 06 | A HOLLYWOOD film mogul is launching the world's first internet television channel dedicated solely to single malt Scotch whisky. The brainchild of Australian film producer Rob Draper, Singlemalt.tv, a 24-hour online whisky channel comprising news, features and ongoing series, will go live at the end of this month. Hosted by industry 'nose' and best-selling author Charlie MacLean, the channel aims to tap into the growing worldwide interest surrounding single malt whisky. It will also be a pioneer in the online television market for specialist interest programming. Draper, who has worked on some of Hollywood's biggest projects, including the Halloween franchise, says preliminary interest in the channel has exceeded all expectations. The channel, hosted by Narrowstep, one of the world's leading internet television service providers, will be available to subscribers at a cost of around £20 a year. Draper is hoping to attract significant targeted advertising revenue. Speaking from Islay, where he is currently filming, Draper said: "Internet television is the future. So far the interest has been phenomenal - we put a place-holder website up on the web and we have already shut down one server in the United States because it can't handle the volume of traffic coming into it." Draper says that the idea came to him while he was working in Los Angeles. Most of the major television networks in the US are now struggling to attract advertising revenue from an industry that is becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Draper says that a television channel based on one particular specialist interest or theme can provide a magnet for advertisers. After toying with a number of ideas, including a cycling channel, he opted for Scotch whisky because he knew it had a wide appeal. He added: "By the end of 2007, all the major networks in the US will have launched high-quality, niche-market internet channels. "Singlemalt.tv is not an internet site, it is a television channel broadcast through the internet. I have done a lot of work on internet television going back to 1997 and it really is the future of television and the future of internet. "We are going to do very high-quality programming and my goal is to make it intelligent programming for people who want good entertainment, want to be informed and want to have fun. "Based on the response we have had so far, I really believe there is a market for it." The channel has camera crews lined up in Norway, France, Holland, Australia, Singapore and India waiting to film content. The site has had 5,000 users within the first two weeks. MacLean, author of Scotch Whisky: A Liquid History and chairman of the nosing panel at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said the TV channel was "an idea whose time is come". He said: "Never has there been such global interest in Scotch, particularly Scotch malt whisky. What better medium to inform and entertain about the subject? The whisky industry is blessed with some amazing characters and so we are already finding there is some terrific material." Earlier this month, Time Out New York magazine launched its own TV channel with a series of more than 200 video reviews and profiles of New York's best restaurants, nightlife, theatre, museums, shopping and spas, children's programmes and other forms of entertainment. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 10 Sep. 06 | Rittenhouse To Debut Pricey New Whisky Some of us are probably know that Heaven Hill Distilleries makes good and cheap rye whisky. Now they are moving up into a higher market. The Courier-Journal reports that the 750-milliliter bottle of Rittenhouse Very Rare 21-Year-Old Single Barrel Straight Rye Whisky is a 100-proof whisky which cost around US$150 at retail outlets. The Bardstown company is shipping 32 barrels, or about 3,000 bottles. It’s a bold move since American whiskies traditionally linger on the low end of the price spectrum. Source:http://www.peepculture.com/ |
| 05 Sep. 06 | At the moment we are distilling at Springbank Distillery. We finished malting at Springbank in the middle of August, and we distilled roughly 16000 litres of Hazelburn Single Malt over the last couple of weeks. At the moment we are distilling Springbank Single Malt, and this will continue until the beginning of October, when we will distil approx. 16000 litres of Longrow Single Malt. This distilling season is the first to be done under the sepervision of Stuart Robertson, our new Distillery Manager. All details on Stuarts appointment are on the news section of www.springbankdistillers.com As many of you have heard, the Springbank Marsala Wood Expression (58% abv), and the second release of Hazelburn 8 year old (46%) are all bottled. We started shipping these products last week to Europe and Japan, with North America following in the next couple of weeks. Shipments to the UK left on Monday 4th September, and should be available throughout the country within the next week. We will be placing both these products on the website on Friday 8th September, and I will add tasting notes for both product in the "tasting notes" section of the website. cheers The Springbank Society Source:www.springbankdistillers.com |
| 04 Sep. 06 | £18m to help Orcadian classic Highland Park go global HIGHLAND Park, the Edrington Group's award-winning Orkney single malt whisky, is to benefit from an £18 million global investment plan, aimed at doubling annual sales over the next five years. The investment, which will be spread across key global markets and age variants of the whisky, follows the conclusion of a £750,000 repackaging exercise, the results of which will be unveiled at the industry showcase, Whisky Live, in Glasgow on Friday. The new bottle and pack will go on sale in major UK supermarkets later this month. In the most aggressive expansion drive in the brand's 208-year history, Highland Park will be heavily promoted in markets where Edrington has built its distribution network for its other brands, the Famous Grouse and the Macallan single malt. Jason Craig, global controller at Highland Park, said: "Our plans are ambitious, but we are in a strong position to maximise the potential of the brand for the first time. We have won many prestigious awards in recent times and the re-pack will build upon these achievements." The brand has just enjoyed its best ever year and sales of Highland Park are outstripping the rest of the single malt category four-fold - with a 17 per cent increase so far this financial year. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 02 Sep. 06 | Read on the Ardbeg website on the 2nd September 2006: "(...)So it is with great regret that this note announces my departure from Ardbeg. I have been considering this for some time not because of any dimming of my passion for The Ultimate Islay Malt - more because there comes a time in life when it's quite simply time for a change. I shall be leaving Ardbeg soon to go off to pastures new, but one thing I will always carry with me are memories of all the conversations, e-mails, tastings, discussions, debates and comradeship we have had over the years. My admiration for Ardbeg under Glenmorangie’s stewardship remains as strong as ever. I wish my successor well and go off to my next adventure bolstered with pride in all that I and the team at the Distillery and Old Kiln have achieved together. I, of course, remain a member of the Committee and look forward to keeping in touch. Slainte Stuart Thomson" Comment: I think that many Ardbeg's enthusiasts will regret the departure of Stuart. I wish him, Jackie and his family all the very best for their future. Patrick |
01 Sep. 06 |
The Evolution of Port Charlotte The first entirely new Islay whisky is launched today - the re-awakening of the long-lost soul of an extinct distillery. ‘PC5 Evolution’ is the first ever release of Port Charlotte single malt whisky, the heavily peated whisky that is distilled, matured and bottled at Bruichladdich on the Isle of Islay. Master Distiller Jim McEwan: “From records we know that Bruichladdich spirit was influenced by peat - to some degree at least - before 1961 The old distillery in Port Charlotte, according to recently discovered records from 1887 stated: “peat only is used in drying the malt, fired in open chauffeurs”. Islander Ruraidh McLeod, then a distillery mashman, remembers what it tasted like. At 85 years old, he is the last man alive to have tasted the original Port Charlotte whisky: “I remember it well; we were called together to try it. It was a special event that called for a rare bottle. Sure enough it was very, very peaty; but it was as smooth as velvet.” The Port Charlotte single malt of today was distilled with barley peated to 40 PPM (parts per million of phenols) making it one of the most peaty whiskys on the island. “It was the result of an incredibly slow ‘trickle distillation’” a specialty of Master Distiller Jim McEwan “to achieve maximum purity, flavour and texture. Sales Director Andrew Gray: “We had no intention, or indeed necessity, to bottle at this age. But we are immensely proud of the quality of the first whisky we made ourselves.” And how does PC5 Evolution compare with the old? Ruaridh McLeod notes: “It has the same peatiness right enough, right enough. Och, its just as smooth as cow’s milk… Professor Walter Schoburt, the first author and whisky expert to taste the new whisky: |
| 31 Aug. 06 | Diageo 2006 Preliminary Results:
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Diageo Plc, the world's largest drinks company, posted a 42% increase in annual profit on Thursday, driven by strong international sales of Johnnie Walker whisky and new product launches. Comment: Diageo hat increased its marketing expenses quite heavily during the last semester, from 5 to 12%, which resulted in a volume growth of 5 to 8%, but only from 5 to 7% in net sales. Spirits is the fastest growing division with an 8% increase in 2006. Sales of Scotch grew of 10% and other Whiskies of 7%. The Industry growth in these 2 categories are 3 and 2%, respectively. |
| 29 Aug. 06 | Competition! Irish spirits have proved they are top of the class at the 37th International Wine & Spirit Competition. Thirty-three Irish Spirits competed in the competition, regarded as the most prestigious in the world, with spectacular results. - 29/08/06 Every whiskey, cream liquer, poteen and vodka submitted was awarded a medal, demonstrating the persistently high quality of Irish Spirits. No other country had such an enviable achievement. The tally for Ireland at the I.W.S.C comprised two GOLD medal winners (Tullamore Dew Heritage Whiskey, and Connemara Peated Malt Whiskey), ten SILVER Medals "Best in Class", eight SILVER Medals and 4 BRONZE Medals. For those readers liking an Irish Whiskey, the accolades go to C&C International with 7 medals, and Cooley's and Diageo with 5 medals each. Also Irish Distillers won the SILVER medal “Best in Class” for Single Malt 12 year-old for their “Redbreast 12 year-old Irish Pot Still Whiskey” Looking at Irish Vodka, Castle Brands received a Silver Medal for their Boru Vodka Brand. Finally, the granddad of them all, Poteen showed why it has survived for centuries. The family-owned brand of Knockeen Hills, www.irish-poteen.com, won four SILVER (Best in Class) Medals for their quadruple-distilled range. These were for their Special Reserve marketed in the USA at strengths of 110 and 180 US Proof and their Gold Extra-Strength sold in the Europe at 80% and 90% vol. The win brings the Knockeen Hills tally to ten medals at the I.W.S.C. The produce exports to over 15 countries world-wide and contributes its success to “word of taste". Source: http://www.theirishworld.com |
| 24 Aug. 06 | At 190 proof (95 % abv), grain alcohol is more than twice as potent as the typical whisky or vodka. It is odorless, tasteless and highly flammable, useful for sterilizing medical equipment or cleaning machinery. To keep people from mixing it into stiff drinks, the Executive Council tried to ban grain alcohol a decade ago. So Councilor Peter Spaulding was stunned when a liquor-store clerk offered to sell him a bottle this week. "It's poison," Spaulding said yesterday, telling Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council about his discovery. "It shouldn't have anything to do with the liquor stores." Spaulding said the councilors had discussed the dangers of grain alcohol a few times in the past decade. A few years ago, Spaulding said, the Liquor Commission promised to stop selling grain alcohol in its stores. Instead, the commission was supposed to offer it only by direct sale - not at retail locations - for those who need it for industrial or medical uses, he said. Spaulding decided to check on that policy during a visit to the state liquor store on Fort Eddy Road in Concord on Tuesday, he said. The clerk quickly offered to sell him a bottle of grain alcohol from the back room for $11.99, he said. That was no rogue clerk. The Liquor Commission's website yesterday showed that grain alcohol -under the brand name Clear Spring - was in stock at 36 of New Hampshire's 76 state liquor stores, at $11.99 for a 750-millileter bottle or $143.88 for a case. Clear Spring is 95 percent alcohol. Spaulding raised the issue at a breakfast meeting with the governor and council yesterday. Fellow Councilor Ruth Griffin said she was also upset to learn that grain alcohol could be purchased easily. The Liquor Commission agreed to stop selling it except for professional use at some point during the administration of former governor Jeanne Shaheen, either in the late 1990s or early this decade, Spaulding and Griffin recalled. Griffin, a retired nurse who represents the Seacoast, said she was worried about college students at the University of New Hampshire and elsewhere drinking grain alcohol. The governor promised to look into the matter. "I'll call Tony and find out what's going on," Lynch said, referring to Tony Maiola, chairman of the Liquor Commission. The three-member commission regulates the sale of alcohol in New Hampshire and controls the state's liquor stores, which generate more than $100 million in revenue a year. Other states have banned or controlled the sale of grain alcohol in recent years. In 1999, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board outlawed the sale of grain alcohol to the general public, making it available only to permit holders through special order. West Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control Administration pulled grain alcohol from store shelves last year. Maiola told the Monitor yesterday that he was surprised to learn the council was talking about grain alcohol again. He said he thought the issue was resolved a decade ago. He recalled that the commission had settled the matter by removing grain alcohol from the shelves but continuing to sell it from the back rooms of liquor stores. He said he sent a letter to store managers advising them to limit grain-alcohol sales to dentists, doctors and others who need it for professional use. "They're only supposed to sell it to doctors and hospitals and stuff. They're not supposed to sell it to you if you go in," Maiola said. Among other precautions, he said, the commission removed grain alcohol from the Hanover store, which is located near the Dartmouth College campus. But the Liquor Commission did not want to ban the sale of grain alcohol outright, he said. "We can't take it away from the doctors and hospitals," Maiola said. Other businesses need it, too, he said, noting a company in his hometown, Newport, that uses grain alcohol to make paint and clean industrial tubes. One Concord dentist, Dr. Richard Berryman, said yesterday that he was unfamiliar with dental uses for grain alcohol. He said he sterilizes his dental instruments in an automatic sterilizer and uses a bleach solution to clean office surfaces. "Years ago, we had some (grain alcohol) in the office, but I can't remember exactly what we used it for," Berryman said. "I think only pharmacists use it to mix certain prescriptions, but other than that I'm not aware of any dental uses of grain alcohol." Maiola said he thought the state liquor stores were appropriately restricting the sale of grain alcohol to doctors, dentists and other professionals. He said the stores have no formal policy for distinguishing among potential consumers, but "I hope they would ask for some identification," he said. Spaulding said the clerk in the Fort Eddy Road offered to sell him grain alcohol without any questions. "I'm not a dentist, and they were all ready to sell it to me," he said. The Liquor Commission website showed that the Concord store had four bottles of Clear Spring on hand at the close of business Tuesday, when Spaulding visited. The two Hampton stores on Interstate 95 had the most, with a total of 59 bottles in stock. "That's not where a lot of doctors and dentists are going to get it," Spaulding said, of the highway locations. He said he was worried college students were buying it. "There's a (drink), I think it's called Jumping Jesus, and it's a fruit punch that they mix grain alcohol with," he said. The website Drinksmixer.com listed 220 recipes for grain alcohol yesterday, including one called "Screaming Purple Jesus," which called for four parts of grape Kool-Aid for every one part grain alcohol. "It's not a product that should be available to the public, particularly where young people can get a hold of it. There's absolutely no social reason to have it," Spaulding said. "You don't come home and have grain alcohol on the rocks to relax after a hard day at the office." Source: http://www.cmonitor.com |
| 23 Aug. 06 |
Dram Fast Malt Bruichladdich is now the fastest growing single malt distillery brand in the world recently released figures from the Scotch Malt Whisky Industry Review 2006 confirm. The Annual review, published by stockbrokers Charles Stanley put Bruichladdich as the 27th biggest selling single malt distillery brand worldwide and 16th in the UK. 85 distilleries are in production. Not bad for such a small, private company that started five years ago, especially one that does not sell to Duty Free, has minimalist marketing budget, and a sales team of just three. That vision will see Bruichladdich release eight new whiskies over the next two months as part of a strategy to offer variety and individuality. This policy has come in for criticism from industry players used to producing this number of new bottlings in two decades rather than two months. “Since we started in 2001, we decided we wanted to offer our whisky naturally – that is without the usual industry practices of colouring or chill–filtration. It gives more flavour. With these self-imposed restrictions the art of designing the bottlings takes on great importance. This job falls to three times Distiller of the Year Jim McEwan: An unusually wide variety of cask types - both American and European oak - and a diverse range of origins - Buffalo Trace to Chateau d’Yquem – allows huge diversity. “ I am always discovering new flavours in the warehouses - I just can’t help it. Sharing that experience with a wider audience with a new or updated edition keeps me sane. Source: www.bruichladdich.com |
| 22 Aug. 06 | Radico Khaitan rose 0.97%, to Rs 161.40 on entering into a joint venture with Britain’s Diageo Plc to develop liquor brands in India. As many as 56,667 shares were traded on the BSE. The stock has been propelled from a low of Rs 120.35 on 9 June to Rs 150.60 on 30 June on the back of fund raising and the formation of a joint venture with SPS, a UK-based distillery. Here, the scrip rose and slipped to Rs 129.50 on 7 August 2006, only to advance to Rs 159.85 on 21 August, on strong Q1 results and issue of $ 40 million FCCBs. At the current market price of Rs 161.40, Radico Khaitan trades at 29 times its Q1 June 2006 annualized EPS of Rs 5.51. Radico Khaitan has formed an equal joint venture with Britain's Diageo Plc to develop liquor brands for the growing Indian market. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals. Diageo brands, including Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whisky, are already sold in India (...). Source: http://rtotla.blogspot.com |
| 20 Aug. 06 | MINUTES before this year's Grand National meeting at Aintree racecourse, a flamboyant, larger-than-life Indian tycoon called an impromptu press conference. As the runners and riders left the paddock, Vijay Mallya, head of India's UB drinks group that includes Kingfisher beer and Bagpiper whisky, prepared to speak. His gripe was with the Scotch Whisky Association which a month earlier had flexed its muscles in opposition to India's punitive tariff system. "India is not a British colony any more," he thundered. "This imposition of British imperialism is unacceptable. The SWA has to understand there are two sides to the coin. They have double standards. I will continue to oppose SWA coming to India until they allow us to sell in England and Scotland. Nobody can take us for granted." It was a fine performance that threatened to upstage any of the top races that day. What angered him was the SWA's refusal to recognise India's range of molasses-based whiskies while aggressively lobbying the World Trade Organisation to put pressure on India to relax its import tax regime and open up the Indian market to Scotch whisky (...). Whatever the price, it could be a masterstroke. With an acquisition of a major whisky brand Mallya gains a foothold in the corridors of power of the SWA. More importantly analysts say that if the SWA is successful in getting the WTO to reduce India's punitive tax on Scotch, which is currently as high as 550%, then Mallya can steal a march on rivals Diageo and Pernod which are champing at the bit to get into India's lucrative whisky market (...). Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 20 Aug. 06 | Whyte & Mackay denies swoop by Kingfisher boss WILLIAM LYONS THE boss of Whyte & Mackay has scorned rumours that the business is about to be snapped up by Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant Indian billionaire who already owns Kingfisher beer. Speculation has been rife that United Breweries, Mallya's company, has been eyeing up the Scottish distiller and preparing a bid in the region of £460m. But last night, managing director Bob Brannan insisted the business was in rude health, private label prices were rising and that it had not received a single bid for any part of the business. Brannan, a former chief executive of Rangers, said: "Vijay Mallya has been described as a cross between Jeffrey Archer and Richard Branson. He has made a few comments that have been taken out of context. We have not had a single bid for any part of our business. "The shareholders want to keep and build the business for the long term. But everything has a value in life. I can't say the company will not be sold in the next 10 years, but on the other hand no one is proactively seeking to do that." Brannan's comments contrast with those emerging from India, which suggest a deal is on the cards and Robert Tchenguiz, the property tycoon and investor in Whyte & Mackay, apparently confirmed that talks were taking place. He said there were "discussions" but nothing had been decided and that the talks were at "a delicate stage". Citibank is advising Whyte & Mackay (...) .By acquiring Whyte & Mackay, which owns Isle of Jura single malt and Dalmore Scotch, he would have two premium Scotch brands that could be distributed through his UB Group in India. He also owns Kingfisher airlines and has announced a fighting fund of £1.3bn to spend on overseas acquisitions to spread the Kingfisher brand worldwide. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 17 Aug. 06 | ONE of India's biggest drinks industry figures is in talks to buy parts of Whyte & Mackay, for a sum believed to be in the region of £460m. The talks come barely a month after the flamboyant multi-millionaire Vijay Mallya, who chairs United Breweries Group, denied that any deal was in progress. Sources close to Mallya, known as the "Indian Richard Branson", confirmed last night that he was talking "right now" with the Glasgow firm, headed by its South African owner Vivian Imerman. UB's chief financial officer, Ravi Nedungadi, said last night: "I can confirm that the United Breweries Group is in talks with Whyte & Mackay. We are at the early stages of these discussions but we are certainly looking at a specific alliance with the company." Mallya, also a member of the Indian upper house of parliament, is a well-established bête noir of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), which has lobbied strenuously to block his attempts to label his molasses-based Indian spirit as whisky in Europe. Industry sources also see his influence behind New Delhi's refusal to remove tariffs of up to 550 per cent on Scotch, currently the subject of a referral to the World Trade Organisation by the European Commission. Should the deal go through, it will be the largest ever overseas acquisition by an Indian company. Mallya, who also owns Kingfisher beer and the airline of the same name, is said by Indian analysts to be "desperate" to buy a Scottish distillery. Sources in Delhi suggest he is in talks to buy the Isle of Jura Single Malt, Dalmore Scotch, Vladivar and Glavya brands. Last night a spokesman said Mallya had "indicated in the past that we are looking to acquire tail brands of international spirit companies". He added: "One of them we are talking to right now is Whyte & Mackay. Right now we are engaged in reviving the marketing tie-up they had with Shaw Wallace." Whyte & Mackay announced a marketing and distribution tie-up with the Indian brewer Shaw Wallace - which UB owns - in 2003 with a view to future market liberalisation. Mallya is believed to be offering £460m for the Scottish brands, in a potential bid backed by Citibank, Standard Chartered and ICICI Bank. UB's Nedungadi declined to confirm which brands the company was looking at, but sources added they were confident the two sides were looking "at all options, including a full buy-out". Mallya is on a major acquisition spree. Last month he confirmed the purchase of the leading French wine maker Bouvet Ladubay for $15m (£7.9m) from renowned champagne maker Taittinger after abandoning his bid for Taittinger itself in May. Mallya is already planning to ship his French wine to India, where it will be bottled and sold to the country's growing middle-class market. He also plans to blend it with his Indian-made wines to improve them and boost their marketability. But it is the European spirits market the Kingfisher tycoon is most fired up about. Mallya's war of words with the Scotch Whisky Association has been bitter. He is known to resent the EU's strict definition of whisky as a cereals-based liquor aged more than three years. Indian spirit is typically molasses-based and therefore not allowed to be labelled as whisky in Europe. Indian distillers are forced to market products under such unattractive titles as "Indian spirit", which they say unfairly favour European producers. United Breweries is the world's third largest spirits marketer, with overall sales reaching 60 million cases. Its McDowell's No1 Brandy is the largest selling brandy in the world. Whyte & Mackay's presence in India is driven by trading subsidiary Kyndal India, which essentially takes care of marketing the company's brands, including Absolut Vodka. Mallya's United controls 70 per cent of the spirit market in India. His vice-like grip on the domestic market tightened after he snapped up Shaw Wallace . Calls to Imerman, and Whyte & Mackay managing director Bob Brannan were not returned yesterday. A spokesman for the SWA declined to comment before details of a deal were confirmed. Scotland's top distillers: 1. Diageo: Oban, Cardhu, Talisker. Turnover: $17bn (£9bn) 2. Suntory: The McClelland ($11bn) 3. Allied Domecq: Laphraoig, Ardmore ($6.1bn) 4. Pernod Ricard: The Glenlivet, Bushmills ($4.2bn) 5. Wm Grant: Glenfiddich, The Balvenie ($592m) 6. Edrington: The Macallan, Highland Park ($415m) 7. Whyte & Mackay: Dalmore, Isle of Jura ($283m) Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 17 Aug. 06 | WHYTE & Mackay is one of Scotland's most respected and famous whisky brands. Its self-named product currently has a 3 per cent share of the UK market and about 9 per cent of the worldwide Scotch whisky market. But the company has had a troubled recent past. Only last week, the firm, previously known as Kyndal, posted a £3 million loss as it continued to seek to reinvent itself in the premium market, as sales climbed 4 per cent to £149m. Kyndal itself was a £200m buy-out from Jim Beam in 2001 in one of Scotland's largest ever management buy-outs. Whyte & Mackay also owns the Dalmore and Jura brands, as well as Vladivar vodka, Glayva liqueur and Fettercairn Highland single malt. Since last year, the company has been owned in its entirety by South African business tycoon Vivian Imerman and his fellow multi-millionaire retail investor Robert Tchenguiz, after they took over the 30 per cent stake previously owned by German Bank WestLB. Imerman joined Kyndal in 2002 as executive chairman, having previously run and owned the famous Del Monte fruit and drinks brand. He invested tens of millions into the struggling firm and last year appointed Dundee United chairman Bob Brannan as managing director. The appointment was aimed at driving a major change in direction, away from own-label whisky for the supermarket, where prices have plummeted in recent years, towards more premium brands. Whisky analysts think the strategy is fundamentally sound, but certainly not a quick fix. With the distilling for premium brands taking more than a decade, Whyte & Mackay's losses could well continue in the short term. An injection of a possible £460m for its lesser brands - a generous sum - could certainly provide financing for an ongoing restructuring process. Speculation that India's brewing king Vijay Mallya was on the verge of buying some of the company emerged last month, but it was then strongly denied by the chairman. Yesterday's comments appear to confirm that serious talks are now taking place. In the past, foreign ownership of Scotch brands has not been a damaging trend. Overall, whisky companies have thrived under foreign ownership. Pernod Ricard is a case in point. Better known for the pastis, it now owns some of Scotland's finest whiskies following its £5.7 billion carve up of drinks giant Seagram in December 2001. At the last count, it had Chivas Regal, the Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Glen Keith, Longmorn, Strathisla and Benriach. It also took over the 100 Pipers blend, plus the export market whisky Something Special. Not to mention Clan Campbell, Aberlour and Edradour. Imerman's arrival at Kindal in 2002 raised eyebrows within the industry. Sceptics suggested he was in it for short-term gain, and asset stripping was likely to follow - no way, said the traditionalists, to treat such a Scottish treasure. His style of management, and his brutal cost-cutting at the debt-ridden Whyte & Mackay, scared off many of the company's top management soon after he took charge. Six months after he assumed the chair, Brian Megson, the chief executive of the then Kyndal who led its £200m MBO just 15 months before, announced he was leaving. Imerman assumed his role. In the following months other senior figures followed, as Imerman struggled to manage, and cut, the company's £200m debts, mainly racked up by the massive repayments made to WestLB, which took a 40 per cent stake in the company in return for supporting the MBO. Seven other top officials followed. But Imerman persevered with his reforms, which in August 2003 saw the disappearance of the obscure corporate moniker, as it confirmed that 200 Scottish jobs were to be axed after closing its Edinburgh bottling operations in favour of a £20m redevelopment on the site of its Grangemouth bottling plant. Under the Whyte & Mackay name, the ongoing shakeup involved the injection of some £70m, generated partly through the sale of non-core assets. Imerman said he planned to spend £50m on marketing his core brands as well as building the own-label whisky business. He bought out the management's shares, giving him a 60 per cent stake in the firm. In February last year, he finally took complete control of Whyte & Mackay after buying WestLB stake. It was said this week that Mallya considers snapping companies up as a hobby - pretty much like buying a plane or a yacht. Indian sources suggest he has his sights on Isle of Jura Single Malt, Dalmore Scotch, Vladivar and Glavya - and the finances to secure the transaction have been tied up. They say an acquisition in Europe will benefit him hugely with the distribution network of the acquired pieces of the company to be used as a platform to launch UB's products in the European market. With allegations of having in the past used his political influence to help his bottom line, and the bad blood between Indian and Scottish whisky producers, it is unlikely that the whisky fraternity here will raise a roast to his ambitions. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 15 Aug. 06 | Author raises a glass to whisky book deal
A JAPANESE-BORN tour guide is the toast of the town after finally landing a major publishing deal for her guide to Scotland's distilleries. Comment: A comment of the book "The Scottish Whisky Distilleries" by U. Misako can be found in the literature section and I express all my congratulations to Udo Misako. |
| 10 Aug. 06 | EUROPEAN Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has thrown his weight behind the Scotch Whisky Association's (SWA) campaign to halt "unfair" tariffs imposed by India, following a damning report by the EU which found India in "blatant violation" of WTO rules. The strongly-worded report, which resulted from complaints by the SWA and the European Wine and Spirits Federation, threatened a full-scale trade dispute if India did not take rapid action to dismantle "additional duties" of up to 550 per cent on imported spirits. The 104-page document is the fruit of an eight-month EU investigation, conducted under trade barrier regulation (TBR) procedure. It has so far elicited no official response from the Indian government, which stands accused of "failing to co-operate" with the investigation into the state and local tariffs that effectively block exports to one of the biggest potential Scotch whisky markets in the world. Mandelson has been "closely engaged" with the industry's repeated complaints over India's behaviour, one of his officials said yesterday, adding that the commissioner had discussed the issue with the Indian commerce and industry minister, Kamil Nath. "The commissioner urges the Indian government to consider the report and is keen to work with them to help bring their practice into line with their WTO obligations," he said. Under the EU's rules, the complainants are now free to trigger a 60-day "consultation period" with their Indian counterparts, as a prelude to forcing New Delhi to appear before a WTO panel in Geneva, which has binding legal powers over members. While the EU complaints procedure stipulates no timeframe within which New Delhi must "rapidly abolish" its additional duties on imported spirits, most observers expect action if the EU-India business summit in Helsinki in October does not result in an Indian climb-down. Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the SWA, called the report "comprehensive and highly critical" of India's duty regime and expressed hopes that the issue could be resolved "without the need to resort to the WTO". He added: "A non-discriminatory duty regime would offer Indian consumers more choice at a reasonable price, boost Indian government revenue and introduce a fair, level playing field for international producers." Legitimate Scotch whisky exports to India in 2005 were worth £26 million, though far greater volumes are believed to be traded through the black and grey markets. Some analysts blame ties between lawmakers and domestic producers for India's reluctance to scrap the added duties. Domestically produced whisky accounts for 99 per cent of India's 100 million case spirits market. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 09 Aug. 06 | As seen on the website of a german whiskyshop, http://www.artofwhisky.de, the new releases of Murray McDavid are the following ones:
Mission VI (€149 per bottle): Mission Gold Series: |
| 06 Aug. 06 | Whyte & Mackay racks up £3m loss HAMISH RUTHERFORD SCOTCH whisky major Whyte & Mackay has posted another multi-million pound loss as it seeks to reinvent itself in the premium market. The group made a pre-tax loss of just over £3 million in the year to 30 September 2005, as sales climbed around 4 per cent to £149m compared with 2004. The deficit in shareholders' funds was reduced by more than £12m to £1.5m after the company issued more than £15.5m in new capital. The company was not returning repeated phone calls yesterday. Despite the loss, the accounts show performance could be improving at Whyte & Mackay, previously known as Kyndal after a £200m buyout from Jim Beam in 2001. Gross profit was £34.4m, around £3m more than 2004. The pre-tax loss was also an improvement on previous years, after a £4.8m loss in 2004 and £13.7m in 2003. Whyte & Mackay's self-branded whisky holds around 3 per cent of the UK whisky market. It also owns the Dalmore and Jura brands as well as Vladivar vodka and Glayva liqueur. Since last year the company is owned by South African business tycoon Vivian Imerman and his fellow multi-millionaire retail investor Robert Tchenguiz after taking the 30 per cent stake perviously owned by German Bank WestLB last January. The deal came as a surprise to the industry as the company racked up large losses. Imerman, who joined Kyndal in 2002, has poured tens of millions into the struggling firm and last year appointed Dundee United chairman Bob Brannan as managing director. The appointment was meant to drive a major company direction change away from own-label whisky for the supermarket, where prices have fallen dramatically in recent years, towards more premium brands. Yesterday a whisky industry analyst said that, while the strategy was fundamentally sound, it was not a quick fix - with the distilling for premium brands taking more than a decade - and that he expected Whyte & Mackay's losses could continue. Last month there was speculation in the Indian media that Mumbai-based UB Group was on the verge of buying the company, strongly denied by chairman Vijay Mallya. The accounts - released this week but signed in February - said it was at an "advanced stage" in selling some of its assets, but did not say what. Earlier this year its attempts to sell its Highland grain distillery, Invergordon, foundered, reportedly because the asking price of £180m was considered far too high. As in the previous two years, the company paid no dividend, but directors shared £287,000 in emoluments, including £241,000 to the highest-paid director. Staff numbers were cut by around 30 to 603. It faced one-off costs of £8.6m, mainly from redundancy costs, writing off debt and restructuring. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 31 Jul. 06 | Old Pulteney tops prestigious drinks awards ALISTAIR McARTHUR A LEADING Scottish distiller has been toasting success after it won a clutch of awards for its whisky range in a prestigious competition. The Airdrie-based Inver House Distillers beat off stiff competition from around the world to land the highest accolade possible - gold: best of class - for its flagship Old Pulteney 12-year-old single malt whisky at the 2006 International Wine & Spirit Competition, which was judged in London and attracted more than 6,000 entries from 73 countries. Other Inver House brands that won top medals included Balblair Single Malt, anCnoc Single Malt, Speyburn Single Malt, Heather Cream Liqueur and further line extensions for Old Pulteney, bringing the total awards count for the independent company to twelve. Karen Walker, marketing manager of Inver House Distillers, was particularly pleased with the recognition that Old Pulteney received. "The whole team at Inver House, from distilling to sales, have worked hard to ensure that the brand has enjoyed a growing reputation as a superb malt whisky," she added. These latest awards build upon what has been already a successful year for Inver House Distillers. Last month, Balblair 35-year-old and Balblair 38-year-old won gold at the Drinks International Spirits Challenge, while in March, top medals for Old Pulteney and Balblair were also awarded at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The group owns and operates five distilleries - Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn, Knockdhu and Balmenach - which contribute to sales of single malt and blended Scotch whiskies to over 85 countries. Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 30 Jul. 06 | Russian red tape scotches whisky sales as bid to tackle counterfeiters collapses THE Scotch whisky industry has rounded on the Russian government over a bureaucratic bungle that has left thousands of bottles of whisky stranded in warehouses, unable to be sold. The problem arose at the beginning of this month when the deadline for a new law aimed at curbing counterfeit whisky was passed. Under the legislation, every bottle of spirits imported into Russia had to carry new barcoded excise labels which linked up to an electronic database and tracking system. But it appears the Federal Customs Service failed to prepare properly, as most retailers were not issued with the new excise labels. This has resulted in thousands of bottles of Scotch either having to be sold off on the cheap at the end of June or sent back to the warehouse. Industry insiders say the lost revenue will cost the trade thousands of pounds and will heavily depress export sales figures to Russia. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that it could be three months before the authorities get their act together. Paul Ross, director of Asia and Eastern Europe for Edrington, which has seen sales of its Macallan grow by more than 30% a year in Russia, said the industry was waiting for the situation to be resolved. He said: "The industry as a whole is keen for the issue over strip stamps to be resolved as soon as possible. In the meantime, Edrington has taken steps to ensure that we will be able to respond in an effective manner when a solution is found." Most Russian supermarkets have taken to filling the space occupied by whisky, gin, tequila and French and Australian wines with traditional products such as packets of crisps and peanuts. It has also been reported that some of Moscow's top restaurants have refused to hand customers wine lists as there is nothing available. So far, it is Russia's new middle class that has been worst affected. In recent years it has developed a taste for Scotch. But vodka has also been affected, with sources in Moscow saying it is disappearing from the counters. Last night, a spokeswoman for Diageo, which supplies J&B and Johnnie Walker to Russia, said the firm was now asking the authorities to waive the bar-coding requirement at least until the end of 2006, or until the technical problem is resolved. She said: "Imported products are yet again at a halt in Russia. Diageo has raised its concern at this situation - both as an organisation and through the various industry bodies in which it participates. This problem is now being discussed at the highest levels in the government in Moscow." Campbell Evans, director of government and consumer affairs at the Scotch Whisky Association, said: "It is very disappointing for the Scotch whisky industry, which is trying to open up a potentially strong growth market for the future, that the government's inefficient bureaucracy is holding back our sales." Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 26 Jul. 06 | Trade talks collapse 'will hit whisky trade' PROSPECTS for increasing exports of Scotch Whisky have been dealt a severe blow by the collapse on Monday of the Doha round of global trade negotiations, the Scotch Whisky Association claimed yesterday. Campbell Evans, director of government and consumer affairs for the industry group, called the failure of the Geneva meeting "disappointing and regrettable" and urged the parties to reconvene after "a summer of contemplation". "We have stared into the abyss but must find a way to get back round the table" he said. Evans, who travelled to Geneva to lobby participants before the talks convened at the weekend in conjunction with other representatives of the World Spirits Alliance, said that, among UK exporters, the Scotch whisky sector has "the most to gain and the most to lose" on the outcome of the talks, which if successful, would facilitate whisky's access to underexploited markets. "For us the issues are freedom from excessive tariffs and protection for Scotch as a geographical indicator. We want more countries in the WTO club." Evans cited China as the best example of the benefits of multilateral resolution of trade disputes: "Tariffs came down from 65 per cent before they joined the WTO to 10 per cent today, with the result that our sales increased from £1.5 million in 2000 to £46m last year. The SWA is currently awaiting the results of an EU investigation, into the high level of tariffs imposed by India, which it claims is "already in breach of WTO rules". Source: news.scotsman.com |
| 25 Jul. 06 | LVMH has published today their First Half 2006 results, with a growth of 18%, from 1030 to 1220 mio€ for the Wine and Spirit division. This excellence performance was achieved through strong volume growth accompanied by improved product mix and a continuing policy of introducing price increases in key markets. Source: www.lvmh.com Note: The statement of LVMH, combined with the news regarding the Ardbeg 1965 show trends in the future of the whisky market and whisky pricing. I wrote some thoughts in the Forum section of this website and would be glad to have your opinion. Thank you in advance: TO THE FORUM |
| 25 Jul. 06 | New releases are expected for the next months. In the programme of the Whisky Live in September in Paris, the following releases will be: Arran 100 Proof Arran Sauternes Finish Auchentoshan 18 YO 55.8% 2006 Limited edition Ben Nevis 14 YO Port Finish Benriach 1994 single cask Benriach 25 YO Benriach 30 YO Benromach 1968 Brora 30 YO 5th Release Caol Ila Distillers Edition Caol Ila Unpeated 8 YO Cragganmore 17 YO Dalwhinie 20 YO Glenfiddich 12 Toasted 40% Glenmorangie 15 YO Highland Park 15 YO Port Ellen 1978 6th Release Talisker 25 YO Source: http://whiskylive.fr/ |
| 25 Jul. 06 | Environmental concerns lead to lighter whisky bottles One of the major bottle manufacturers in the UK has introduced lighter spirit bottles to reduce the amount of packaging sent to landfill. Allied Glass has reduced the weight of glass used in its generic 70cl and 1.5l bottles. It has saved 4,788 tonnes of glass in a trial organised by Waste Resources Action Programme (Wrap), a state-sponsored body aiming to create markets for recycled materials. The 5th highest selling blended whisky, High Commissioner, and Glen's Vodka, which I have never heard of but is apparently the third highest selling vodka in the UK, are using the bottles. They are also used for some supermarket own-label whiskies and vodkas. Savings are made by the reduction in energy costs as less glass is used and in transportation costs as the bottles are lighter to transport. Retailers are increasingly attempting creative ways to reduce resources wasted on packaging goods as they try to reduce their liability for landfill tax and at the same time respond to consumer demand. Source: http://www.slashfood.com |
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