May 20th, 2011

The leading single malt scotch brands in the U.S. (I think #5 might surprise you!)

John Hansell

Here they are, according to IMPACT DATABANK

US – Leading Single Malt Scotch Whisky Brands
(thousands of nine-liter case depletions)
  Percent Change
Rank Brand Importer 2008 2009 2010 2008-2009 2009-2010
1 The Glenlivet Pernod Ricard USA 285 286 309 0.4% 8.0%
2 The Macallan Rémy Cointreau USA 125 125 134 0.0% 7.2%
3 Glenfiddich William Grant & Sons USA 102 100 107 -2.0% 7.0%
4 The Balvenie William Grant & Sons USA 47 50 55 6.4% 10.0%
5 McClelland’s White Rock Distilleries 49 52 54 6.1% 3.8%
6 Glenmorangie Moët-Hennessy USA 37 43 52 16.2% 20.9%
  Total Top Six 645 656 711 1.7% 8.4%
Source: IMPACT DATABANK

 

McClellands? That certainly surprised me! Anything surprise you?

Category: Marketing,Ramblings,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , , 83 Comments

March 21st, 2011

The Balvenie Whisky Academy debuts

John Hansell

When it comes to whisky, education is key. The buyer purchases a whisky he (or she) will like, the retailer is happy, the distributor is happy, and the producer is happy. That’s why I have devoted my professional life to it.

That’s also why I was happy to hear from Sam Simmons, The Balvenie Global Ambassador, when he told me about the Balvenie Whisky Academy. It’s not just Balvenie who wins here. Everybody wins. Well done!

Here’s the scoop, directly from Sam himself:

We have just completed a series of 35 films we are calling The Balvenie Whisky Academy. I began work on it this past autumn and it began to take shape with filming in November and December.

The series is available at http://www.thebalveniewhiskyacademy.com/

A blurb about the project:

The Balvenie Whisky Academy

A series of 34 online films, The Whisky Academy will be available exclusively to Warehouse 24 members and provides an introduction to the world of single malts for newcomers, as well as greater depth of understanding for those already familiar with whisky. There are contributions from internal experts like Malt Master David Stewart, Global Ambassador Sam Simmons, Dufftown Site Leader, Stuart Watts and Process Team Leader, Marie Stanton, as well as external experts like whisky scholar Charles MacLean, writer Gavin D. Smith, and Sukhinder Singh of The Whisky Exchange.

As well as providing a history of whisky, how it’s produced, the crafts and chemistry involved, the Whisky Academy will also answer some of the most commonly asked questions about single malts, as well as guiding the viewer through the science of flavour and the techniques of whisky tasting.

The Balvenie Whisky Academy comprises four modules, containing a total of 34 short films which offer expert insights and commentary on the world of single malt whiskies. So, whether the viewer is at the start of their whisky journey, or is a relative expert, there is something for everyone.

The full library of the 34 Whisky Academy videos will ‘live’ on The Balvenie website, and will be available exclusively to Warehouse 24 members.

[You can find a sample of the films, this one focusing on barrel sizes and names, right here.]

By way of an ‘at-a-glance’ overview, the four modules and summary of what they cover are detailed below:

Module 1 – ‘The History of Scotch Malt Whisky’

Experts featured: Charles MacLean and Sukhinder Singh of The Whisky Exchange

Module 2 – ‘Production of Scotch Malt Whisky’

Experts featured: Richard Lake from Crisp Maltings Group, Marie Stanton, Stuart Watts and David Stewart from The Balvenie, Ian Grant from Glenfiddich and Leslie Gracie from William Grant & Sons

Module 3 – ‘Whisky Nitty Gritty’

Experts featured: Eddie Ludlow of The Whisky Lounge, writer Gavin D Smith, The Balvenie Global Ambassador, Sam Simmons and Sukhinder Singh of The Whisky Exchange 

Module 4 – ‘Nosing and Tasting’

Experts featured: Leslie Gracie, Eddie Ludlow, David Mair, David Stewart and Sam Simmons

Category: Education,Marketing,Scotch whisky,Websites,Writers Tags: 6 Comments

January 26th, 2011

“Pure” Pot Still Irish whiskey is now “Single” Pot Still

John Hansell

In case you missed it.  Pure pot still Irish whiskey is now being described at single pot still Irish whiskey. (See the label on Redbreast 15 year old.)

I used the old term during a recent issue of WhiskyNotes and Brendan Buckley, Category Development Director for Irish Distillers, was kind enough to remind me in an email he sent me. I’m posting it below because he explains why the change was made.

Hi John,

Just perusing the latest newsletter and I noticed that you described the latest Midleton releases as ‘pure pot still’ in your byline.

While the term ‘pure pot still’ has been the custom and practice of the Irish whiskey industry for, oh let me see, 200 odd years, it would appear that the TTB has taken umbrage with usage of the term ‘pure’ as it pertains to food and beverages.

This came to a head a few years back when we introduced Redbreast 15 to the US at which time we were obliged by the TTB to drop the prefix ‘pure’.

Arising from this, we opted to use the more industry (and arguably consumer) friendly prefix, ‘single’ to designate that the whiskey was a pot still whiskey from a single distillery.  Therefore, if you pick up a bottle of Redbreast 15 you will notice that the label reads ‘single’ rather than ‘pure’.

As a consequence, all of our new pot still releases are now described as ‘Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey’.

Redbreast 12 is still marketed in the US as a ‘pure pot still’ but this has been permitted under a grandfather ruling.  I should note that as part of a packaging upgrade project currently underway on Redbreast 12, we will in time transition all labels over to the new descriptor ‘single pot still’.

In truth, the TTB may have done us a favour by encouraging us to adopt a more widely recognised frame of reference and indeed this will be enshrined in new industry regulation which in underway under the auspices of the Irish Spirits Association.

Slainte
Brendan Buckley

Thanks Brendan for the update and clarification!

Category: Irish whiskey,Marketing Tags: , 35 Comments

January 18th, 2011

Whisky in a can: good or bad?

John Hansell

Scottish Spirits, a Panama-based company with an office in Scotland, is selling blended whisky in a can in the Caribbean and South America. The Daily Record reported it here yesterday. Have a look.

This issue was a big deal in the beer industry when high-end craft brewers started putting their beer in cans. Did it tarnish the reputation of the craft brewers? I don’t think so.

I buy good beer in cans every year. Why? I don’t want glass bottles on my boat. Bare feet and broken glass just don’t go well together. (Blood on my white deck better be from fish, not people.). I also don’t want to drink crap beer, so I am happy to have the opportunity to buy good beer in cans.

I don’t have any whisky bottles on my boat, largely for the same reason. I put whisky in a flask and have it available. But, if I could buy good whisky in a can, I would. It would make my Manhattan-drinking friends very happy if I had a can of good bourbon on board. And I wouldn’t mind having some good scotch handy too and not have to worry about transferring it to a flask!

So, what do you think? Is canned whisky good or bad for the whisky industry?

Category: Marketing,Opinions,Scotch whisky 102 Comments

December 13th, 2010

Disappointments in whisky in 2010

John Hansell

I’m looking back on 2010. Indeed, there’s plenty to be thankful for. But I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and I’m feeling a little grumpy, so I thought I would save the “giving thanks” post for a happier time and focus on my disappointments today.

I can think of several things that disappointed me this year.

Social media abuse

The first one was the regular misuse and abuse of social media by whisky company employees. On several occasions this year, I discovered whisky companies (from the smallest to the largest) artificially pumping up their brands with their “anonymous” comments here on WDJK. I addressed each abuse as I discovered them, so I am not going to rehash it here. (Plus,  some of the companies I caught now have implemented policies to ensure this doesn’t happen again.)

But the fact remains that this kind of stuff is going on. And if it’s happening here, then it’s happening on other social media sites too. It’s not right, and the whisky companies should know better.

False or misleading statements

A second thing disappointed me: False statements by whisky companies. I’ve addressed this here earlier this year. For example, if it’s NOT your first new whisky in more than 50 years, then why are you telling everyone that it is? Sure it sounds nice, and it’s a great marketing tool. I’m even thrilled that you came out with a new whisky, and I like it too! But it’s not your first new whisky in more than 50 years, and it shouldn’t have been promoted as such.

Paying to play

Another thing that disappointed me: How many times must I say that you can’t pay for editorial exposure in Malt Advocate ? Just last week, someone in the business asked me how we determine what gets written in our New Products section. The person wanted to know if they had to pay to get one of their whiskies written up there. No, you just have to send us a press release and a review sample. (I guess I have to say it a few more times, which is why I am listing it here today.)

Premature bottling

And now to the last one. This one isn’t as much disappointing as it is sad. So many craft distillers are putting out new whiskeys right now. For most,  the potential of the whiskeys are there, but they’re being released too soon. They’re just immature, and they need more aging. (Okay, some of them probably won’t get better no matter how long they are aged in wood, but I think this is the minority, not the majority.)

Look, I understand the need for some of these small craft distillers to get returns on their investments to pay mounting bills. (And I am also aware that young whiskeys can be great in cocktails, but I am speaking from the point of view of a whiskey drinker here, not a mixologist.) I would rather you make gin or vodka or unaged rum and let your whiskey mature a little longer, than sell your whisky before it is mature.

What do you think?

How about you? Do you agree or disagree with me? And please explain.

Finally, is there anything that disappointed you this year? If so, what?

Thanks!

P.S. I promise to not be this grumpy every morning.

Category: Marketing,Microdistilleries,Opinions 125 Comments

December 7th, 2010

Is this you?

John Hansell

We are tinkering around with the Malt Advocate media kit, and I was reading the summary of a survey we conducted a few years back describing what our readers drink. Here’s the breakdown.

What types of whiskies do you drink?

Single malts        92.5%

Bourbon              63%

Irish                       48.5%

Blended Scotch  46%

Canadian             16.6%

What other alcoholic beverages do you enjoy?

Beer                      83%

Wine                     85%

Vodka                   42%

Rum                       39%

Tequila                 38%

Gin                         34%

Cognac                 33%

Other liqueurs   29%

How about you? Does this describe you? It describes me very well, except for the beer and the vodka. I drink more beer than anything else (which probably explains my gradually expanding waistline), and don’t drink as much vodka as I do rum and tequila.

The next time we conduct our survey, we will have to include categories for Japanese whiskies, Indian whisky, craft distillers, and maybe a few others.

Category: Malt Advocate Mag,Marketing,Surveys 39 Comments

October 22nd, 2010

Kentucky Distillers’ Association has a new website

John Hansell

And there’s a lot of good information on bourbon there. Not all of the bourbon distillers are a member of of the KDA (Buffalo Trace, for example), but it’s still a good resource. Check it out here. Their formal press release follows.

Kentucky Distillers’ Association
Unveils New Website

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today introduced a redesigned website featuring in-depth information about the state’s signature Bourbon industry, tasting notes on its members’ premium brands and details on their programs to fight underage drinking.

The site is www.kybourbon.com. It was designed by thevimarcgroup of Louisville.

KDA President Eric Gregory said the new design is simple to navigate and inviting to use. “Our goal is to make the website a vital tool for anyone seeking key information about this important industry,” he said.

“And it’s all there – from the latest news to steps on how to hold your own Bourbon tasting.”

In addition, visitors can read the first-ever economic impact study of Kentucky’s distilling industry; a glossary of Bourbon and distilling terms; a list of KDA member Bourbon brands; links to the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour and much more.

In approaching the new design, Gregory said Vimarc made sure the site would be a strong resource for distributing information, educating the public about the industry and communicating the latest news and messages from KDA member distilleries.

Vimarc also chose fresh colors and typography that provide a warm contrast to the vintage tones of the distilleries and a scrolling bar that showcases iconic images from each of the KDA’s members.

The KDA, founded in 1880, is charged with promoting, protecting and representing the state’s distilling industry. Its members include Beam Global Spirits & Wine (Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark), Brown-Forman, Diageo North America, Four Roses, Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey.

“We’re excited about today’s launch and are looking forward to adding more features in the coming months,” Gregory said. “We invite everyone to check back often and pass along any comments or suggestions.”

Category: American whiskey,Bourbon,Marketing,Websites Tags: 6 Comments

October 21st, 2010

Burn Stewart whiskies now un-chillfiltered

John Hansell

Burn Stewart has made it official: no more chill-filtering. From now on the entire line–Bunnahabhain, Tobermory, Ledaig, and Deanston–will not be chillfiltered, and they’ll be bottled at 46.3% abv.

It’s great to see more and more companies following this trend toward keeping more flavor and texture in their whiskies. Their official announcement is below.

Burn Stewart Distillers Malt Portfolio Takes a Traditional Twist

Burn Stewart Distillers, producers of Bunnahabhain, Tobermory, Ledaig and Deanston malt whiskies has made a bold move to re-launch its entire range of malts as un-chillfiltered – the way whisky would have been produced at the hands of craftsman many years ago.

The evolution of the portfolio has been introduced across its Bunnahabhain 12 year old, Tobermory 10 Year Old, Ledaig 10 Year Old and a new addition, Deanston Virgin Oak.

This move is in line with the vision of Burn Stewart Distillers’ Master Blender, Ian MacMillan. Ian comments: ‘Whisky spends all those years maturing in the casks, developing the aroma and flavour. By un-chillfiltering, nothing is taken away or added so whisky lovers can enjoy the whisky at its very best, giving them a better whisky experience. Each dram retains a depth of flavour, allowing the gentle, subtle notes of the malt to come through, providing a purer taste, nose and appearance.’

Tobermory, Ledaig, Bunnahabhain and Deanston Virgin Oak will all be bottled at 46.3% abv, a transformation which will delight whisky drinkers as un-chillfiltration leaves in nuances of flavour, providing depth and complexity to the malts.

Deanston Virgin Oak, a new addition to the portfolio, has been finished in virgin oak casks sourced from a family-owned cooperage in Bardstown, Kentucky.  Unlike most, these casks have not been used for any other alcohol so the Deanston malt picks up more of the oak flavour in maturation.  Everything else about the process is kept close to home, with only local barley and yeast used with water from the River Teith which runs alongside the distillery.

Bunnahabhain Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Islay and Tobermory and Ledaig which are both from the Tobermory Distillery on Mull have also been given a new look to coincide with the launch.  For Bunnahabhain, smoked oak glass will replace the traditional emerald green of the 12 year old bottle, with dual labelling conveying an overall sense of speciality, subtlety, confidence and luxury, reinforcing the premium quality and heritage of the brand. Both Tobermory and Ledaig now have bespoke, embossed glassware to reflect the Tobermory family, emerald green glassware for Tobermory and clear flint for Ledaig with new labelling and etching of Tobermory Bay on the capsule. Both bottles are presented within a quality gift carton.  All the packaging for Deanston Virgin Oak is recycled or recyclable to keep the whisky as close to nature as possible.

The variation in method across the range has excited whisky lovers across the globe as it offers a richer, fuller flavoured whisky.

Category: Marketing,New Releases,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , 48 Comments

September 29th, 2010

Whisky producers: Surprise! Your new whisky isn’t the best thing since sliced bread

John Hansell

Yet so many times they think it is.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many talented whisky-makers out there. I have great respect for what they do, and they’re putting out some very nice, enjoyably diverse whiskies. But they have to be pretty naive to think that every whisky they put out is a classic.

Still, many producers, distributors, retailers and marketers in the industry feel this way. They get upset with me when I don’t give them a great rating.

In some ways, I can’t blame them. They’ve been conditioned to believe all their whiskies are great. These days, it seems like even “average” whiskies can win a medal (for a fee!) and there are recognized voices in the industry reviewing whiskies whose ratings average over 90. It’s no wonder that they get upset when I only give them an 86 (gasp!) which, in my view, is a very good whisky.

But, the really smart whisky producers take off the rose-colored glasses. They learn from constructive criticism, rather than dismissing it or being upset by it. They actually go out and try their competitor’s whiskies–especially the highly rated ones–in attempt to understand how they can improve their own product.

In the long run, it’s the producer who is constantly striving to create the perfect whiskey, although deep down inside they know that such a thing may not exist, who usually comes out on top in the long run.

Category: Marketing,Opinions,Reviews,Writers 128 Comments

September 28th, 2010

Whisky producers: be honest with your social media marketing.

John Hansell

I am asking everyone who works in the whisky business to identify themselves when commenting on this blog (or other blogs and forums, for that matter) on topics relating to your brands.

The anonymity of social media can often be a good thing. People can be honest and open with their feelings.

But people can also take advantage of this anonymity. There have been many times when I’ve given a mediocre or poor review of a whisky (or when you have commented unfavorable about a whisky), only to have someone chime in and say how great they think the whisky is. They usually are new to WDJK.  And, although they might use a fictitious name and email address, if they aren’t careful enough, I can trace their URL or IP back to a corporate whisky address.

When I catch someone pumping up their brand, I call them on it. I have done so here on WDJK several times. The list of guilty parties range from the largest down to the one of the smallest and others in between. (I’m not going to list specific brands. It will take me a long time to go through my 987 posts and your 16,610 comments and find them, and I don’t have the time right now.)

It doesn’t happen often, but it is still going on (as recent as this year on WDJK). I’m asking all those involved in the whisky industry to be fair and honest when using social media. If you work for a company and your comment is specific to one of your brands, identify yourself.

Category: Marketing,Opinions 40 Comments

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