Whisk(e)y

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The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has today revealed export figures for 2019, showing that the value of global Scotch whisky exports grew by 4.4% to £4.91bn.

The figures, which were compiled from HRMC export data, show that growth was driven in particular in Asia and Africa, with value increases of 9.8% and 11.3% respectively.

 

 

However, a 25% tariff on the import of single malt Scotch whisky and Scotch whisky liqueurs into the United States means the outlook for the industry remains uncertain, particularly given that this tariff could rise.

 

The SWA warned in August that exports in 2019 had been affected by changing trade conditions in key export markets, and did not reflect “steady-state” trade for the Scotch Whisky sector. This continues to be the case, with significant pre-shipping ahead of Brexit ‘no-deal’ deadlines in March and October 2019, and ahead of the imposition of a tariff on exports to the US on 18th October.

 

While the US remained the Scotch Whisky industry’s most valuable market, increasing in value by 2.7% to £1.07bn, export volume fell by 7% to 127m 70cl bottles. There was a marked difference in the final quarter of the year. In Q4 2019, exports to the US fell by 25%.

 

Commenting on the news, Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the SWA, said: "These figures underscore the global reach of Scotch Whisky. They show that Scotch Whisky remains at the heart of a dynamic, competitive, international spirits market and continues to attract consumers tapping into the global trend for premium spirits. The growth of developing markets in Africa and Asia shows that Scotch Whisky continues to bring new consumers to our globally renowned brands.”

 

Karen went onto say: “However, the imposition of a 25% tariff on exports of single malt Scotch whisky and Scotch whisky liqueurs to the United States is very concerning, and the 25% fall in exports to the US in the fourth quarter of 2019, immediately following the implementation of tariffs, is stark. The tariffs are hitting producers hard, particularly small distillers.  Some are now asking themselves how they can continue exporting to the US, whether they can build up alternative markets, which is not something that can be done quickly, and if not how their businesses will cope.”

 

Karen concluded by saying: “We are continuing to press the UK government to put in place a package of support for distillers to help mitigate the impact of tariffs, including a cut in excise duty in next month’s budget which would allow distillers to re-invest in the UK market while sales are under pressure in the US.”

 

Scotch whisky is sold around 180 markets worldwide, and accounts for over 20% of all UK food and drink exports.

 

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Kupio ovo u ALDI-u u UK. 17.50 funti. Jako dobar i pitak Islay.

U NL se ne prodaju zestoka pica u ALDI, ali kod komsija da pa ako se nekome pije dimljen viski za dzaba cijenu ja mu ovo preporucujem. Inace viski je 2018 odnio dvije zlatne medalje na  Scotch Whisky Masters awards. 

 

[Doorn]

U posjeti Glengoyne destileriji, Dumgoyne, Scotland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flasa za svaku godinu stajanja viskija u raznim bacvama. 

 

 

 

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The world needs hand sanitizer — far more than the existing hand sanitizer industry can produce. So the American whiskey industry, along with other alcohol industries like craft breweries, have begun stepping up. They’re hitting pause on making beverages, and have begun making the alcohol-based sanitizers that save lives.

 

It’s an important example of how entrepreneurs can pivot and contribute to the fight against Covid-19. And it contains important lessons for other entrepreneurs on how to do the same.

 

Lift regulations.
In a way, the American whiskey industry was already primed for this work. Back in 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American government assumed control of the distilling industry and converted many of the stills to produce high-proof ethanol. This ethanol was used for antifreeze, munitions, octane boosters, lacquer, synthetic rubber and more.

 

Today, no government mandate was required — but government help was. When the COVID-19 crisis first hit, some of the smaller distilleries began trying to share their alcohol; any whiskey manufacturer will have parts of the distillate that can’t be used in beverages but could become a general-purpose cleaner. However, laws stood in their way. Strict regulations control what can and can’t happen in a distillery, and these businesses are heavily taxed. With these laws in place, the distilleries couldn’t be helpful.

 

The industry started raising its voice, and policy-makers responded. Local, state and even federal laws were lifted or altered. On March 18, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which oversees the industry, also cleared a path: It waived parts of a law, including requirements that distilleries obtain permits or bonds to produce hand sanitizer.

 

Now distilleries could finally get to work.

 

Create many different solutions.
Each distillery has taken a somewhat different path. Some distilleries chose to make sanitizing products, and then provide them for free to first responders and critical facilities and businesses. Others have chosen to sell their sanitizing products to the public, as a way to keep their staffs paid.

 

In Kentucky, the response from the bourbon industry has been swift and decisive. Brown-Forman, one of the largest American-owned spirits manufacturers, started delivering free sanitizer to first responders in Woodford County, the location of its Woodford Reserve distillery. (Its Old Forester Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky will follow suit.) The Neeley Family Distillery is making small batches of hand sanitizer and allowing people to bring their own bottles to fill up for a donation to cover the costs. Lexington Brewing & Distilling, Rabbit Hole Distillery and Wilderness Trail Distillery have all announced efforts to produce hand sanitizer as well.

 

Outside of Kentucky, many small distilleries are doing the same — including Smooth Ambler in West Virginia, Koval Distillery in Chicago, Corsair Distillery in Tennessee, American Craft Whiskey Distillery in California and Whisky Acres Distilling in Illinois.

 

Share information among competitors.
But there’s a problem: Just because a distiller can make whiskey, that doesn’t mean they know how to make alcohol for hand sanitizer. To make it work, the industry has come together to share information — producing webinars, online guides, and more. Distilleries are modifying their equipment and learning on the fly.

 

At Catoctin Creek Distillery in Virginia, Distiller Becky Harris says she’s working closely with the American Craft Spirits Association (ASCA), with daily meetings to devise the best possible course of action for distillers wanting to produce hand sanitizer. At one point, her husband and business partner, Scott Harris, was receiving 50 emails every hour from people asking about hand sanitizer. She says the media attention on this topic has been helpful, because it has shown regulatory bodies there is a huge surge in demand for these products, which in turn enabled the ASCA to streamline and expedite the process of building guidelines and finding supply in the supply chain. 

 

As the situation evolves, distilleries are also having to change their plans. In Michigan, for example, the Traverse City Whiskey Company originally wanted to sell hand sanitizer to the public — but then its inventory of 10,000 units sold out overnight. “The response and demand has been shocking,” says Chris Fredrickson, the company’s co-founder. “Because of this, we've evolved our strategy from retail to include medical and first responders, as that has been the greatest need.”

 

What will come next? Nobody knows, of course — but more distilleries join the effort to produce hand sanitizer, and owners say they’ll look for even more ways to band together and support people in the industry. “I would say that whiskey drinkers are the most generous people on the planet,” says Bill Thomas, owner of the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington D.C., who I spoke with recently for American Whiskey Magazine. “And this is absolutely proof that the whiskey drinker is the best kind of human being on the planet.”

 

It’s also a lesson for other industries during this difficult time: With loosening regulations, you can collaborate with your peers on new innovations ... and start solving any problem you can.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/348127

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DIAGEO PLEDGES MORE THAN 8 MILLION BOTTLES OF HAND SANITISER
Diageo, the producer of brands including Johnnie Walker blended Scotch whisky, has today announced that it is pledged to enable the creation of more than eight million bottles of hand sanitiser.

The drinks giant will be donating up to two million litres of alcohol to manufacturing partners, to help protect frontline healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.

Diageo pledges more than 8 million bottles of hand sanitiser

Diageo will provide Grain Neutral Spirit (GNS), a 96% strength ethyl alcohol used primarily in production of vodka and gin – and make it available at no cost to hand sanitiser producers in multiple countries, to help overcome shortages in healthcare systems. This donation will enable the production of more than eight million 250ml bottles of hand sanitiser.

The spirit will be made available in supply chains according to local circumstances, working with the relevant authorities and hand sanitiser manufacturers. This will ensure the donation is used for maximum impact in protecting health workers and patients and that sanitiser reaches the frontline as quickly as possible.

The plan includes: 

The UK and the Republic of Ireland: 500,000 litres of GNS to be made available for national healthcare systems and workers across the UK and Ireland.

Italy: 100,000 litres of GNS to support the healthcare system and other national needs.

USA: 500,000 litres of GNS to be supplied to meet local community needs.

Brazil: Diageo’s Ypioca plant will produce 50,000 litres of spirit for the local healthcare system, in conjunction with the Ceara State Government.

Kenya: Diageo’s East Africa Breweries Ltd will enable production of 135,000 litres of sanitiser, prioritising vulnerable and at risk groups.

India: 500,000 litres of alcohol to supply to the sanitizer industry across 25 States, for use in national healthcare systems and for consumers.

Australia: Diageo’s Bundaberg Distilling Co. to produce 100,000 litres of ethanol for the Queensland Government, to be forwarded to hand sanitiser manufacturers.

Commenting on the news, Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive of Diageo, said: “Healthcare workers are at the forefront of fighting this pandemic and we are determined to do what we can to help protect them. This is the quickest and most effective way for us to meet the surging demand for hand sanitiser around the world.”

Diageo has also said it continues to engage with national and local governments across the many countries, where the company has major distilling operations. 

http://www.thewhiskybusiness.com/2020/03/diageo-pledges-more-than-8-million.html

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eur 15,- get drunk whisky 👌🥃

 

[Amigo]

On 3/3/2020 at 5:19 AM, Doorn said:

U posjeti Glengoyne destileriji, Dumgoyne, Scotland.

 

 

 

 

Da li je ista povoljnije da se tu kupi?

[Doorn]

1 hour ago, Amigo said:

 

Da li je ista povoljnije da se tu kupi?

Nije, ako se poredi sa Holandijom, ali je jeftinije nego u prodavnicama u UK. Akcize u UK su velike tako da se meni tamo ne isplati kupovati. Primjera radi Glengoyne 18 years old je u destileriji bio 95 funti, a kod mene u NL je 70 evra. 

[mrd]

Sve protiv corone! Užas.

 

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[Doorn]

Coronu valjda ubija alkohol od 70% pa na vise.

Ostaje nam da se usmjerimo na cask strenght scotch, ali ni oni nisu vise od 70%. 

 

[Kronostime]

1 hour ago, Doorn said:

Coronu valjda ubija alkohol od 70% pa na vise.

Ostaje nam da se usmjerimo na cask strenght scotch, ali ni oni nisu vise od 70%. 

 

Moonshining - here we go!

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Edited April 5, 2020 by Doorn

[mrd]

Javio mi student da je posao u napad. 🙂

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Elixir Distillers has blended a Karuizawa whisky using spirit distilled between 1963 and 1984, which will be offered in Whisky.Auction’s charity sale.

One of six bottles of Karuizawa Omoiyari produced will be sold via Whisky.Auction

The Karuizawa Omoiyari blend was made using cask samples archived by Elixir Distillers, which were built around a base of Karuizawa 1972 whisky.

Made using “some of the most remarkable and sought-after whiskies ever to be produced in Japan”, Elixir Distillers has produced six bottles of Karuizawa Omoiyari.

Karuizawa Omoiyari is said to “balance the intense character of Sherry-matured Karuizawa with the elegant, fruity flavours found in the very best of the distillery’s Bourbon casks”.

Bottle number one will be auctioned as part of a charity sale organised by Whisky.Auction.

All proceeds from the sale, including buyers’ commission, will be donated to The Drinks Trust charity, which is currently helping hospitality professionals in the UK who are struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Other rare spirits featured in the charity sale include: Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt The Joker, Pappy Van Winkle 23 Years Old, Glenfarclas 30 Years Old, Longmorn 23 Years Old and magnums of Absolut Elyx.

 

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As the Japanese whisky industry’s practice of blending imported liquid from other parts of the world becomes more commonly known, questions are being asked about brands’ claims of authenticity. The Spirits Business reports on a sector at a critical point in its global trajectory.

*This feature was originally published in the January 2020 issue of The Spirits Business

These are big moments for Japan. The country’s staging of the Rugby World Cup last autumn was a mere hors d’oeuvre for what comes next: on 24 July 2020, Tokyo’s New National Stadium will host the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, better known as the Summer Olympics. *Due to the covid-19 outbreak, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was postponed for the first time in its history. The opening ceremony will now be held on 23 July 2021.

The spin‐off cultural benefits from these twin sporting showpieces should be considerable, but one Japanese product looks painfully ill‐equipped to reap the rewards of this time in the global spotlight. For all the headline‐grabbing auction prices fetched by Karuizawa and Hanyu, the country’s whisky industry is having a bit of a time of it.

Turn the clock back almost 20 years and the sense of hope and excitement for Japan’s whisky distillers was exhilarating. In the early 2000s, no major drinks awards night was complete without a Japanese film crew, there to record the latest trophy win for Hibiki, Nikka or Yamazaki. What had been an internally focused, domestically driven industry suddenly had the beginnings of an international reputation.

But the contrast between that nascent global status and the realities of the Japanese market has always been there. Even as Western critics fawned over the latest Yoichi or Hakushu, oceans of cheap blends were being consumed via mizuwaris (a mix of water, whisky and ice) in the bars of Tokyo and Osaka.

Some of these low‐end whiskies have always been, well, interesting. As the local market expanded decades back, distillers blended their own product with imported bulk spirit, chiefly from Scotland and Canada, to meet the demand. And this wasn’t breaking the rules because there were, and are, very few regulations dictating what is or isn’t Japanese whisky.

“There were sound reasons for permitting blending of Scotch/Canadian with Japanese whisky in the 1960s‐80s,” says Dave Broom, writer and expert on Japanese whisky, “to provide liquid for low‐cost, high‐volume domestic brands because Japan couldn’t meet the demand.”

The problems have arisen with Japan’s unforeseen post‐millennium whisky boom, both at home and abroad. At home, Highballs drove strong volume gains for standard blends such as Suntory’s Kakubin; abroad, the cult of high‐end Karuizawa, Hanyu and Yamazaki pushed pricing into the stratosphere and stretched aged inventories to breaking point.

As a result, age‐stated products started to fall like dominoes: Hibiki 17, Hakushu 12, even at the volume level, Suntory has been unable to keep pace with the insatiable thirst for Kakubin – and, ironically, one of the beneficiaries has been its Beam Suntory stablemate, Jim Beam, which has moved to fill the gap in the market.

This combination of supply/demand imbalance and lack of regulation has led to the emergence of a new wave of premium ‘Japanese whiskies’ that are not – or at least may not be – all that they seem.

There’s nothing to stop firms from selling a ‘Japanese whisky’ that is entirely made up of bulk spirit imported from Scotland or Canada; or, in the home market at least, one that is as little as 10% whisky blended with neutral spirit; or even – in the US, but not in Japan or the EU – selling aged rice or barley shōchū as ‘Japanese rice whisky’.

Hakushu: beloved by western whisky buffs

LACK OF REGULATION

While a lack of regulation may have historically given the industry much‐needed flexibility, this free‐for‐all is now threatening its good name. “The situation has changed,” says Broom. “Japan exports whisky; it has a deservedly high reputation. My main concern is the emergence of fake new premium brands claiming to be Japanese whisky.”

The signs are cautiously positive that action will be taken, but finding out precisely what is going on is challenging, as Japan‐based writer and blogger Stefan Van Eycken explains: “It’s very hard to get people to comment on the issue here – industry folks, I mean – because, with the exception of a few recent craft distilleries, whisky producers here, big and small, have all made use, consciously or unconsciously – and covering the whole spectrum from unscrupulously exploiting the grey zones to being oblivious there are any issues at all – of the vast grey area surrounding the legal definition of Japanese whisky, and continue to do so. So it’s not in their vested interest to comment on it.”

Here’s what we do know: the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association has a working party looking at the issue, and it is hoped that they will deliver some kind of working definition of Japanese whisky, with supporting regulations, in 2020.

“We would like to work closely with them and will follow their decision,” says a Suntory spokesperson, while Kirin master blender Jota Tanaka adds: “We understand that the issue is not only to our concern, but also to people all over the globe. Hopefully, some direction for its solutions will be announced in the early part of 2020.”

What should the regulations say? “For me, it’s quite simple,” says Broom. “The term Japanese whisky should mean a whisky, or blend of whiskies, that have been 100% mashed, fermented, distilled and matured in Japan. Any blending in of imported whiskies should be declared/given a clearly defined, separate designation.

“I’d also outlaw the use of unaged neutral spirit in a blend, have a minimum ageing period and not permit the labelling of shōchū as whisky – this will help shōchū.”

AGED SPIRIT

Tanaka is reluctant to be drawn into a detailed discussion, but broadly backs Broom’s view: “We believe that Japanese whisky must not be different from the image that comes to the consumer’s mind. In other words, we believe the term ‘Japanese whisky’ should be applied to an aged spirit that has only been made in Japan.”

For Yumi Yoshikawa, brand ambassador at Venture Whisky/Chichibu, Scotland provides the best template. “We think that regulations differ slightly from country to country, but basically we need to be close to Scotland’s regulations,” she says. “This is partly due to the fact that whisky making in Japan originally came from Scotland, and whisky among Japanese consumers is considered to be based on Scotch whisky. However, there are companies in the industry with various ways of thinking, and the consensus is still not fully taken.”

Even if the rules are tightened, questions remain. The regulatory framework will need to be legally enforcible – or it will simply be ignored by some operators – and the change will have to be managed carefully. What about brands that use imported spirit? Will they amend their labelling and communication, or shift to a Japanese‐only blend? And: does the consumer care, as long as they enjoy the product? “The mutterings are getting louder,” argues Broom. “There’s not a backlash yet, but a growing cynicism about the issue. Unless the situation is resolved, this will have a detrimental effect on Japanese whisky’s reputation.”

In the end, this reputational risk could be the biggest spur to action – but Van Eycken remains unconvinced. “My own view on this is that change will only come about if all major producers (and by major I don’t necessarily mean ‘big’ in terms of production volume, but ‘big’ in the public eye) come together and work something out – but whether that’s going to happen any time soon, or at all, is anyone’s guess.”

 

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The fourth and final special edition in a series that is supporting the Glasgow School of Art after it was afflicted by two successive fires. This edition is themed around summer at the distillery and every bottle contains a print of the painting 'Summer Eveninglight at Glengoyne Distillery' by John Lowrie Morrison (Jolomo).

The whisky inside is Glengoyne 10 Year Old, which has notes of fresh green apples, toffee and a hint of nuttiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Doorn

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Cardhu Gold Reserve

 

 

 

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Gaelic for ‘Golden Salmon’, Bradan Orach is a classic, welcoming Speyside whisky, matured exclusively in American Oak ex-bourbon casks. This bright single malt was named in honour of the world-class salmon fishing found on the River Spey.

 

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UNCLE NEAREST: A TRUE, BLACK, WHISKEY ICON

SPIRITS

You may well know what I’m going to say, but I shall tell you the story regardless. There has never been a more important time to tell it. Events in the US are showing us that we need to do so much more to raise awareness of black culture and history in every pocket of society as well as heal the gross divide we still see seen when it comes to opportunities and privileges. Let us start here by raising a glass to one man in the drinks industry that history almost forgot. Let us shout about his name, his story and now, his whiskey.

WHO WAS UNCLE NEAREST?

More than one hundred and sixty years ago, in the hills above Lynchburg in Tennessee, there was a farm owned by a young preacher man called Dan Call that still stands today. Reverend Call had a side hustle down the road on his farm: a small whiskey distillery, which made a silky smooth, maple-sweet whiskey that was highly regarded by all that tasted it. The man who distilled the whiskey was a black slave named Nathan Green, known affectionately as Uncle Nearest, and he brought with him a special technique of charcoal filtering that he had learned back home when cleaning water in West Africa. This method of filtering whiskey through sugar maple tree charcoal became known as the famous ‘Lincoln method’ and it’s still used today.

A FASCINATION FOR DISTILLATION

At some time in the 1850s, a young white boy came to Reverend Call asking for work. The Reverend took him on and gave him chores but the boy became increasingly fascinated by what was going on down the road at the distillery. Eventually, after begging his master, the boy, named Jasper, was introduced to Nathan ‘Uncle Nearest’ Green, who was told to teach him what he knew. A natural entrepreneur, Jasper so believed in this whiskey that he started selling it as far and wide as he could. 

December 6th 1865 came around and the thirteenth amendment was finally passed. Uncle Nearest was a free man. Not long after, Jasper bought the distillery and named it after himself, though he didn’t use his given name; he preferred what the locals called him: not Jasper Daniel, but Jack Daniel. He asked Nathan to be his very first master distiller, a position which he happily accepted. The men worked together until Nathan retired.

Nathan’s story was lost for a long time. We can only imagine why. However, a new distillery was built just down the road from Jack Daniel’s, where Nathan’s descendents work today. Quite rightly, it was named after the man who turned out to be the true founding father of Tennessee Whiskey: Nathan Green. Uncle Nearest. Both distilleries still enjoy a warm bond formed by their shared histories.

There are three Uncle Nearest Whiskies to try. Seek them out and please, tell the story. 

1884 SMALL BATCH WHISKEY

Whiskey aged a minimum of 7 year-old, the 1884 commemorates the final year Nearest is believed to have put his own whiskey into barrels before retiring. Now blended by his descendents. Lighter in style and proof than the 1856. A great, accessible whiskey.

See more here.

1856 PREMIUM AGED WHISKEY

Tastes like the mix for fruit cake! Raisins, sultanas, butter, vanilla and soft cinnamon spice.

Find it for £55 at at Master of Malt.

1820 NEAREST GREEN SINGLE BARREL EDITION

Aged a minimum of 11 years, with a cask strength above 108, less than 1% of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey barrels are selected as these rare, single barrels.

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