Hillhouse Capital Announces Acquisition of Loch Lomond Group 

Deal marks a major step in whisky maker’s international expansion Loch Lomond’s management joins buyout group

June 6, 2019, Scotland – Hillhouse Capital Management, a global investment firm with a focus on innovative businesses in growth industries, today announced that it is partnering with the management team from Loch Lomond, one of Scotland’s most historic and iconic whisky producers, to acquire Loch Lomond Group from Exponent Private Equity.

Since the original buyout of Loch Lomond from the Bulloch family in 2014, the company has invested significantly in growing its portfolio of brands, distillery and bottling infrastructure, global distribution platform, and management team. The business now generates about 70% of its revenue from more than 100 international markets, versus less than 10% at acquisition.

Teaming up with Hillhouse offers a strong partner for the business to further develop its international presence, particularly in Asia where whisky has become increasingly popular in recent years, and a market where Hillhouse has deep knowledge and strong business relationships. Hillhouse also brings to the partnership a strong track record of building long-term relationships with innovative consumer brands, such as Peet’s Coffee and Gimborn, in helping them expand their global presence and reputation.

Loch Lomond has a rich heritage dating back to the early 19^th century and is a leading international producer of malt, blended and grain whisky. Its key premium Scotch whisky brands include Loch Lomond – “The Spirit of the Open,” Glen Scotia, and Littlemill, the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland. It also produces the “High Commissioner” and Loch Lomond blended Scotch whiskies, as well as Glen’s Vodka, the No. 2 vodka brand in the UK market, and Ben Lomond, premium Scottish Gin.

The company’s production spans sites across Scotland. It operates its Loch Lomond malt and grain distilleries at Alexandria in Dunbartonshire, Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown, Argyll and has its own bottling plant in Catrine, Ayrshire. 

Commenting on the sale, Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said, “Over the past five years we are proud to have transformed The Loch Lomond Group into a premium international spirits business with a strong focus on innovation and a portfolio of award-winning brands.

“We believe now is the right time to move forward into the next stage of our growth strategy as we look to innovate further, extend our portfolio of brands and continue to expand our international presence, particularly in Asia where Hillhouse has significant experience.

“The team at Hillhouse have impressed us immensely, and we look forward to partnering with them as we embark on the next exciting stage of our journey. We share both their vision and dedication to premium consumer brands.”

Wei Cao, Partner at Hillhouse Capital, commented, “Loch Lomond’s rich heritage in Scotch whisky gives the business a distinct advantage as they look to further build on their success across the world, especially in the increasingly discerning Asian spirits market. Hillhouse’s experienced operational team will work closely with Loch Lomond’s management to help it offer a premium consumer experience in international markets through channels like e-commerce and new retail. We believe that the strongest advantages in business are innovative and differentiated products and management teams, which is why we are so excited to help Loch Lomond realize the potential of its outstanding brands in huge new consumer markets, such as Asia.”

Mark Taylor, Partner at Exponent, said: “We are very proud to have partnered with Colin and his team at Loch Lomond over the last 5 years, demonstrating Exponent’s investment philosophy of backing unique companies with great management and huge untapped potential.

“We are delighted with the successful sale to Hillhouse, and we believe they will be great partners for the business. We wish both the management team and Hillhouse every success for the future and look forward to seeing the company continue to prosper.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Notes

About Loch Lomond Group

Loch Lomond Group is an international premium branded spirits business with global presence in over 120 countries. The company’s production spans sites across Scotland and is one of the few distillers to have a fully integrated production and supply capability with 2 distilleries at Alexandria in Dunbartonshire and on-site cooperage, Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown, Argyll and its own bottling plant in Catrine, Ayrshire.

Its multi award-winning portfolio of brands include Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia and Littlemill, recently discovered to be the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland. It also produces the “High Commissioner” and Loch Lomond blended Scotch whiskies, as well as Glen’s Vodka, the No. 2 vodka brand in the UK market, and Ben Lomond premium Scottish Gin.

In 2018 the company signed a five-year partnership with The R&A for Loch Lomond Whiskies to become “The Spirit of The Open”. The period includes the playing of the landmark 150th Open in 2021 at St Andrews, the home of golf.

For further information visit Loch Lomond Whiskies on Twitter: @LochLomondMalts, Instagram: @lochlomondmalts Facebook: Loch Lomond Whiskies and at www.lochlomondwhiskies.com 

About Hillhouse Capital

Hillhouse builds businesses that stand the test of time. We are long-term investors focused on partnering with world-class entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses globally. Over more than a decade, we’ve worked alongside iconic companies that have redefined their industries. With offices in Hong Kong, New York, Beijing and Singapore, we look for opportunities around the globe, and have the flexibility to work across the private equity spectrum, from seed investments to buyouts. We manage capital on behalf of global institutions such as non-profit foundations and pensions, and we are proud that our efforts help support educational scholarships, scientific innovation, and artistic achievements across the world. 

About Exponent

Established in 2004, Exponent is one of the UK’s leading private equity firms, investing in companies with enterprise values between £100m and £400m. The company seeks to identify untapped potential and navigate complexity to unlock growth for its portfolio companies and investors. Its current and former investments in consumer media and publishing businesses include the Times Educational Supplement, Immediate Media and the Racing Post. A selection of Exponent’s other investments includes Quorn Foods, Photobox Group, Big Bus Tours, the Ambassador Theatre Group and Trainline.

BIMBER DISTILLERY DEBUTS ITS FOUNDERS’ CLUB AND EXCLUSIVE SMALL CASK RELEASE TO CELEBRATE REACHING WHISKY MILESTONE

London’s award-winning Bimber Distillery has opened entries to its Founders’ Club, and will release a limited number of private casks for members to purchase (just in time for Father’s Day), to celebrate its first casks reaching three years of maturity.

A significant milestone for Bimber ahead of it’s official whisky release in September 2019. The Founders’ Club, which publicly launches today, aims to build a community of people who according to Sales Director Farid Shawish; “share our passion and want to be part of a distillery whose mission is to produce a true handcrafted whisky, made with care and traditional methods. Our members will always be welcome for a chat, and their input will play an important part in shaping the future of Bimber Distillery.”  

Members will receive their first, exclusive cask strength bottle of London Single Malt Whisky in December this year. This is different from most other distilleries where members often must wait many years before receiving a mature bottle of whisky. Members will also enjoy a further three special and rare releases; a unique members tour of the distillery for up to four people (including tasting Bimber’s Master Distillers private casks), a sample box with 6 x 50ml bottles of cask drawn samples, a welcome pack, 10% discount on online whisky purchases, and notice of all future releases, before they launch.

According to Farid “prospective members have the advantage of being able to try our whisky at one of our tours, or by purchasing samples from our website, before deciding to join the club. We want to be fair and accessible, and have priced our Founders’ Club at £395, which is substantially cheaper than other comparable offerings.” 

Members will also be able to purchase their very own 30 Litre cask, hand filled by them with either Peated or Non-peated New Make Spirit. These casks will mature at the distillery for three years, at which point they will be bottled onsite with personalised labels.  Casks are expected to yield approximately 49 bottles of London Single Malt. The offer is strictly limited to 50 casks and is priced at £895.

NOTES:

WEB / SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

Website www.bimber.co.uk

Online Store         https://www.bimberdistillery.co.uk/shop-1

Twitter                    https://twitter.com/bimberlondon

Facebook              https://www.facebook.com/bimberdistillery/

Instagram              https://www.instagram.com/bimberdistillery/ 

BIMBER DISTILLERY – HANDCRAFTED ENGLISH WHISKY 

SINGLE FARM LOCALLY GROWN ENGLISH BARLEY:

We travelled to many British farms to find the highest quality barley possible, before choosing a farm in nearby beautiful Hampshire. The county’s maritime climate is perfect for producing barley and Fordham & Allen, our farmer, sows and harvests the barley at the optimum times of the year. We carefully select two-row barley varieties, Concerto and Laureate, to produce our premium single malt whisky. These barley varieties deliver a high-level of extract and fermentability, which together provides the optimum level of predicted spirit yield and complex aromas. 

TRADITIONAL FLOOR MALTING:

It is our belief that traditional floor malted barley is an essential process in producing premium, handcrafted whisky. We have therefore chosen to partner with Warminster Maltings, Britain oldest maltster, who dedicate an entire malting floor to Bimber. The resulting malted barley is a unique product of outstanding quality. Malt has been made forever, by hand, on floors, a perfectly natural, albeit labour intensive method. The whole process is conducted within the ambient temperatures of the malt floors, regulated by the opening and closing of the non-glazed windows. It is a very natural process which allows the individual batches of barley to express themselves to the optimum. This emphasises the special character of the malt and creates maximum extracts. 

FERMENTATION:

At Bimber, we take pride in our long fermentation process. We ferment slowly, for seven whole days to create a light and fruity whisky. This limits the amount of whisky we can produce, but helps us produce a premium, handcrafted whisky, just as the best distilleries did in times gone past. The first stage in the process is where hot water is added to the grist in a mash tun to convert the starch in the grist to sugar. The resulting sweet liquid is called ‘wort’s’.We prefer to use clear wort’s as it produces a new make spirit with a less intense, cereal character. The wort’s are then cooled and pumped into charred wooden tanks called washback’s. These are made at Bimber’s own cooperage with American oak. The lengthy contact with the oak,  produces a lighter, more complex, fruity flavour.We then add our yeast, which is a strain carefully created for Bimber. This ferments the sugar, converting it into alcohol. The resulting wash is like a strong beer with an abv of 8-10%.

SMALL DIRECT FIRE COPPER POT STILLS:

At Bimber, we believe that the spirit needs a lot of contact with copper during distillation, to retain the heavier elements of the distillate and produce a lighter whisky. Our two small copper pot stills, Doris and Astraeus were designed to our specific instructions to maximise copper contact. We choose to heat with direct fire, rather than steam, in the traditional way. This enables a slow but powerful cook for a more full-bodied spirit with a depth of flavour. The first distillation takes place in Doris, our 1000-litre wash still, which produces a low-strength, 33% abv spirit called ‘low wines’. These are then redistilled a second time in Astraeus, our small, 600-litre spirit still. The distillate is collected in three stages or ‘cuts’ called foreshots, heart and feints. Only the heart, which has an alcoholic strength of 72% abv is retained for maturation and the foreshots and feints are recycled within the next batch of low wines. This new make spirit is then reduced to 63.5% before being filled into casks.

ON SITE COOPERAGE

At Bimber we have carefully sourced the finest American Oak and Sherry casks from the USA and Europe. We use a range of cask types as this allows flexibility to create a unique flavour to be produced. At times smaller casks are used as the whisky has more contact with the wood and creates a different flavour profile. We are proud to say that we have our own onsite cooperage who check all casks and repair and re-char the casks when required. This long-established yet rare skill is something we believe is key to the personalised whisky process here at the heart of Bimber. 

ART OF BLENDING:

The art of blending is one of our Master Distiller’s greatest passions. We believe that blending is an underappreciated stage in the whisky making process. Our team personally monitor the progress of each cask, nosing and tasting regularly to find the optimum moment to bottle our precious whisky. We record the taste profile of every sample so we can ensure our London Single Malt Whisky retains its signature light, fruity style.At the same time, we are keen to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible within the art of whisky making. We are constantly creating new and exciting finishes for possible future special editions and one-off releases. Only the very best of these innovations will go on sale to our discerning customers.

Drioglann Cléire – Cape Clear Distillery

Site Progress

The last two months have seen accelerated progress with all the matters highlighted in the last update well in hand. The new external door and window to the bottling room are in place, as is the sink unit and some shelving. Very effective cleaning has seen the former cold room restored to a pristine clean condition. The tiling in the future fermentation room looks good, concrete floors have been painted, and a reinforced door installed for the storage area. The office area is ready for occupation and the washrooms are almost fully restored. The immediate environs of the building have seen the former raceway covered with slabs and a small (temporary) structure erected for the water treatment system which is currently being installed.

Sweat Investors

We are delighted at the support from some of our local ‘sweat investors’ which have led to various savings on our stated budget including useful economies made on the water treatment system, the restoration of the bottling room, and the nature and quality of some of the other works implemented. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.

Customs and Excise License

We received our penultimate visit from the Customs and Excise people (responsible for licensing) on  28 May and they are happy to recommend the issuing of the license. With the formal paperwork now completed and the bond already paid, focus shifts to the practical items outstanding such as some internal templates which need to be modified for their final visit in about 2 weeks’ time and, of course, the completion of the outstanding works.  We are happy and relieved to be now within reach of this crucial goal.

Atex Wiring

The wiring to Atex standards is underway in the largely complete but yet unfurnished building. Some further adjustments needed to be made in the layout to facilitate the electrical installations and these were all achieved within the time frame. The wiring will also include fire and burglar alarms and CCTV cameras.

Bottling Plant

Our bottling plant has been specified and ordered. All the major items for Phase 1 are now on site or on the way.

Budget

It is not possible to ascertain the final costings until the final items have been completed and invoiced; nevertheless with savings incurred in some areas we remain within the original budget so far.

Merchandise – Glassware

We have ordered a range of quality bespoke glassware bearing our logos which we expect to arrive mid-July. These will initially be available in the island tourist office / craft shop and later at the distillery site.

We show a photo of team members Noreen and Ruth Court with Geraldine Ó Mealóid and Niamh Ní Drisceoil. Thanks also to Debbie Stone for her input.

Staffing

We have our first distillery staff ready to start from mid-June. While we may not be quite ready to produce gin at that stage, we will welcome their help in the myriad of pre-operation tasks that will need to be performed.

Other Matters

Insurance has been arranged and an Operational Health and Safety Statement have been commissioned. Focus shifts towards the ongoing operation of the distillery with sourcing of stocks, supplies, and labels etc, which are now a priority.  Focus also shifts to near and long term marketing strategies as well as the overall development of our outstanding site.

Looking Forward

We look forward to creating a new and exciting phased approach towards our long term goal of whiskey distillation and are currently breaking this task down into another sequence of achievable steps.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.
Cléire abú.

Our mailing address is:
Cape Clear Island Distillery
Cape Clear Island
County Cork
Ireland

Pre-order The Macallan Estate

A fitting tribute to the Speyside home of Macallan. Using the rarest homegrown barley from Macallan’s Easter Elchies Estate, selected for its unique character, it is distilled just once a year over a single week. This rare spirit results in a beautifully rich and complex whisky celebrating the deep foundations that underpin The Macallan.

70cl / 43% abv

£195.00

The Macallan Estate is presented in a handsome gift box inspired by the natural beauty of Macallan’s Speyside home, featuring inlay of hand-cut slate and a panoramic vista of the exquisite estate on the inside.

Pre-order today for dispatch w/c 22nd July.

Pre-order Now

Customer Service

If you have any questions about shopping with us, our team are here to help.
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✉ info@whiskyshop.com

June First Friday is rapidly approaching, so click over to our website now to browse the new Outturn ahead of its release. This month, we’re setting your imagination alight with suggestions for some classic – and some more unusual – whisky and food pairings.

Find your perfect pairing now and read through the full bottling list of 18 new casks. Bottles go on sale on Friday, 7 June at 9am.

READ ONLINE NOW               PREVIEW BOTTLINGS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Thursday, June 13th 5-7PM: 

Tomatin with Ambassador Scott Adamson  

Billed as ‘the softer side of the Highlands,’ Tomatin has produced some of the finest Single Malt Scotches in the world since their founding in 1897. Most recently their single malts swept the board at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirit Competition, with seven Double Gold wins and four Gold awards cementing a decade of success in whiskey competition. Presented by Tomatin Scotch Global Ambassador Scott Adamson, this tasting will feature new and rare drams by the distillery.

 Click Here to RSVP

Due to popular demand here is an episode of the show devoted to Independently bottled Bunnah. Part 1 looks at young-ish bottlings and the following episode will look at some older bottlings.

https://youtu.be/VX2ibjyQchM

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES NEXT INSTALLMENT IN OLD CHARTER OAK SERIES, FRENCH OAK 

New Addition will Continue the Exploration of the Role Oak Plays

in Making Great Whiskey

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 30, 2019) – Old Charter Oak French Oak is the latest release from Buffalo Trace Distillery as it continues to explore oak tree varietals. Late last year Buffalo Trace announced its Old Charter Oak series, a collection exploring the different taste profiles of barrels obtained from trees grown in different countries, climates and soil.  The Old Charter Oak collection is designed to explore, honor, and celebrate the role of oak in making great whiskey. The oak trees used for this brand vary by country of origin, or species, or U.S. state. Some barrels are even made from century oaks, 100, 200, or 300 year old oak trees.

For the newest release, Buffalo Trace obtained a small number of barrels from France in 2007, and filled them with its Mash #1, the same mashbill used to make Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and several other award-winning bourbons at the Distillery.  The Old Charter Oak French Oak has now been bottled and will be available at retail in late June.

Tasting notes for the French Oak describe it as having a nose of vanilla with hints of apricot, cherry, and rose petal.  The palate is a thick and creamy maple syrup, with the oak flavor coming through. A long finish of chocolate and toasted oak round it out.

This is the second release in the Old Charter Oak Collection. The first release, Mongolian Oak, was released late last year.  All the Old Charter Oak Bourbon series will be released over time, with a third release scheduled for later this year.  Subsequent releases are planned a few times each year, indefinitely.  “We’re excited to release our second bourbon in this ground breaking series.  As of now, we have bourbon aging for the Old Charter Oak collection scheduled for release now through 2030, but we’ll keep producing more each year for more new whiskeys beyond that,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director.

By Federal standards, bourbon is required to be aged in a new, charred oak container. But there is no specification it must be American white oak, it’s just that nearly all bourbons made today are aged in white oak.

Old Charter is a brand that has always celebrated the central role that oak plays in making great whiskey, given its namesake. The brand dates back to 1874, when Adam and Ben Chapeze created the bourbon, naming it in honor of the Charter Oak tree, a famous symbol of American independence and free spirit, which grew in Connecticut in the 12^th or 13^th century until it fell in a storm in 1856.

Old Charter changed owners a few times, until it was purchased by Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1999.  The existing Old Charter Bourbon is still produced by parent company Sazerac and there are no plans to discontinue it. The Old Charter Oak series is an upscale brand extension, much like Buffalo Trace has done with its E. H. Taylor, Jr, line.

The suggested retail pricing for the French Oak is $69.99, but the different oak varieties released over the years will have different price points, all in a similar range.  Like the Mongolian Oak release, the French Oak supplies will be limited. Packaging for the French Oak will be similar to the Mongolian Oak, with an upscale look consisting of a glass bottle with a cork finish. Each bottle will have an oak medallion on the front depicting the Charter Oak tree.

The Old Charter Oak French Oak is 92 proof.  More information can be found about the Old Charter Oak series www.oldcharteroak.com

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

9th Anniversary Celebration Free Tours, BBQ, and More

As a thank you to our friends and supporters we will be offering:

• Free tours from 1pm to 5pm (held every hour on the hour)
• Mr. Mason’s tasty BBQ will be available for $15 a plate
• Cocktails and local craft beer in our tasting room
• Tastings and Cocktails tents, as well as tables for eating setup in the front parking lot

This year’s 9th Anniversary Whiskey our first bottling of Arkansas Single Malt. Distilled from 100% malted barley and aged for two years in ex-bourbon casks and finished for one year in a cognac cask.

• $69.99 per 750ml bottle
• 94 proof
• Goes on sale at 11am on Saturday the 22nd
• Available only at the distillery tasting room

9th Anniversary Masterclass

Rock Town’s 9th Anniversary Barrelhouse Masterclass is a seated tasting hosted by founder and head distiller Phil Brandon at the distillery. During the tasting, you’ll learn all the details about Rock Town’s award winning whiskeys, including production, aging to tasting. The tasting will include the 9th Anniversary Single Malt and 3 un-released Rock Town whiskeys:

• 9th Anniversary Single Malt Whiskey
• Peach Smoked Bourbon Whiskey at cask strength
• 5-year-old Straight Rye Whiskey at cask strength
• 5-year-old Straight Four Grain Sour Mash Bourbon at cask strength

Tasting starts at 6:30pm on Saturday, June 22rd. Space is extremely limited for the tasting and the cost is $60 per person. Tasting reservations can be made at here

Glendronach 1992 26 Year Old
The Whisky Shop Exclusive

Scotchwhisky.com recently scored this gorgeous expression from Glendronach a massive 90/100.

“A belter of a Sherried ‘Dronach. Recommended for that special occasion.”

70cl / 50% abv

£239.00
“The sort of dram that makes you say, ‘I Want More’.” – Scotchwhisky.com

Find out why this beautifully rich whisky is a must for any collection.

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