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Pleasure
is Business
For most single malt enthusiasts, whisky is pleasure - pure pleasure.
But for many Scots, whisky is business. In fact it's one of the
biggest businesses in Scotland. Uisge beatha ranks fifth in export
sales of manufactured goods after cars, aircraft, North Sea oil
and derivatives, and high technology products. Exports are 90%
of all sales and account of over £2 billion. The whisky industry
employs about 12,000 people and procures over £2 billion in good
and services in Scotland.
Not surprisingly,
the country with the largest export in sales is the United States
at £269.6 million in 1998. However, France imports the most quantities:
35.5 million liters. Apparently, the French prefer cheaper brands
than Americans.
As with any industry dependent upon exports, the whisky business
is greatly concerned with excise duties and open international
markets.
Based on
alcohol content, whisky is taxed at a far higher rate than either
beer or wine: 27.38p per 35ml as compared to 16.10p for beer (half
pint) and 18.66p for wine (125ml.)
Whiskies
are known by their frequently historic distilleries and their
time-honored methods of production. Yet even the single malt whisky
industry has seen mergers and buy-outs. In fact, one of the largest
whisky corporations, United Distillers & Vintners (ER) Ltd., of
Edinburgh owns over twenty-seven distilleries such as Cardhu,
Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin, Oban, Royal Lochnagar, and
Talisker.
Sixty-nine of the companies that produce and distribute whisky
are members of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). This trade
association has long lobbied the United Kingdom Parliament on
issues including excise duties, international trade, intellectual
property rights and trademark law, competition law, and workplace
health and safety. With the new Scottish Parliament opening in
April 1999, the SWA is focusing on those matters that have been
"devolved" including business rates and fiscal issues, product
labeling and standards, environmental impacts, health and social
aspects of alcohol, and the Scotch Whisky Act which defines the
types of whiskies.
Corporate Ownership of Distilleries
Who owns
the distillery of your favorite dram...? Here's the list, based
on the membership of the trade association, Scotch Whisky Association.
Allied
Distillers Ltd., Dumbarton
Laphroaig, Miltonduff-Glenlivet, The glendronach, Tormore
Isle
of Arran Distillers Ltd., Mauchline
Glen Eason
Macdonald
& Muir Ltd.
Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, Glen Moray
Ben
Nevis Distillery Ltd., Fort William
Ben Nevis
Berry
Bros & Rudd Ltd., London
The Glenrothes
Burn
Stewart Distillers PLC., E.Kilbride
Deanston, Ledaig, Tobermory
Campbell
Distillers Ltd., Ayrshire
Aberlour, Edradour, The Glenallachie
Dewar,
John & Sons Ltd., Glasgow
Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, glen Deveron, Royal Brackla
The
Edrington Group, Glasgow
Glengoyne
The
Highland Distilleries plc, Perth
Bunnahabhain, Glenrothes, The Glenturret, Highland Park, Isle
of Orkney, Tamdhu
Grant,
J & G, Banffshire
Glenfarclas
Grant,
Wm & Sons Ltd., Motherwell
Balvenie, Glenfiddich
Inver
House Distillers Ltd., Lanarkshire
An Cnoc, Old Pulteney, Speyburn
JBB
(Greater Europe) plc., Glasgow
Bruichladdich, The Dalmore, Isle of jura, Tamnavulin, Tomintoul
Speyside, Tullibardine
London
& Scottish Spirits Ltd., Surrey
Glen Torran
Morrison
Bowmore Distillers Ltd., Glasgow
Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch, McClellands
Seagram
Distillers plc., Paisley
The Glenlivet, Longmorn, Strathisla
Tomatin
Distillery Co, Inverness-shire
Tomatin
United
Distillers & Vintners Ltd., Edinburgh
Balmenach, Benrinnes, Bladnoch, Blair Athol, Brora, Caol Ila,
Cardhu, Clynelish, Cragganmore, Dailuaine, Dalwhinnie, Dufftown,
Glen Elgin, Glen Ord, Glendullan, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, Inchgower,
Lagavulin, Linkwood, Loch Dhu, Mortlach, Oban, Pittyvaich, Rosebank,
Talisker, Royal Lochnagar
Whisky Business:
News Notes
France
is Number One Whisky Importer: The increasing consumption
of Scotch in France over the past 10 years has turned France in
to the number one importing country of Scotch in the world with
9.9 million liters of pure alcohol imported last yea thus overtaking
the U.S. In value however, the U.S. is still leading. The French
seem to prefer quantity over quality -- and buy far more mid-value
blends than Americans who prefer higher quality malts. Perhaps
there is some accounting for taste after all...
Glenlivet
in French Oak: A new Genlivet is being introduced to the
U.S. market: The Glenlivet French Oak Finish. The new bottling
is finished in French Limousin casks which are air-dried and toasted
before filling. The company describes the effect of the wood on
the whisky as imparting a "dry oakiness" and "delicate scented
floral fragrance".
Laphroaig
goes Green: Laphroaig Distillery has been presented with
the first environmental award among malt whisky producers. Keith
Tozzi, chief executive of the British Standards Institution said:
"Laphroaig has distinguished itself through continually improving
its environmental performance."
Glen
Moray: Forget Madeira, Go for Chardonnay: A new class
of whisky finishing is set to tickle the whisky connoisseurs palate.
Forget Pedro Ximenez and Co. - Chardonnay has joined the game.
Glen Moray has recently released a 6-10 year old bourbon-matured
single malt which had been finished in Chardonnay casks for 6
months. Asked if Glen Moray was trying to target women with the
new bottling, Glen Moray spokeswoman Cathy Law stated "We would
not set out to target women, but the Chardonnay-mellowed whisky
has proven popular with female drinkers at introductory tastings."
To complement the Chardonnay-finish, a 12 year-old Glen Moray
mellowed in Chenin Blanc casks is also in the works.
24
year-old Millennium Malt from Glenmorangie: Glenmorangie
recently unveiled their malt for the millennium. It is a limited
edition 24-year-old going at £175 a bottle. The "Glenmorangie
Original" is limited to 2,000 bottles and comes with a hand-made
label made to look like labels used in the 1920s. One such bottle
was recently found near the distillery.
Glen
Scotia Working Again: Good news for all connoisseurs of
Campbelltown whiskies. The crew of Springbank, under the experienced
eye of Frank Hardy (Springbank General Manager), began distilling
operations at Glen Scotia in early May. Glen Scotia, owned by
Loch Lomond Distilleries, had been silent since 1994. Springbank
and Loch Lomond had reached an agreement by which the Springbank
staff will carry on distilling at least until the end of July.
The deal will then be reviewed by Loch Lomond. Mitchel Sorbie
of the Loch Lomond Distillery Company has stated that he is "very
pleased" with the agreement - a good sign for continuing operations.
Plans are to warehouse all casks directly at Glen Scotia
Queens
Award goes to Glenmorangie: Five of eight Queens Awards
for export achievements in the food and drinks sector go to Scottish
companies dealing in traditional Scottish products. Among the
winners is the single malt distiller Glenmorangie which received
it's first such award. Although Glenmorangie has been involved
in large scale exports for only 4 years, it has moved up the ladder
to number 3 in the malt whisky business and now does 40% of its
business outside the UK. Another winner was Macallan, no newcomer
to this award - it is their fourth to date and second in a row!
Macallan does 60% of its business outside the UK in more than
50 countries. Other winners were shortbread baker Walkers's and
MacDuff (fish) as well as McCormick Europe's Condiment Division,
an American company which supplies McDonalds, among others.
William
Grant set to release rare Casks of Ladyburn: A number
of casksof the highly sought after Ladyburn are apparently still
in vaults of William Grant. The rare casks, between 20 and 30
years old, come from the Ladyburn Distillery which was part of
Grants' Girvan grain distillery. Malt distilling there stopped
in 1974. Grants are now considering the best way to market the
rare scotch.
New Releases
in the U.S.:
-
The Glenlivet
Archive 21 Year Old selected from 21 - 40 year old casks
-
Highland
Park Bicentennial bottlings will be out soon
-
New Macallans:
15 & 30 year-olds at about $50 and $350 respectively
-
"Scottish
Classic" 40-year-old by Glenfarclas realeased as millenium
whisky with specially-commissioned labels representing the
works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter
Scott
News
edited from the from the Whisky World Newsletter, located on the
web at http://www.whisky.de/e_whiskylibrary/newsletters/default.htm.
Gaelic Whiskies
Praban na
Linne Limited was founded in Skye in 1977 by Sir Iain Noble of
Eilean Iarmain. The whisky company has its headquarters and principal
staff in Skye - making it the only whisky company with a head
office in Skye or the Hebrides.
 Té
Bheag
In 1977,
Praban's first blended whisky "Té Bheag" was introduced with a
wholly Gaelic label. For the rest of the world, information was
provided in English on the back of the label, said to be "easiest
read the morning after finishing the bottle." Designed specifically
for the Gaelic-speaking Hebridean Islands, "Té Bheag" is married
in sherry casks for three to six months after blending.
News of "Té
Bheag" reached Nova Scotia, especially the island of Cape Breton
where there is still a community of fifth-generation Gaelic speakers.
Regulations in Canada require that all products be labeled bilingually,
meaning English and French. "We have our own bilingualism in Nova
Scotia" stated a senior executive of the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission,
and authorized the importation of "Té Bheag" with labels in Gaelic
and French
 Poit
Dhubh
"Poit Dhubh"
went on sale to the public in 1982 as a 12 year old very fine
malt whisky. The name means "black pot" and is the term used in
Gaelic for an illicit still. In the nineteenth century, some smugglers
had a reputation for making the very best of whiskies. In 1991
a 21 year old "Poit Dhubh" was introduced.
For 20 or
30 years it has been the practice to chill and filter whiskies
in order to remove the natural proteins. This prevented it from
clouding when cold or when water was added. The Praban team decided
to revert to the pre-war ways by offering an unchilled unfiltered
whisky, as the proteins are the heart of the dram, keeping it
soft and smooth. The new "Green Label" Poit Dhubh was supplied
in traditional dark green bottles at 46% strength.
Brief
Gaelic Lesson
Té Bheag
(chay-VECK) means "little feminine one", but is also an affectionate
term in Gaelic circles for a dram or a "wee half". Poit Dhubh
(potch-GOO) is "black pot" but is also the expression used for
an illicit still. Praban na Linne, the name of the company, means
"the little whisky center by the Sound of Sleat."
This
article was edited from information at the Praban na Linne website
located at http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/Eilean_Sgitheanach/Praban_na_Linne/gaelic_whiskies.htm
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