This week in whisky — Week #9, 2015
Hello, Braw Spirit readers!
Here’s the best of what we’ve been reading this week.
Industry News
No let up in demand. Bonhams reported impressive sales figures for 2014, with Macallan and Japanese whiskies being the most popular.
Here to stay. With the huge increase in Whiskey sales in the US, it is predicted that it could dominate the spirits sector for decades.
It’s official. The 6-litre Macallan ‘M’ sold in a Hong Kong auction last year for £296,000 is officially the most expensive whisky ever.
Maltings Fire. Firefighters were called to the Burghead Maltings, owned by Diageo to tackle a blaze.
Drink-powered driving. Biofuel created from by-products from the whisky making process is showcased in Edinburgh.
Fair to say, it’s been a good year. Japanese brand Nikka announces record sales for 2014, exceeding one million units sold in Europe for the first time.
Pubs and Clubs say ‘Drop it!’. Hospitality and off-licence sector add weight to Drop the Duty campaign.
Sydney makes whiskey. Archie Rose Distilling Co. due to open in March, the first distillery in the city in 160 years.
New Releases
Extra Special. Pernod Ricard launches Chivas Regal Extra in the US; their first change to the range in over seven years.
Old whiskey, new wood. Midleton releases Dair Ghaelach, a provenance-laden virgin oak expression.
Johnnie Walker’s robot army. Diageo creates Blue Label ‘smart bottles’ allowing marketing information to be pushed to your smartphone.
Irish distiller pushes new sector. Teeling releases Single Grain Irish Whiskey in the US in an attempt to diversify the category.
Full strength Tomatin. Highland distillery releases debut Cask Strength expression.
Grape finished grain. BenRiach Distillery Company launches three new expressions, with finishes in Sauternes, Pedro Ximenez and Marsala.
A modern classic? Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve is launched, which will replace the highly regarded 12-year old as the entry-level expression.
The ‘Deep Pockets’ Series. Macallan releases The 1824 Masters Collection, with crystal decanters by Lalique.
Miscellany
In Defence of NAS. Matt Chambers from Whisky For Everyone makes his case for why dropping the age statement from whisky isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Our best wishes for the following week. Please send any news, comment or robot whisky bottles to us at hello@brawspirit.com . You can follow us on Twitter here for regular news and other ramblings.
