That time of the year again. Whisky of the year is always a tricky thing to pick when the time finally comes around. This year won’t be a surprise, but there is a small elephant in the room to deal with…
Follow the link to find out what finally got it.
Distillery Rendering
Pernod Ricard Doubles Down on the Sustainable Future of American Whiskey with Kentucky Investment
This investment follows recent announcements of €400 million behind extended and more sustainable facilities in Ireland and Scotland.
Pernod Ricard today announces a significant move to further leverage the strong growth of its premium American whiskey portfolio, The American Whiskey Collective with a €238 million ($250 million) investment over five years to build a state-of-the-art, carbon neutral distillery and aging warehouses in Marion County, Kentucky, for its fast-growing Jefferson’s Bourbon brand. The investment will also include the build of a world class visitor center facility that will welcome whiskey aficionados on the historic South Trail of Kentucky Bourbon.
Pernod Ricard has announced the intention for this new distillery to be carbon neutral once operational. The facility is also expected to be the first distillery of its size in the U.S. to achieve LEED certification, an internationally recognized sustainability framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving environmentally friendly buildings. The distillery and warehouses will include such low carbon technologies as electrode boilers powered by certified renewable electricity, enabling the distillery to not use fossil fuels during bourbon production.
In addition, as part of Pernod Ricard’s commitment to protect and nurture the terroir surrounding its facilities, Jefferson’s will continue to partner with local farmers and suppliers to source ingredients and casks.
“American whiskey is an extremely vibrant spirits category, and our strategic investments over the last few years have proven successful” said Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO, Pernod Ricard. “Our philosophy of partnering with entrepreneurial brand founders, while preserving the heritage and terroir associated with the brands they created, has made us an established player in premium American Whiskey. Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller is no exception. This new investment will allow us to grow our share of category sales not only in the U.S., but also in export markets” Ricard said.
Ann Mukherjee, Chairman and CEO, Pernod Ricard North America, said “The new distillery will enable Jefferson’s to efficiently keep up with very strong consumer demand while staying true to the company’s longstanding commitment to sustainability.
“Our company is an agricultural company at its core and so it is vital that we lead the category forward – in partnership with our farmers and growers – and remain committed to the long-term sustainability of our people, our industry and our planet. This investment is the latest illustration of that belief,” said Mukherjee.
As part of the Group’s strategy to invest in evermore sustainable growth, Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers and Chivas Brothers brand companies recently announced plans to invest €300 million in Ireland and €100 million in Scotland to equip these brands with more sustainable distillation technologies and greater production capacity to meet growing demands. The Group is on track to meet the ambitious targets set out in its 2030 global sustainability & responsibility roadmap, ‘Good Times from a Good Place,’ which align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Founded in 1997 by Trey Zoeller and his father Chet, Jefferson’s joined the Pernod Ricard portfolio in 2019 when the company acquired the brand’s parent, Castle Brands. Since the acquisition, Jefferson’s U.S. sales have doubled.
“For the last 25 years we have been sourcing, contract distilling and — through Kentucky Artisan Distillery — distilling ourselves,” said Trey Zoeller who continues to guide Jefferson’s in his role as Founder and Chief Strategist. “It is now time for us to take more control of our destiny. The carbon neutral, state-of-the-art distillery we are building would not be possible without Pernod Ricard’s forward thinking, integrity, and commitment to Jefferson’s and the Bourbon category’s future.”
Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales amounting to €10,701 million in fiscal year FY22. The Group, which owns 17 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard’s portfolio includes Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur or Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. The Group’s mission is to unlock the magic of human connections by bringing “Good Times from a Good Place”, in line with its Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap. Pernod Ricard’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,480 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its purposeful and inclusive culture of conviviality, bringing people together in meaningful, sustainable and responsible ways to create value over the long term. Executing its strategic plan, Transform & Accelerate, Pernod Ricard now relies on its “Conviviality Platform”, a new growth model based on data and artificial intelligence to meet the ever-changing demand of consumers. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code:FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.<
Our Festive Auction is now LIVE!
Only 8.5% buyer’s commission.
Auction ends Friday 6th Januray.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
A very rare old Macallan 43-Year-Old distilled in 1965!
An example of some of the unique & special bottlings available this month!
Just a small percentage of an unbeatable selection of miniatures up for grabs!
Click here to register as a user.
Looking to sell in our next auction? 0% Sellers commission & FREE* UK doorstep collections.
We offer FREE valuations to give you an idea of what your whisky may sell for at auction.
Contact us to arrange a valuation or collection.
www.highlandwhiskyauctions.com
After an end-of-year treat or to try something a little different from the ever-popular single malt Scotch? Here are our picks of exceptional world whiskies by our head buyer Dawn Davies MW. From a Canadian rye whisky full of sweet cereal flavours, rich toffee and oak spice to a smoky, spicy New Zealand single malt made with malted barley that has been smoked with Manuka wood and a green and crunchy entry from Suntory’s Hakushu range. These are world whiskies worthy of a spot on your drinks cabinet.
The final New & Trending of the year!
All the very latest whisky releases available at The Whisky Shop can be found here. When it comes to single malt whisky, these drams come from all around the world from a wide range of distilleries. Round off 2022 with a new dram on the drinks shelf…
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with Johnnie Walker
Ring in the Lunar New Year with this limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label. This one is special is a stunningly spirited design of 2023’s zodiac symbol from one of fashions freshest talents: Angel Chen. The rabbit symbolises longevity in Asian culture, something that Johnnie Walker echo’s with its motto ‘Keep Walking’.
Expect waves of spice on the nose, complimented by vanilla and honey. On the palate we find flavours of caramel, hazelnuts and dark chocolate. The finish is a luxurious one: long, warming and slightly smoky.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR SOCIETY MEMBERS
A ROUND UP OF 2022 AT SPRINGBANK DISTILLERY
We wanted to thank you for your continued support and wish all our members a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2023. We’ve put together an update from the distillery covering each of the following:
SOCIETY ON TOUR
AWARDS
A LOOK BACK AT 2022
2023: WHAT’S IN STORE?
PX BALLOT
200TH ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
NEW TEAM MEMBERS
SOCIETY ON TOUR
In 2022 we resumed our ‘Society on Tour’ and had the pleasure of hosting some of you in Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Glasgow and at home in Campbeltown.
It has been invaluable for our team to get back on the road again and connect with all of you dedicated whisky drinkers after so long. However, if you didn’t make it to one of these events don’t worry – we are just getting started! We are looking forward to hosting more of these in 2023 and would love your feedback on any potential whisky tasting venues that will be accessible to host a group of between 20 and 60 members. If you have any ideas or recommendations for this please do send them in. We’ll be sure to select some special whiskies to bring along and share.
In 2022, we were honoured to have taken the top spot in Drinks International’s Top 50, ‘World’s Most Admired Whiskies’.
The World’s Most Admired Whiskies was established to determine the trade’s 50 most revered brands from across the planet, so to be featured at all is an amazing achievement.
We were thrilled this year to receive the award for ‘Best Distillery’ in the Online Scotch Whisky Awards for the second year running. Once again, some members of the team got together in The Washback Bar to tune into the awards and celebrate this recognition over a few drams, which was a great way to round off the year.
A big thank you to all who nominated and voted for us, from all at Springbank!
A LOOK BACK AT 2022
AN UPDATE FROM FINDLAY ROSS
Director of Production
“2022 was different from recent years of production in that we didn’t commence mashing and distilling operations at Springbank until March rather than our normal start date in January. This was to allow the rummager on our wash still to be replaced, as well as remedial works to take place on the mash tun steering arm. During this time our production team continued to make malt at the floor maltings and to mash and distill at our sister distillery Glengyle (having two distilleries can often have its perks!)
Production at Springbank ran very smoothly this year, and we passed 264,000 LPA for the second year running after 34 weeks of operation. This included around 11% of the production for Longrow and 11% of the production for Hazelburn. We also had one week of local barley production with the rest being Springbank.
As well as having maintenance done on the distillery itself, we also started repair works on bonded warehouses 7 & 9, which required guttering and roofing being replaced along with sections of steel beams replaced. This process has been long and methodical and we are still conducting repairs right until the end of the year – we hope to have these warehouses back in action in early 2023.
Other projects like converting the main fuel source on site to LPG continue to be a work in progress due to delays with planning approval, and we continue to research and plan for a new bottling and dispatch facility to be contracted on site.
In 2023 we plan to produce similar volumes of spirit to 2022, as well as continuing to make improvements to the site such as replacing the dust extraction across the site, and replacing the worn plates in the mash tun.”
WELCOMING VISITORS BACK
We have had another busy year and seen record numbers of visitors make the journey to visit the distillery. We were thrilled to be able to once again welcome people from all over the world to our annual Campbeltown Malts Festival in May. As always the society tastings kicked off the festivities in the Malt Barns and we welcomed over 200 of you to attend this free event. We are pleased to confirm the dates for next years festival as follows:
SAVE THE DATES
CAMPBELTOWN MALTS FESTIVAL 2023
Tuesday 23rd – Friday 26th May 2023
Our company events will take place during the above dates but there is more to enjoy during the full week. More details will be available in the New Year, including information on ticket sales.
NEW EXPERIENCES
We welcomed people from all over the world to take part in Whisky School and enjoy some of our new experiences such as Barley to Bottle and Eat, Sleep, Dram, Repeat. The Washback Bar has allowed our guests to enjoy a little more time at the distillery and sample new releases as well as a selection of cask samples and whiskies from our archive. Experiences subject to availability and production schedules at the distillery. We are currently fully subscribed for future Whisky School weeks and unable to add to the waiting list at this time.
2023: WHAT’S IN STORE?
PX BALLOT
We recently launched our new sherry series with the release of Springbank PX. We announced in our last newsletter that we have some stock available exclusively to society members via ballot. This new release has been well received and we hope to hold the ballot soon after our return to work in the New Year. Keep an eye on your emails in January for more details on how to enter.
OUR 200TH ANNIVERSARY
Established in 1828, Springbank is nearing a very special milestone anniversary. In 2023 we will begin the build up to this with the launch of a countdown collection of annual special bottlings. These will be available to a worldwide audience via ballot only. This celebration is inclusive of all Springbank fans around the world and not exclusively to society members but you are the first to know and will be provided with more details in due course. Alongside these limited commemorative bottlings, we will be planning a range of events and experiences for people to join the celebration of this monumental achievement.
NEW RELEASES
In the New Year we have more limited releases to look forward to such as the Springbank 25 Year Old, Local Barley and Hazelburn Sherry Wood. In the months to follow we are pleased to have the next editions of 12 Year Old Cask Strength, Springbank 30 Year Old and Hazelburn 21 Year Old available to launch. As ever, we will be in touch nearer the time to share more details on all of the above new limited releases.
SOME NEW AND SOME FAMILIAR FACES!
The company continues to employ people in the local community to carry out as many roles as possible and in 2022 we welcomed a few more people across a variety of departments including finance, retail, maintenance, production, bottling and hospitality.Here is a snap of some of them on our annual Christmas jumper day!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BEST WISHES FOR 2023
From all of us at Springbank Distillery
Springbank Distillers Ltd, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Scotland, PA28 6HZ
http://experience.springbank.scot/
Contact the Society at society@springbank.scot to join!
I’m writing this in early November as I’m fulfilling a lifetime ambition to sail the Atlantic between now and Christmas, so my apologies if I’ve failed to mention some extraordinary event that occurred after the time of writing.
Each year I look back on all the exciting things that have occurred, and the last few years have been staggering. Brexit followed by covid but this year I think takes it to a whole new level. In February we celebrated the Queens 70th anniversary of being on the throne and a week later the nation suffered the wrath of Storm Eunice. A few days after that the Russians decided that international borders didn’t really apply to them and invaded Ukraine. We’re only 50 days into the new year and already it’s shaping up to be a momentous year.
In March partygate results in a few token fines but the newspapers won’t let it go and our PM is in a decidedly sticky wicket, we also see the end of free lateral flow tests giving us all hope that the end of covid is in reach. April keeps the intrigue in politics going with an MP being ousted for watching the unspeakable on his phone in the commons chamber – he was looking for Tractors apparently. May sees the opening of the newest tube line only 4.5 years late and 3bn over budget – that’s ok then. All the while Boris is losing the battle to keep his feet under the table. June starts with the Platinum jubilee weekend which was lots of fun, and a little later Monkey Pox came but luckily quietly left again.
July sees virtually every minister resign which finally sees Boris out of office and a very long-winded effort to find a replacement starts. A few days later the hottest day on record (38.1) was recorded just 12 miles from the distillery (later to be beaten again at Coningsby in Lincoln achieving 40+, who needs to go abroad?) A fun bit of news was wild bison have been re-introduced to the UK and are now roaming wild in Kent – not something you want to meet at night in your car. August sees the announcement of a drought in parts of Wales, which is genuinely something I never believed could happen – it rains even more in Wales than it does in Scotland, or so I thought.
The price cap on heating got lifted by 80% which didn’t go down well, let’s hope winter isn’t a cold one. September was no better, we got a new PM but her arrival was greatly overshadowed by the loss of our Queen and 10 days of state mourning, a sad time. Truss and her chancellor get to work and announce their unchecked monetary policies, this leads to an even sadder time and ultimately a very short employment history for both. To brighten the mood we released our first 15yr old single malt whisky – it was a sell-out and for that, I am very grateful to you all. October was all about Westminster, can it get any worse… and we have another new PM.
Out of that little list of things to remember (or forget) I was particularly thrilled and touched by the events surrounding the launch of our 15 year old and the celebration of being open to the public for 15 years. Our open day at the distillery far exceeded any of our expectations with enormous numbers of visitors turning up for the day. We not only ensured lots of merriment with a great band and some exceedingly tasty food vans but we also gave whisky tours to over 500 people in one day!! A special mention to our members who turned out in good numbers and enjoyed a private members tour and tasting. Your feedback on a desire to do more events at the distillery has been duly noted. I was also very proud of our 15 yr whisky release. This wonderful single malt was truly world-class and one of the best whiskies I have tasted – ever, anywhere. This may seem like a bit of trumpet blowing but I think it’s worth it to give my distillers a virtual pat on the back for doing a truly outstanding job.
That brings us back to November. Not much has happened yet but at the time of writing the distillery is busy getting its annual release of ‘Poppy whisky’ ready, not whisky made from poppies but a delightful single malt that we use to raise money for the Poppy Appeal.
Other news from the distillery is that we have two new chaps in the production team: Martin who has come on board to be in charge of our maturation sheds and we also have Stuart who has come to help share the load on the production side. It’s lovely to have them at the distillery and to see the production team growing and improving all the time.
The distillery has changed its name! For 15 years our brand has been ‘The English’ but due to our postal address being St Georges we have been referred to in the press and trade magazines as St Georges Whisky, so the distillery is now formally called The English Distillery which should alleviate any confusion. We have a lot of road signs to change.
The restaurant has been shut for several months as we find a new operator but there is light at the end of the tunnel as we are in talks with a team we think will do an amazing job. Keep an eye on our website for updates.
I wish you all the very best Christmas and hope you are warm and well-fed. If I haven’t sunk, I should be home in time to indulge in a bit of turkey, or more likely beef, given the effects of bird flu. I do hope to see you all at the distillery if you find yourself passing in 2023.
Yours Sincerely,
Andrew Nelstrop
Chairman
The Macallan Distillery Experience, The Macallan Distillers Ltd,
Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, Moray, AB38 9RX, Scotland, +44 (0)1340 318 000
