Beginnings of a bright new dawn?

Drinks giant Diageo has lodged their planning application with with Moray Council to build their new Roseisle distillery. This good news signals the beginning of investment plans by companies such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard and others into the production infrastructure of Scotland’s whisky industry.

These plans are all aimed at increasing supplies of malt whisky to meet the anticipated increase in sales in China and India. With the recent announcement that India was to drop its import tariffs on whisky from 550% to 150%, demand is expected to rise, some experts are claiming by as much as four times the current level.

I just hope that in the rush to the promised lands, the needs and challenges of the UK market are not forgotten about.

 Robert

www.enjoywhisky.com

Delicious new single cask malts

After much tasting and debating and tasting again, I have finally managed to decide on the next release of Whisky Connoisseur single malt whiskies. There is going to be three new releases and all of them are really cracking drams, sourced from Scotland’s greatest distilleries.

Intrigued keep an eye out for more, I hope to be able to tell you when we will have them ready for shipping.

Robert

www.enjoywhisky.com

£1000 a dram!

Having just read about Johnnie Walkers new 1805 super, duper, premium blended whisky, I don’t think that I will be lucky enough to taste it. Whilst producing a whisky from long closed distilleries that have been aged way in excess of 45 years is a noble and enterprising achievement, it is certainly one that is beyond the reach of most whisky lovers.

These few hundred bottles will probably find there way into collector’s hands and will never see the real light of day and the purpose for which they were made. Unlike a grand master painting, to appreciate a bottle of vintage whisky you have to taste it, just looking at it seems almost masochistic.

Robert

www.enjoywhisky.com

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

Well the recent tropical storms to hit the UK mainland have left even more areas of the country flooded under several feet of water. What a crazy summer this is turning out to be! I only hope that the ‘normal’ sunny weather returns for July and August and we can all get to sit outside and fire up the old barbecue again.

Just on that point do any of you have a particular favourite tipple for the summer, apart from the ubiquitous bottle of beer? I must admit that I enjoy a nice tall glass of bourbon mixed long with lemonade and ice. My current favourite bourbon is J.T.S. Brown 10yo from the Heavenhill stable.

 Robert

www.enjoywhisky.com

What’s round the corner?

What’s round the corner? Well for the whisky industry it seems that there is going to be an unprecdented increase in the demand for Sctoch over the next few years. With the massive markets of China and India finally loosening their import restrictions, its seems that the Far East & Sub-continent are going to literally swallow up the old whisky lake.

This is obviously a good thing for everyone concerned with the Sctoch whisky industry, as it will ensure that the industry in Scotland remains vibrant and viable. However, it does also mean that more and more of the good stuff is going to be exported out of the home market. This is the unfortunate down side of such rapid growth in the export market, volume and value are both much higher than in the dormant UK market.

Lets hope that the big whisky companies don’t forget about home, after all if Scotch begins to drop off the radar here, why would aspiring Indians or Chinese want to drink it?

Robert.

www.enjoywhisky.com

Whyte & Mackay finally sold

After what seems an eternity Whyte & Mackay has finally been sold to United Breweries of India, who paid £595 million for the company. With W&M one of Scotland’s under performers in the global market it will be very interesting to see how the company grows over the next few years, especially now it has access to some fo the biggest emerging markets in the world. It will be even more interesting to see how Scoland’s other big whisky companies react too.

Rumours of another new distillery?

I have recently returned from an interesting day out in Edinburgh, visiting a very informative trade show. At this show I discovered that noted whisky merchants Duncan Taylor & Co are in the initial stages of designing and building a brand new distillery near Huntly. Although details are sketchy it seems that construction may begin in the very near future. I will try to keep you updated with any further details as soon as they emerge.

Robert

www.enjoywhisky.com

Two new innovations bite the dust!

I was sad to read that the Edrington Group has decided to pull it’s John, Mark & Robbo range of products from the UK market. Apparently the returns available in the UK are too small to justify the continued support on the range. It will still be available in the US, where the signs for growth look more positive.

This, along with the news that Diageo have dropped their J&B -6C whisky as-well, is a bit of a knock for the domestic market. Whilst sales continue to growth at fantastic rates overseas, the industry is struggling to develop the mature home market.

Hopefully, this will not put the big whisky companies from trying to introduce new developments in the UK, because it would be a tragedy if all the best of the whisky industry was simply dispatched overseas.

Robert

www.enjoywhisky.com

Get me another dram!

Well, the suspense is killing us at the moment, who is going to come out on top Jack or Alex? I need another dram to keep me going.

Phew, what a scorcher!

Here at the Whisky Connoisseur offices the mercury is beginning to rise as this wonderful sunny spring weather continues.

When it is hot like this it can be difficult to decide what to quench your thirst with, and whisky is usually the last thing you would think of. It doesn’t have to be so, there are a number of different ways to enjoy your favourite tipple during the warm weather.

A favourite trick of mine, one that I discovered a few years back, is to put a bottle of whisky in the freezer, the alcohol level prevents it from freezing completely, but don’t leave it in there too long. Once nice and cold, take it out and pour into a glass, before you take a sip of the whisky drink some cold spring water, then take a sip of the whisky and let it slowly warm up on your tongue for as long as you can. As the whisky warms up it releases subtle flavours that will change as it reacts to temperature and the spring water that is left on the sides of your mouth.

Another, simpler way is to simply mix any good whisky with ice and a mixer, I prefer lemonade, add a few sprigs of mint and it really gets the taste buds going.

The real message is that there doesn’t have to be one ‘proper’ way to drink malt wisky, enjoy it the way it suits you.

Robert.

www.enjoywhisky.com