WHISKY SECTOR DOMINATES THE POWER 100, 2011 SURVEY OF WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL DRINKS BRANDS

• Scottish brands dominate global whisky sector

• Johnnie Walker remains world’s most dominant whisky brand

• America contributes five whisky brands to The Power 100

• Jameson is the only Irish whisky brand to feature

Whisky brands continue to dominate the annual The Power 100 table of the world’s leading alcoholic drinks brands, published this week by brand valuation and strategy consultancy Intangible Business, contributing more than a quarter of the brands in the survey.

Whisky has retained its sector dominance in the global alcoholic drinks industry, ahead of vodka, rum/cane, flavoured spirits, and still light wine. There are 26 whisky brands included in the table, with six brands – Johnnie Walker at 3, Jack Daniel’s at 6, Chivas Regal at 8, Ballantine’s at 10, Dewar’s at 14 and Jim Beam at 19 – in the overall Top 20. 

Johnnie Walker posted an impressive performance this year with volumes growing by a striking 11%, due in large part to its penetration of Far East markets, Korea and China in particular, whose economies were less affected by the recession. This is a complete reversal of its performance the previous year where volumes fell by 11%. Because of this change in direction and improvement in the brand score by 4%, Johnnie Walker managed to grow its total score.

The Power 100 includes 16 Scotch whisky brands, five American brands and four Canadian brands. Jameson is the only Irish whiskey brand in The Power 100, at number eight in the sector and at number 22 overall, on the back of a 2% rise in its overall year on year score. The most improved whisky brand in this year’s The Power 100 is Clan MacGregor at number 82 overall and number 25 in the sector, having posted a 12% improvement in its brand score.

Intangible Business, which works extensively in the drinks industry, researched nearly 10,000 spirit and wine brands across the globe to produce The Power 100, now in its fifth year.

The league table, which assesses both the financial contribution of each brand alongside its strength in the eyes of the consumer, has been compiled by combining scores from a panel of some of the world’s leading drinks industry experts with hard data. The brands are rated according to share of market, future growth, premium price position, awareness, relevance, heritage and brand perception.

Rank Brand Overall Rank Total score 2011 Change Brand score 2011 Change
1 JOHNNIE WALKER 3 75% 1% 83% 4%
2 JACK DANIEL’S 6 39% 1% 81% 2%
3 CHIVAS REGAL 8 31% 2% 73% 5%
4 BALLANTINES 10 25% -2% 65% 0%
5 DEWARS 14 18% 2% 53% 2%
6 JIM BEAM 19 16% -3% 60% -4%
7 CROWN ROYAL 21 14% 1% 60% 4%
8 JAMESON 22 13% 2% 70% 5%
9 GRANT’S 23 13% 3% 50% -1%
10 J&B 27 12% -3% 55% -2%
11 FAMOUS GROUSE 40 8% 0% 58% 0%
12 SEAGRAM’S 7 CROWN 54 6% 1% 40% -3%
13 BELL’S 55 6% 0% 47% 0%
14 CANADIAN CLUB 59 5% 0% 55% 1%
15 MAKER’S MARK 62 5% 0% 63% 2%
16 TEACHER’S 63 5% 0% 51% 0%
17 GLENFIDDICH 65 5% 0% 64% 2%
18 BLACK VELVET 66 4% 0% 42% 0%
19 WILLIAM LAWSON’S 71 4% 0% 43% 0%
20 CLAN CAMPBELL 72 4% 0% 40% -2%
21 CANADIAN MIST 73 3% 0% 38% -3%
22 100 PIPERS 75 3% -1% 38% -1%
23 CUTTY SARK 79 3% 0% 50% 4%
24 THE GLENLIVET 80 3% 0% 63% 3%
25 CLAN MACGREGOR 82 3% 0% 51% 12%
26 WILD TURKEY 100 2% 0% 53% -2%

Overall, Smirnoff tops The Power 100 table again having achieved an overall score of 88.9%, giving it a significant margin over the other brands that make up the top ten.

Bacardi, the number one rum brand and number two in the overall The Power 100, edged Johnnie Walker into 3rd place, but was comfortably ahead of Martini Vermouth in 4th place and Absolut in 5th place.

The USA is the country with the most brands in The Power 100 with 17 brands, led by Jack Daniel’s, Gallo and Jim Beam; Scotland has 16 brands in The Power 100, led by Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s, and France with 14 brands, led by Hennessy, Moet et Chandon and Ricard. 

Stuart Whitwell, Joint Managing Director of Intangible Business, comments: “The whisky industry has posted another strong performance this year with more than double the number brands in the top 100 than any other category and continues to connect to new and existing audiences, particularly in emerging markets, with innovative and relevant marketing.

Whitwell continues: “Although not in the top ten in the sector, it’s great to see brands like The Glenlivet among our overall star performers this year.”

About The Power 100

Methodology

Nearly 10,000 brands in the spirits and wine sectors were researched to derive a list of the 100 most powerful spirits and wine brands in the world.  Power is defined by a brand’s ability to generate value for its owner.  Value is classified by a series of measures as identified below.  The population for the research is all current and potential users of alcoholic drinks.

Scoring

Hard Measures
Share of market:  volume-based measure of market share Brand growth:  projected growth based on 10 years’ historical data and future trends Price Positioning:a measure of a brand’s ability to command a premium Market Scope: number of markets in which the brand has a significant presence

Soft Measures
Brand Awareness: a combination of prompted and spontaneous awareness Brand Relevancy: capacity to relate to the brand and a propensity to purchase Brand Heritage: a brand’s longevity and a measure of how it is embedded in local culture Brand Perception: loyalty and how close a strong brand image is to a desire for ownership

A panel of 10 leading experts in the drinks industry independently ranked each selected brand out of 10 on the above measures (10 = high, 0 = low).  The scores given by the individual panel members were aggregated and averaged to reach a total score for each brand.  A total score was achieved by multiplying a brand’s weighted volume by its brand score, within a defined range.  The weighting is designed to adjust the volumes to a comparable level.  Brand score is a derivate of the 8 measures of brand strength.  This results in a ranking of the world’s most powerful alcoholic drinks brands.

About Intangible Business

Intangible Business was established in 2001 to provide an independent approach to brand valuation, brand strategy and brand development. As well as experts in brand valuation, Intangible Business is now an internationally recognised leader in all IP valuation, including copyright valuation, trademark valuation, valuing websites, valuing databases and software.

Brand value, along with other intangible assets such as patents, copyrights, licenses and intellectual property, is often a company’s most valuable asset. Given this importance, a brand valuation is critical to fully understand and monitor brand equity and to identify opportunities to realize growth potential. In legal issues, such as trademark disputes, or brand transactions such as M&A and licensing, a sound brand valuation can also help you make more informed decisions or negotiate better deals.

What qualifies Intangible Business in brand valuation is its global network of people who all focus on brand valuation from various complementary angles – brands and marketing, finance and accounting, brand management and brand strategy. This focus draws on many years’ experience, both in business and as brand consultants and has been of measurable benefit to some of the world’s biggest brands.

Dates: Friday 5th, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August, 2011.
Times: Friday 3 – 7pm, Saturday & Sunday 2 – 6pm
Venue: Mansfield Traquair church, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB

http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/viewindex.asp?article_id=WF_11

This year is the 10th Anniversary of Royal Mile Whiskies, Whisky Fringe.

From humble beginnings in Edinburgh City Council Chambers Rooms, just down the road from our shop on the Royal Mile, Whisky Fringe has grown into a successful, highly regarded and relaxed celebration of whisky.

Apart from the venue, little has changed over the years in terms of the set up. As with most things in life, a policy of keeping everything as simple as possible, letting the whiskies do the talking, has seen the event attain a respected word of mouth reputation. Tickets always sell out fast and as with any popular show, some people will unfortunately miss out. However having been based in such a tremendous venue as the Mansfield Traquair for the past 6 years, it is difficult to think of moving to an alternative nondescript larger venue. We would be extremely hard pressed to top the stunning setting of this beautifully restored former church.

With this partly in mind, we have extended the event this year to include the Friday afternoon for the first time. This will be a combined on-trade and general public day, allowing exhibitors to promote their brands to an even wider audience of both trade customers, in addition to actual consumers. The product focus will also be broader, with more than just whisky being available to sample. Other high quality spirits such as gin, rum, mezcal, tequila, and vodka, as well as some wines and beers, will all be on show for the Friday only. Saturday and Sunday will revert to the tried and tested format and the focus will return primarily to whisky.

Each year approximately 26 stands are taken by a huge variety of whisky producers and independent bottlers. These range from the big drink companies such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Moet Hennessey, to the more compact distillery companies such as Benriach/GlenDronach, Auchentoshan/Bowmore/Glen Garioch and An Cnoc/Balblair/Old Pulteney, right down to the most recent and newly established small scale operations such as Kilchoman. In addition Independent bottlers such as Adelphi, Compass Box, Douglas Laing, Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail create a lot of interest amongst the attending whisky enthusiasts. On average well over 200 whiskies are available to sample each day, including an exclusive one off ‘Half Time Orange’ dram! (exhibitors bring a bottle of something extra special and attendees can choose one of these exclusive drams to sample at the designated ‘half time’midway point of the day).

All attendees are also encouraged to vote for ‘The Spirit of Whisky Fringe’. This is an annual award given to the most popular spirit over the three days as voted for by all visitors. The winning spirit is then crowned ‘The Spirit of Whisky Fringe’ and is placed on display in the trophy silver coaster on display in Edinburgh shop until the following year.

A Few Quotes:-

Exhibitor quote: “We really enjoyed being involved and would love to be back again next year. It really is brilliant to see so many whisky enthusiasts in the one place, all of them on their best behaviour as well.”
 Martin Grant 2009 (Moet Hennessey – Ardbeg & Glenmorangie Whiskies)

Blogger quote: “…still setting the standard by which all UK Shows are judged”.  Ralfy Mitchell 2010 (Whisky Blogger extraordinaire! www.ralfy.com)

Punter quote: “I still wouldn’t miss it for the world!! (Shame it’s my wedding anniversary on the 16th…still, she’ll understand!!!)”  Mark Appleton 2009 (frequent Whisky Fringe goer and still happily married!)

www.royalmilewhiskies.com

Cask filled with the spirit of the Royal Wedding

A royal wedding gift honouring Prince William and his new wife TRH, The Earl and Countess of Strathearn is on display at Tullibardine distillery.

To mark the royal celebration, the cask was filled with spirit at the distillery at 11am, during the exchange of wedding vows. The wedding date is prominently printed on the cask.

The 250-litre sherry hogshead cask will be displayed in a bonded warehouse at the visitor centre.  The commemoration will be a fantastic Scottish attraction for the distillery and members of the public.

The cask not only symbolises the royal wedding but it also represents the couple’s link with Strathearn and Scotland where they first met and fell in love.  The Tullibardine distillery, is one of the most prominent landmarks in the heart of Strathearn.

It is hoped that the royal pair will sign the cask on a future visit to Scotland.  The cask will be donated to the couple as a wedding gift, and after it matures for three years, they could then choose to keep it or offer it to a charity.

Distillery Director, Douglas Ross said, “The cask is a wonderful wedding present and evokes Scottish sentiment for the royal couple. It would be an honour to have the cask signed by the couple and we hope to welcome them here on a future visit”.

The cask is now on display and visitors will enjoy the new addition to the distillery, giving their experience at Tullibardine a royal twist.

The cask is available for picture desks to take photographs by arrangement.

Notes:

Tullibardine is one of the few remaining independently owned distilleries in Scotland. Nestled at the foot of the Ochil Hills in the Highlands the Distillery draws pure spring water from source and produces one of Scotland’s finest malt whiskies. Standing on the site of Scotland’s oldest brewery dating back to the 12th century, and from where King James IV purchased beer to celebrate his coronation in 1488, Tullibardine is undoubtedly one of the most majestic malt whiskies available. 

CONTACT DETAILS
Tullibardine Distillery,
Blackford,
Perthshire,
PH4 1QG,
Scotland
Telephone: +44 (0)1764 682252

Visit Tullibardine distillery at www.tullibardine.com

POWERS AND MIDLETON EXTEND IRISH DISTILLERS SINGLE POT STILL WHISKEY PORTFOLIO

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is today launching two new single pot still* whiskey brand extensions as part of its initiative to celebrate the provenance and quality of this unique Irish whiskey style, and to showcase the diverse flavour spectrum of the reinvigorated Irish whiskey category.

Powers and Midleton will join Redbreast and Green Spot as brand names in a formidable new portfolio of single pot still Irish whiskeys emanating exclusively from the multi-award winning Midleton Distillery in Co. Cork. The company has also announced a whiskey development programme with the aim of creating and releasing regular new expressions of single pot still Irish Whiskey across its brand portfolio each year.

“Single pot still Irish whiskey is truly the jewel in the crown of Ireland’s rich whiskey tradition; a tradition which we have carefully nurtured over the years at the Midleton Distillery” said Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard Chairman and Chief Executive, Alex Ricard. “There has been tremendous interest in single pot still Irish whiskey in recent times so this is the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate and restore this exceptional whiskey style to its former glory. By adding the prestigious Powers and Midleton brand names to our range of single pot still Irish whiskeys, we will offer more flavour variety and create even more interest among whiskey enthusiasts and aficionados worldwide.”

Powers John’s Lane Release honours the silent distillery and spiritual home of the Powers brand at John’s Lane in Dublin. This new expression features a distillate which is true to the pot still style of the original distillery and bears the distinctive honey and spice style that made Powers famous. Bearing a 12 year old age statement, the whiskey has been matured in first fill bourbon barrels with a contribution of whiskey which has been matured in Oloroso sherry butts.

The first ongoing single pot still Irish whiskey to carry the Midleton name – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy – pays tribute to celebrated second generation Master Distiller who, more than anyone, has shaped with the world-famous Midleton style. Representing Barry Crockett’s personal selection of first fill bourbon whiskeys with the inspired inclusion of whiskey which has matured in unseasoned American barrels, this expression displays a distinctive pot still complexity yet is refined and poised on the finish.

Both Redbreast and Green Spot benefited from the introduction of upgraded packaging in April 2011. The elegant presentation of both the Powers John’s Lane Release and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, similarly reflect the growing stature of the Irish Distillers’ growing single pot still portfolio.

All four brands will also bear the Single Pot Still whiskeys of Midleton quality mark on the back label in order to communicate the unique provenance and heritage of the distillery and of these exceptional whiskeys.

Notes:

* The Irish whiskey industry changed the terminology used to describe its most famous whiskey style in April 2011. ‘Pure Pot Still’ Irish whiskey is now referred to as ‘Pot Still’ Irish whiskey and for those whiskeys originating from a single distillery, the prefix ‘single’ is used, giving rise to the new industry term ‘Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey’.

Irish Distillers Limited, part of Pernod Ricard Group, distils and distributes a range of Irish whiskey, gin and vodka brands globally including Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast, Cork Dry Gin and Huzzar Vodka.

Tasting Notes:

Powers John’s Lane Release

Bottled at 46% ABV | Aged 12 years | Non chill filtered

Nose: An abundance of earthy aromas, leather, tobacco with layers of charred wood, dark chocolate and treacle toffee.

Taste: Full bodied spice front followed by vanilla, honey and dried apricot.

Finish: Lingering honey sweetness on toasted oak.

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy

Bottled at 46% ABV | NAS 12-25 years | Non chill filtered

Nose: Elegant aroma of vanilla and toasted oak complimented by a touch of lime, succulent green berries, pears and green sweet pepper.

Taste: Light pepper carries onto fresh citrus, limes and mandarin orange sweetness. A hint of cinnamon with vanilla and oak reveals its years spent in American oak.

Finish: The full spectrum of flavours lasts well into the finish, slowly fading to expose the clean American oak foundation.

CAOL ILA™ DISTILLERS EDITION™ Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled in Islay, has taken the top Single Malt Scotch Whisky honours at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, whose results were announced on 28 March. (WI is playing catch up today)
 
After three days of judging against dozens of single malt Scotch whiskies, it was awarded the accolade of “Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky”.

This stylish, richly flavoured and complex expression of Caol Ila has  –  after many years maturation in oak casks  –  been double-matured in dark Moscatel caskwood, hand-selected to complement the whisky’s sweetly fruity, smoky intensity.

Caol Ila™ Distillers Edition™ is not new to expert praise. It won Gold – Best in Class at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2009, Gold at the International Spirits Challenge in 2009 and 2010, and Gold at the Scotch Whisky Masters in 2010.

The supreme “Best” award, won this year by Caol Ila Distillers Edition, is given after an extensive multiple-round judging process running over three days.

The limited number of bottlings that qualify for a Double Gold Medal (which happens when the judging panel is unanimous in its assessment of a Gold Medal award) may, if the judges unanimously agree again, progress further to compete for honours in a wider super category.

This “super panel” of judges then re-assess the selected Double Gold winners with a view to deciding the “Best of” category awards: a process that takes the better part of the final day, nosing, tasting, evaluating and voting the best of the best in each category.

Notes
 
About Caol Ila™

Caol Ila Distillery is one of Diageo’s 28 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distilleries and is the largest distillery on the Isle of Islay. It was established in 1846 near Port Askaig on Islay by Hector Henderson, and borrows its Gaelic name from the sea sweeping past its dramatic and almost secret location, squeezed tight between the steep cliff and the sea, hard on the eastern shores of the Sound of Islay with its fast and challenging currents. It was a spot originally chosen in 1846 partly because of the fresh water which still provides its main supply, rising from limestone in nearby Loch nam Ban, then falling to the sea just behind the distillery.

As a Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Caol Ila has enjoyed huge popularity and success since its relaunch in 2002.

Caol Ila is distributed in many markets in four complementary expressions in addition to the Distillers Edition™:

–        a 12 year old, that has won numerous Gold Medals including most recently the supreme prize, the Trophy for the best single malt whisky under 15 years old at the IWSC in 2010. It also won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2009, Master at the Scotch Whisky Masters 2009, Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010 and Master at the Scotch Whisky Masters 2010.

–        An 18 year old.

–        A Natural Cask Strength expression (with no age statement).

–        Moch [Gaelic for Dawn] – a new expression with no age statement, recently launched for the Friends of the Classic Malts

Enthusiasts have also enjoyed the unusual unpeated 8 year old and later 10 and 12 year old expressions of Caol Ila, figuring regularly among the annual Classic Malts Selection Special Releases.

About Caol Ila™ Distillers Edition™

Each Distillers Edition expression undergoes a second (or ‘double’) maturation in casks that have previously held a fortified wine.

This extraordinarily stylish and complex expression of Caol Ila has been double-matured in carefully selected Moscatel casks. The wood is not over-evident and instead balances perfectly with this richly flavoured single malt.

STRENGTH : 43% ABV

APPEARANCE : Clear gold

NOSE : Wonderfully concentrated pure, clean Caol Ila – peaty and medicinal, with rich fruit, spicy and fragrant. With water, the fragrant smokiness comes singing through.

BODY : Medium.

PALATE : Sweetness and maltiness strike first, then are quickly overwhelmed by peat smoke and intense, clean, crisp flavours. The signature smoky bonfires are here, and build to quite a size. Overall, drying, in a beautifully balanced, complex, elegant development, complemented with cinnamon spice.

FINISH : Long, rounded, robust and multi-layered.

About the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, now in its 11th year, is the oldest, largest, and most recognized spirits competition in the United States. Entries were evaluated by 33 spirits experts from noted restaurants and hotels, well-known spirits journalists from major US media, spirits buyers, and spirits consultants. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure ensuring competitive integrity.

SCOTCH WHISKY EXPORTS UP – DIAGEO COMMENTS

Single Malts Exports up by 18%

The Scotch Whisky Association announced this week (WI is palying catch up!) that 2010 was a record year for Scotch Whisky. Global shipments were valued at £3.45bn, a 10% increase on 2009. Scotch Whisky exports  have increased by 60% since the turn of the century, adding an extra £1.29bn in value.

Single Malt exports increased by 18% (to £577m) and bottled Blended Scotch Whisky shipments rose by 5% (to £2.6bn).

There was a comment from David Gates, Diageo’s global category director for  Whiskies. He said:

“As the largest Scotch whisky producer, today’s SWA’s figures on the increase in Scotch exports come as no surprise.

In the last financial year, we’ve seen our Scotch portfolio grow by 6% with the key driver of this growth being through Johnnie Walker in emerging markets where net sales grew 23%. Where economies are growing, Scotch is growing and sometimes spectacularly in markets such as Mexico, Eastern Europe, duty free and South East Asia through blended Scotch brands such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Buchanan’s.

Together these markets have driven almost an additional million cases of Scotch versus the same period last year.

Diageo continues to invest in Scotch production and late last year opened the first major new malt distillery for 30 years – Roseisle – as part of a capital investment programme in Scotland of £600 million announced over the past 6 fiscal years.”

Straight from the Still

Hello everyone,

We have some very exciting and can’t-miss events coming up at the distillery this summer and fall. Hi, this is Keith Kerkhoff co-founder and distiller at Templeton Rye. Mark your calendar for Rock & Rye in conjunction with the historic RAGBRAI event passing through Templeton on Monday, July 25th. Whether you are a spectator, support person, or rider, we would love to have you stop by the distillery. We will be conducting tours of the distillery and the town will be hosting a big party adjacent to the distillery with a beer garden, food, misters to cool you all down, and of course entertainment. Our team is anticipating a barrel of fun and the town of Templeton could grow a hundred fold that day. We will be taking a group picture at 1:00 pm in front of our large distillery sign for everyone wearing a Templeton Rye bike jersey. Speaking of that, for those of you who have not yet purchased one, but would like to, follow this link to get yours today. Get them ordered soon as the cutoff day is approaching.

Back by popular demand, we will be having our second volunteer bottling campaign in late November or early December. Be sure to watch our website for scheduling and sign up. We have kept in touch with many of our participants from last year and they have requested that we do this again so stay tuned.

This is a super busy time of the year for folks in the agricultural industries. I personally, along with my son Kody and extended family, are in this discipline. As our distillery manager Kevin Boersma likes to say, “It’s Go Time” around here. I currently have about 75% of my corn acres planted which is about average in our part of the state. Many other areas and states are struggling to get planting accomplished so hopefully it will dry up for them soon. Always remember “safety first” as accidents can be prevented only if we concentrate on what we are doing.

My last comment is that freedom is not free. This past week the war effort hit very close to home. James Justice, from nearby Manilla, lost his life in Afghanistan. He was a young man who had a magnetic personality that everyone admired. I personally have been friends with all the Justice family for years and want to share my condolences to them for this tragic and unfortunate loss. I would like to remind all of our friends, whether you encounter a military man or woman in an airport or on the street, to approach them and let them know we are thankful for what they are doing. Hope to see you all this summer!

Sincerely, Keith Kerkhoff

Visit Templeton Rye at www.templetonrye.com

Derby Trifecta Challenge: Take your best shot!

Kentucky Derby 137 is ready to run. Put your handicapping skills to the test! Log-in to the Buffalo Trace Saloon and pick 3 horses – win, place and show. If you guess all 3 in the correct order, you win! It’s that simple.

In the event of a tie, the shots you’ve earned from your regular Saloon activities will be added and used as the tie-breaker (so it could really pay to play around in the Saloon!)

The winner will experience Kentucky the way everyone should: scenic horse farms, a rustic 200-year-old distillery, southern food and of course, lots of bourbon tasting, courtesy of Buffalo Trace.

Go to the contest page for complete details.

Not a saloon member yet? Sign up now and take your best shot.

Share this contest with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Good luck,

Buffalo Trace
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Where Has This Year Gone To?
 
2011 seems to be passing very quickly with 1/3rd of it gone all ready. Winter was over rather quicker than we expected here and we are now well into spring with a changing faces at the distillery, new cask releases and new products being developed.

Cask Owners Looking Out to Sea at Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

New Aged Over 30 Years

We recently started filling our latest “Aged Over 30 Years” cask bottling, this whisky which is 34 years old was matured for almost 33 years in a refill sherry hogshead before spending the last 15 months of its life in a first fill ex-Sauternes cask. The result is a stunningly complex dram full of fruit notes and spices and with a long lingering after taste. Perhaps our best yet in the “Aged Over 30 Years” range? well that is a personal decision but for me it is right up there with the very best.

New Aged Over 40 Years

This single cask bottling is from 1966 refill sherry cask and is 45 years old, rich in sherry notes and spices with the influence of the long maturation apparent, simply a classic.

The First “New” Glenglassaugh Bottling

We will be announcing more information on this bottling in the coming months but I can reveal that we will be releasing a single cask bottling of the very first “new” whisky from Glenglassaugh since the refurbishment and which will only be available from the distillery or through our internet shop.

The first cask filling took place on the 16th December 2008 and we have already identified one of these casks to become our first release at the end of this year. Our plan is to empty the cask and then fill the bottles at cask strength and have them shipped in time for Christmas.

There will be around 650 bottles available and the price is likely to be £50.00 excluding shipping.

This is a truly one-off opportunity and I am sure that the demand will be high and is likely to outstrip available bottles.

I will provide more information over the coming months, including details of the whisky cask, confirmation of the price and details of how to order.

The Chosen Few

Following the success of The Manager’s Legacy Series we have developed a new series of single cask releases which have been chosen by individual members of the team here. Each release will be unique and could be from one of our existing older aged whiskies while others will be from one of our newer whiskies, once they are at least 3 year old.

The first of the releases is a 1976 cask which spent most of its life in a refill sherry hogshead and has then been further matured for a final 15 months in a first-fill ex sherry hogshead. The cask was chosen by Ronnie Routledge, after a hard painstaking search through many samples which seemed to last a long, long time and which always ended up with Ronnie leaving with a smile on his face each evening.

New Importers

We hope to be able to announce that we have increased the number of countries that we export to, shortly as we are in discussions with a number of companies in different parts of the world. Although it is too early to say exactly which new countries we are discussing exporting to, I can say that we are hopeful of increasing the availability of our brands in Asia.

Recent Festivals and Forthcoming Events.

I recently attended the inaugural Hamburg festival which suffered similar teething problems to other first events with a very low turnout but I am sure given the support from the industry and the enthusiasm of the organisers then it will prove to be successful in what was a first-class venue in an excellent location.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival proved to be a success once again with a large number of people taking advantage of our half-price offer on “The Ultimate Tour” while other took the opportunity to fill their Octave Cask and others filled their very own limited edition “Spirit of Speyside” Spirit Drink which had matured for 2 years in a first-fill ex-Bourbon cask. All-in-all a great weekend which was enjoyed by everyone.

Fill Your Own Bottle at Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

On the 4th June Ronnie will be at “Whisky ‘n a that” in Ayr. This is organised by Robbie’s Drams.

On the 2nd and 3rd July we will once again be involved with the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival which takes place annually in Portsoy.

Changing Faces

Following on from the last blog when I announced that Mhairi McDonald had rejoined us, this time I have some sadder news. Graham Eunson has decided to leave and will soon join Tomatin as distillery manager.

Graham has become very much associated with Glenglassaugh and has been my right-hand man throughout the last three years. Our relationship has been built on trust and respect for each other’s skills and knowledge and we have operated very much as a team. I will certainly miss Graham and he leaves behind a big pair of shoes to fill but life moves on and Glenglassaugh will continue to grow and to develop.

Although Graham won’t be leaving until July, I want to take this opportunity to record my thanks and to wish him all the very best for the future. He is moving to a big challenge but one that I know he will tackle with relish and will be successful.

As always, all comments are welcome.

Slange

Stuart

Visit Glenglassaugh Distillery at www.glenglassaugh.com

THE GLENLIVET INSPIRES WITH LUXURIOUS NEW PACKAGING

The Glenlivet, the world’s No 2 single malt Scotch whisky, has revealed striking new packaging to provide the ‘single malt that started it all’ with an enhanced luxurious and sophisticated look, in line with its position in the super premium spirits category.

The new packaging to be implemented across the core range, comprising The Glenlivet 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve, 18 Year Old and Nàdurra, will remain recognisably The Glenlivet, yet offer a more contemporary, elegant look. Available in all markets including duty free, the new bottles are enhanced with higher shoulders, a shorter neck and an enlarged base giving them a stronger presence, while the embossed stamp of the whisky’s founding family ‘George & J. G. Smith’, continues to portray the legacy and heritage of The Glenlivet. As a strong point of reference for consumers, the cartouche, which indicates the brands history dating back to 1824, has been given a more prominent position on a raised platform.

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old bottle will retain its iconic green colour, recognised by consumers the world over, while the 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve will move to a clear bottle for the first time to showcase the rich golden colour of the whisky. Both expressions will be presented in a new, luxury carton with premium cues to increase gift appeal, while additional information highlighting the whisky’s quality credentials will benefit both aficionados and new drinkers.

The packaging upgrade has seen The Glenlivet 18 Year Old elevated to align with the ultra-premium and prestige expressions within the range including The Glenlivet 21 Year Old and The Glenlivet XXV. Changes to the 18 Year Old bottle design, including the heavier base, signify its status as the most awarded expression in the range and the whisky favoured by many distillery workers. The new bottle is housed in a significantly upgraded permanent gift box.

In addition, The Glenlivet Nàdurra, the non-chill filtered expression in the range, will also be presented in a new, bolder bottle and feature the logos and icons seen across the range while maintaining the individual character of the artisanal, highly crafted whisky.

Neil Macdonald, Brand Director for Malts at Chivas Brothers, comments: “The Glenlivet is recognised by whisky aficionados around the world as an exquisite, premium whisky, and our new elegant packaging will confidently reflect this quality with its striking new shape and luxury cues.

“The stylish bottles and gift cartons will offer increased on-shelf stand-out for the on and off trade and will support our ambition to see The Glenlivet become the No 1 selling malt whisky in the world.”

Since 2005, The Glenlivet has been the biggest contributor to the global single malt category and is only the second single malt to achieve sales of over 600,000 9l cases. In 2010 The Glenlivet completed its £10 million distillery expansion increasing production capacity by 75% to meet global demand.

Note

The Glenlivet is currently the No 2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world and the No 1 single malt Scotch whisky in the US – the world’s largest malt whisky market. Crafted in the remote Livet Valley since 1824, it is the only whisky with the unchallengeable right to be called The Glenlivet.

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For further information visit www.chivasbrothers.com