Our new expression – The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 7 is now available worldwide exclusively through travel retail outlets. Perhaps now would be a good time to think about that holiday you hadn’t planned.
Slainte Mhath
David Mair
The Balvenie Distillery Ambassador
Tasting Notes: Balvenie 12 Year Old Single Barrel First Fill
The folks at The Balvenie aren’t really known for changing their core range around all that much. We’ve had DoubleWood 12yo for a while now, with David Stewart’s Signature 12yo coming in as the new kid on the block a … Continue reading >>
The post Tasting Notes: Balvenie 12 Year Old Single Barrel First Fill appeared first on The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog.
DISTELL BUYS TOP SCOTCH WHISKY PRODUCER, BURN STEWART DISTILLERS
The Distell Group, South Africa’s leading spirits, wines and ready-to-drinks business has acquired top-performing producer of Scotch whiskies, Burn Stewart Distillers Limited, for just over R2,2 billion (£160 million) from the Scottish based CL World Brands Limited and Trinidad and Tobago based Angostura Limited, owners of Hine Cognac and Angostura Bitters respectively amongst other global brands.
The strategic purchase of the fully integrated producer of both Blended and Single Malt Whiskies will allow Distell to capitalise on the continuing global growth in Whisky consumption and give it access to scarce blended and single malt stocks from prime whisky-producing regions in Scotland, while also enhancing its global footprint.
The deal follows an equal partner venture established in 2007 between Distell and Burn Stewart in which the two parties co-owned and marketed three Scotch Whiskies – Bunnahabhain, Black Bottle and Scottish Leader, in sub-Saharan Africa.
The agreement between Distell, CL World Brands Limited and Angostura Limited, announced today (15 April, 2013) involves the purchase of 100% of the equity in Burn Stewart whose portfolio includes: three single malt whisky distilleries; a blending and maturation facility; a bottling hall; and a dry and finished goods storage site, as well as its in-house marketing and distribution functions. All Scotch Whisky stocks currently in maturation also form part of the transaction.
Burn Stewart is based in East Kilbride, near Glasgow, Scotland. The company employs close to 270 staff.
It also operates a sales and marketing branch in Taiwan, the world’s fourth biggest Scotch Whisky market by volume; and it holds a majority stake in a spirits distribution arm in the USA.
The biggest brand in its portfolio is Scottish Leader, the pre-eminent Blended Scotch Whisky in its category in Taiwan.
Others are the blended whisky Black Bottle as well as the single malts Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig. Some have long-established histories dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
All are recognised for quality excellence on leading competitive platforms. They are sold in over 60 countries and have been making impressive inroads into developing markets.
Commenting on the deal, Distell Group MD Jan Scannell said: “Our acquisition of Burn Stewart is a very significant development for Distell from a strategic perspective but also given the rich and proud history and heritage of the brands involved. This gives us an outstanding foundation from which to build, while cherishing their individual traditions.
“Bunnahabhain, the Burn Stewart Distillers’ flagship single malt, is made on Islay, considered one of the most prestigious whisky locations by connoisseurs. There are only eight distilleries on the Island, so we are extremely fortunate to acquire this very highly-ranked brand.
“Tobermory is the only distillery on the Isle of Mull, one of the most popular tourist spots in Scotland, while the home of Scottish Leader is the Deanston Distillery situated in the Scottish Highlands in Doune near Stirling, close to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and another important destination for whisky enthusiasts.”
Scannell confirmed that Scottish Leader, so well established in Taiwan, would give Distell a springboard into a country with a growing appetite for other speciality drinks the company offers.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) data shows that the global whisky market has been one of the fastest-growing drinks segments and after vodka, is the world’s biggest spirit category by volume.
The most recent SWA figures show that for the ten years from 2002 to 2012, sales values rose by 87% to £4,3 billion (R59,9 billion).
Consumption has risen across both developed and emerging markets, notably the UK, the US, as well as Latin America, Eastern Europe, many parts of Asia and in key African markets.
Scannell added: “We have acquired a business with a portfolio of strong brands, backed by a sound production and marketing team. Their expertise is integral to the ongoing success of Burn Stewart.”
Marlon Holder, MD of CL Financial Limited, parent of CL World Brands Limited, said he was confident that Distell, a long-established company dating back to 1925 and with a reputation for successful brand building, would take Burn Stewart to the next level of its international development.
Burn Stewart MD, Fraser Thornton, said: “The close working relationship with Distell over the fourteen years has amply demonstrated the South African group’s capacity, experience and expertise to strengthen and grow the company.
“We have developed solid synergies with a strong cultural fit between our two entities and are enthused by Distell’s plans to recapitalise and advance the business.”
The purchase marks the second time in recent years that Distell has invested in a major global spirits acquisition.
In 2009 the company acquired well-known heritage cognac brand Bisquit from Pernod Ricard.
In the four years since then, it has re-established the brand as a major cognac player in global markets, building volumes by double digits across a range of developing markets.
Notes:
About Distell
For more visit: www.distell.co.za
About Burn Stewart
For more visit: www.burnstewartdistillers.com
WHISKY GALORE @ THE GREEN WELLY STOP
http://www.thegreenwellystop.co.uk/whiskyshop
The Green Welly Stop are the exclusive online retailer of this stunning and rare product, very rarely seen bottled by independents. The cask was gifted to Oban Lifeboat for their fundraising efforts.
All proceeds of this whisky are going back to Oban Lifeboat.
The hogshead was filled at the Distillery on 29 July 1994.
The bottling took place with Douglas Laing & Co Ltd on 18 February 2013.
One of only 297 bottles.
We have a limited number left ready for dispatch.
Available to order now
Contact craig@thegreenwellystop.co.uk for more information.
In March, we hit the significant milestone on Facebook of 10,000 likes. We are thrilled to have so many loyal Facebook followers and to celebrate this and thank you all, we launched a competition to win a bottle of our multi-award winning 21 yo malt. Here’s the question to ponder…
10,000 days ago Facebook had not been invented. However in 1985, our craftsmen at Glengoyne were already producing the slowest distilled whisky in Scotland, hand selecting only the finest oak casks and drying our barley by air, never peat.
A sherry butt was filled with our amazing spirit back then and still sleeps in our Dunnage warehouses. However if we were to bottle that whisky today how many cask strength, unchilled filtered, 70cl bottles do you think we would have to tantalise your taste buds with?
A wee clue: the first year our sherry butt gives away 4% ‘angel’s share’, then every year thereafter it is an average of 2%.
The competition closes on Thursday 18th April and the person who guesses the nearest figure to the actual number of bottles, wins the 21 yo. There’s still 3 days left to enter, so for your chance to win, please visit our website or Facebook page. Good luck!
Kilchoman Loch Gorm
1st release of the new sherry cask matured expression from the Islay farm distillery.
Matured in Oloroso sherry butts for 5 years
and double matured in in Oloroso sherry hogsheads. Limited release!
Win a bottle of single malt from our Rare Casks Series!
We’re giving you the chance to win the 1st release in ‘The Rare Casks‘ series by Abbey Whisky. Since its launch whisky writers and bloggers have been singing the praises of the Caperdonich 17 Year Old. We thought it was only fair to share the love and give our fellow whisky buffs the chance to sample this fine dram.
87/100 – Serge – Whisky Fun
“I really enjoy this kind of jumpiness, it’s a very lively Caperdonich that, at times, hints at Rosebank in a way”
The Whisky Wire
“A Mothballed Marvel”
94/100 – Squidgy Ash The Whisky Fiend
“If you get a chance to try this whisky, to buy this whisky, don’t hesitate, DO SO. Right now!”
Whisky Magazine
“A delightful elegant dram”
It couldn’t be easier to enter…
All you have to do is retweet the competition message via Twitter and follow @abbeywhisky
Competition Message
RT & Follow @abbeywhisky to #win a bottle of Caperdonich 17 Year Old #malt #scotch #whisky – #therarecasks series by @abbeywhisky
Competition closes 23.59 (GMT) on Thursday 30th April 2013. The lucky winner will be chosen at random and revealed on Wednesday 1st May 2013.
Click here for full T&C’s
Happy Tweeting!
www.ralfy.com finds his form (gett-it !) with Whisky Review 255 (2/3) – Advanced Whisky Masterclass – Form
TALISKER OPENS DOORS TO VISITORS AFTER £1MILLION REVAMP
THE world-famous Talisker Distillery on the Isle of Skye has opened its doors to its spectacular new visitor centre following a £1million redevelopment.
Distillery manager Mark Lochhead officially opened the new centre in time for the Easter tourist season following a major revamp and expansion of the distillery’s visitor facilities.
Talisker is the only distillery on Skye and is a leading tourist attraction on the island, welcoming almost 60,000 visitors last year. The major investment has significantly extended the visitor centre and dramatically enhanced the offering for visitors to the iconic distillery.
Mark Lochhead said:
“We are absolutely delighted with the investment we have made here at Talisker and with the new facilities we have created. Talisker is going from strength to strength as a brand and the distillery is growing in popularity with people coming from all over the world to visit the home of our iconic single malt.
“The new visitor centre gives us a wonderful stage to tell the story of Talisker with its rich history and heritage and also to give our visitors a really high quality experience which matches the unique whisky we make here.
“We are also delighted for the local economy here on Skye. This investment has seen a significant number of contractors staying in the area benefiting local businesses and the increasing tourism will also have a great knock-on effect for local businesses.”
The investment has seen the creation of a new welcome area for visitors and a spectacular enhanced viewing gallery in one of the distillery warehouses. New tasting rooms have also been created in which visitors can savour Talisker™ single malt Scotch whisky in surroundings which reflect the heritage and provenance of the whisky.
Diageo operates 28 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, more than any other company, and with 12 of these having dedicated visitor centres it is also the leading provider of whisky tourism facilities, welcoming over 270,000 visitors last year. These include the homes of some of Diageo’s iconic Scotch whisky brands such as Glenkinchie, Oban, Lagavulin, Dalwhinnie, Royal Lochnagar and Cardhu.
Talisker is Diageo’s busiest distillery visitor centre welcoming 59,767 people in 2012- up by more than 10 per cent from 54,303 in 2011.
Talisker is also one of Diageo’s leading single malt Scotch whiskies in terms of sales performance, delivering net sales growth of 20% in the company’s recent half year results.
