Whisky opinions, articles, feature pieces, info and reviews.
What makes a whisky a Christmas whisky? Is it simply a whisky you receive as a gift for Christmas? Is it a whisky that comes packaged in traditional Christmas colours, e.g. red, green, and white? Or is it a whisky that smells and tastes like Christmas? (Which begs the question: What does Christmas actually taste like?)
Continue reading “What makes a whisky a “Christmas whisky” ?”
Need a whisky for Christmas? Once upon a time, whisky was whisky, and Santa wasn’t too discerning when it came to what special dram you left out for him on Christmas Eve. But as for us consumers? Well, Christmas = Christmas pudding, and that means dried fruits, raisins, dates, boozy prunes, butterscotch sauce, toffee, cherries, currants, cloves, cinnamon, and spices. And THAT, my friends, means a Christmas dram has to be sherried!
Here are five sensational sherry-matured whiskies that will fit the bill this Christmas. Four are regularly and widely available; one is an Australia-only exclusive….
The 2021 Malt Whisky Yearbook was released this month, garnering due and appropriate attention around the world. It’s worth looking into this remarkable publication….
It’s a question often asked: Which is the most beautiful distillery in Scotland? But if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, how does one assemble a definitive list of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries that adequately captures all the subjectivity from amongst the whisky community? And when it comes to distilleries – which are nothing more than factories to produce alcohol – what metrics do we use to define beauty? Is it architectural flair? Aesthetic lines and symmetry? And how do we compare architectural and construction fashions across timelines? Many would suggest that the classic, quaint, stone-built distilleries of the Victorian era have a romantic advantage, but purists are correct to assert there is beauty in the functional architecture of modern behemoths such as Roseisle or Dalmunach.
There are further complexities: How much does the surrounding environment impact our assessment of a distillery’s beauty? For example, Lagavulin is, in reality, just a clump of relatively plain, white-washed buildings nestled together. However, put them in a coastal location on the water, add some colour from the local vegetation, and throw in the ruins of a medieval castle nearby for good measure, and you have one extremely beautiful distillery.
A further difficulty arises when you look at the many distilleries that have been bastardised over the years with unsympathetic expansions, often resulting in clashing, jarring visuals. There are many such examples that mix their original old-world Victorian charm with 1960’s modernism or 1970’s brutalism.
Following a poll that Whisky & Wisdom ran on Twitter a few weeks ago to gauge public opinion, we offer you – in no particular order – the following list of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries:
Continue reading “The most beautiful distilleries in Scotland”
When new businesses are founded and launched, there are numerous financial and business models that help get the product to market. There might be schemes to raise capital; funds assigned to support marketing and promotion; and then comes the down-and-dirty process of actually selling the goods. It’s obviously a very diverse and varied minefield to tread. If you’re wondering how to start a new whisky brand, or even how to start a new whisky distillery, the minefield is particularly tricky to navigate…
The whisky industry is an example of a sector where that diversity and variation is most evident: There are brands and businesses that go large scale and are backed by investors who put up millions of pounds/dollars, and there are – quite genuinely – “mums and dads” businesses that are launched off little more than sweat and elbow grease in combination with passion to create a craft, artisan product. And, in more recent times, there are distilleries that get established off the back of crowdfunding or barrel investment schemes – with mixed degrees of success.
A question often pondered is whether or not the process of getting a whisky business off the ground is easier or harder than it was in the past? There’s a multitude of different factors and considerations. William Grant, together with his family, spent over a year physically building Glenfiddich with his bare hands and started distilling on Christmas Day in 1887 to establish his own brand. In contrast, if you’re armed with a website, a social media account, and access to some spirit distilled at Cooley, it seems you can quite easily launch an Irish whiskey brand overnight – complete with an impressive backstory!
In the harder basket, distilleries setting up today have planning and environmental controls that their predecessors didn’t have to worry about. Council and municipal applications and approvals can take years to get through, and the days of casually discharging distillery effluent and by-products back into the river downstream are long behind us.
In the easier basket, as we’ve seen already, the internet and social media marketing means you can broadcast and promote your brand to a wider audience than ever for relatively little money. Online sales via your own website mean you don’t even have to fight anymore with wholesalers or distributors to get your product on to the shelves of retail liquor outlets. The days of Tommy Dewar hopping on a ship and spending months sailing around the globe to get sales are also well and truly behind us.
Let’s look at a few distilleries and brands from around the world that have forged very different steps in very different landscapes to see how the process unfolded….
Continue reading “The challenges of starting a new whisky brand”
Our Cardhu moment? Yes, very much so….
Since the Australian whisky industry’s re-birth 30-odd years ago, there have been a number of specific markers or events that have indicated the industry is taking steps forward and leaving its fledgling status behind. Like an adolescent transitioning to adulthood, not every step is glamorous; there will be a few missteps along the way; but you’ve got to take those steps to learn and develop.
When you first start to take whisky seriously, there’s a new lexicon you have to learn. Words like malt, maturation, hogshead, fermentation, and Speyside have to form part of your vocabulary. But there’s a new bunch of whisky buzzwords that are now in the lingo. Get your mouth around these….
TRANSPARENCY
30 years ago, a whisky’s label would simply state the spirit’s age and its ABV. Glen McSporran 12yo at 40% ABV? Done. It was a short day in the office that day for the marketing team. However, as the category grew, so too did consumers’ thirst for knowledge. Some labels started to declare the nature of the cask (or casks) that were used in the maturation. The independent bottlers – chiefly bottling single casks – led the way by providing more information about the specific cask, e.g. whether it was a hogshead or a butt; how many bottles the cask yielded; whether the cask was ex-bourbon or ex-sherry; whether the spirit had been chill-filtered or not. Of course, all this is simply what normal people would call “information”.
The reality is that brands and marketing teams are at liberty to declare whatever information they feel is appropriate on the label. The word “transparency” is interesting, because it carries the subtle sub-text of what the brand is willing to declare – and implies there is information they don’t wish to declare. In a time of increasingly inquisitive consumers and the era of outrage, there is instantly a culture of questioning or doubt when a label chooses not to declare something. Brands are suddenly now expected to be transparent. If Distillery A is happy to tell you the cask was a 1st Fill, why won’t Distillery B tell us about their cask? Does it infer that it’s a refill cask? Is there a (misplaced) perception that the whisky is suddenly inferior or less marketable? If a label is not transparent about what’s in the bottle, is there something to hide? (The answer is, “Of course not”. Alas, that’s not the vibe carried by a sector of consumerville right now).
As whisky buzzwords go, it’s a particularly hot one amongst the independent bottlers at the moment, particularly in the realm of the single cask – noting that there seems to be considerable conjecture as to what constitutes a “single cask” these days. Thank you, Glendronach.
DARK
Growing up in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, dark had negative connotations – such was the reach of Star Wars and the dark side of the force. Whisky, of course, is the antithesis of this: Rightly or wrongly (and it’s mostly wrongly), dark whiskies are seen as being the highly desirable item. We taste with our eyes, and there’s no denying that a dark-coloured whisky gets our palates salivating. The dark hue gives an instant message of either great age, or sherry-cask influence – or both.
As such, dark is a tremendous marketing word and an even better marketing tool. Young whisky can be artificially coloured with E150 caramel, labelled as a No-Age-Statement, and sold with a high price tag. Similarly, a whisky can spend five minutes in a lifeless fourth-fill PX cask, be artificially coloured, and be sold at a premium. Witness how many new and young/start-up distilleries resort to marketing their product on the basis of its colour, rather than its flavour or quality. (Australian distillers, I’m looking at you).
As such, there’s now no shortage of whiskies that have pounced on the word. Highland Park Dark Origins. Talisker Dark Storm. Auchentoshan Dark Oak. Bowmore Dark & Intense. There’s now even an independent bottler called Darkness.
ENGAGEMENT
Years ago, you bought a whisky. You drank it. If you liked it, you went out and bought another bottle when it was finished. Darlings, that’s so 2006. These days, you’re expected to engage with the brand. Some brands will even go out of their way to engage with you. No longer content with just brand ambassadors, we now have brand advocates, brand champions, brand partners, and…shudder….brand influencers. The whisky companies and labels spend serious marketing dollars making sure you’re engaged with their brand and their message. It’s no longer about the liquid in the bottle, it’s the story that the bottle tells. Hand-in-hand with engagement, there’s another related word: Your relationship with the brand should be experiential. Marketing campaigns are no longer posters on billboards, they’re now interactive websites, apps on your phone, online competitions, and hashtags on your posts. Captain Picard, eat your heart out.
EXTRA
Years ago, Jerry Seinfeld did a routine about the word ‘extra’ and it’s uncanny how his comments on the word now ring true in the world of whisky. “Normal” just doesn’t cut it anymore and extra is what drinkers want. Chivas Regal Extra, anyone? Others quickly jumped onboard – Haig Extra, for one, and it’s now widely applied to a host of Japanese bottlings (e.g. Mars, Torys, and Sun Peace.) But it’s being applied in other senses, too. Glenmorangie led the way – their whiskies aren’t “finished” anymore, they’re “extra-matured”.
OAK
Oak is hardly a new word, and your earliest education in whisky would have introduced you to the concepts of American Oak and European Oak. If you got particularly nerdy about it, you even knew which one was quercus alba and which one was quercus robur. The problem for whisky – well, at least for the people tasked with marketing it – is that a product made from only barley, water, and yeast doesn’t leave much room for spin. And so oak is one of the few things they can hang their hat on. And thus it’s been an increasingly-embraced buzzword in recent times: Auchentoshan American Oak. Sullivans Cove French Oak. Balvenie’s “The sweet toast of American oak”. Glenfiddich Rich Oak. Compass Box’ Oak Cross. Auchentoshan Blood Oak. Akashi White Oak.
What’s the difference between gravy and jus? About $15 on the menu. Same goes for asking, “What’s the difference between wood and oak?” They’re the same thing, but “wood” is out and “oak” is in. It sounds more exotic, more artisan, more sophisticated. Distilleries that used to use the word “wood” on their labels have replaced it with “oak” and, in some cases, it’s now the delineator between their product range. Macallan, in particular, have doubled down in recent years: Fine Oak, Sherry Oak, and Select Oak, to name just three.
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Got any more whisky buzzwords you’ve heard repeated lately? Share them in the comments section below.
Cheers,
AD
Do you want to be a Whisky Brand Ambassador? There are a number of professions that have the outward appearance of being particularly glamorous and appealing. They’re the careers that people look on at with envy, with the inherent assumption that the work is always exciting, always fun, never a chore, easy to fulfil, well remunerated, and without any downsides.
Over the decades, several professions have assumed such projected glamour. Rock stars, airline pilots, flight attendants, professional footballers, film stars, astronauts, magicians, and so on. As a subtle prelude to this article, you’ll note that most of these professions involve performing and/or travelling. And, as any regular traveller or performer will tell you, it ain’t always a barrel of monkeys.
The role of a whisky brand ambassador is one such profession that, on the surface, must surely be the ideal, dream job? After all, you get paid to work with whisky. Heck, you get paid to actually drink whisky! You get paid to travel and tell people about whisky. You get paid to hear all the insider knowledge, to visit the distilleries, and to be on the frontline of whisky’s marketing, development, and expansion. If you love whisky, surely there couldn’t possibly be a downside ?
Continue reading “The highs and lows of a whisky brand ambassador”
If you’ve been into a whisky for a while, you’ve no doubt got a good feel for the “going rate” of most bottlings. You’ll know the RRP of the staples – all the 10yo/12yo/15yo expressions of the main players, and you’ve probably also got a good feel for the going rate of the typically-found independent releases as well. And that means you’re well placed to spot when a bargain comes through and when a retailer is offering something at a significantly cheaper price than the norm.
Continue reading “Parallel importing and its shades of grey”
Whisky festivals, shows, expos, even fairs. Call ‘em what you will, they’re everywhere. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city or country where there’s a big enough whisky scene, you’re probably also lucky to have a choice of whisky shows that you can attend. Over time, some of these have started to take on an international reputation. They’re no longer just a whisky show, they become a whisky destination. People – that, is punters and consumers – will grab their passports and jump on a plane just to take part in the fun.
Some of the individual Whisky Live events around the globe have achieved this status. Other shows become their own highly successful brands that are “one day, I’ll get there” events for plenty of drinkers. Examples include the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, Canada; the Limburg Whisky Festival in Germany; both Maltstock and the WhiskyBase Gathering in the Netherlands; and in the southern hemisphere, there’s Dramfest in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Some whisky shows are birthed out of the passion and enthusiasm of whisky interest groups; others have more commercial motives and may be attached to or work in conjunction with a retail outlet. Of course, for the purposes of this little piece, we’ll ignore the distillery-led pinnacles of Feis Ile or the Speyside Whisky Festival.
What is the benchmark for “success” for a whisky show? What makes a show “good”? Why are some perceived to be better than others? The list of KPI’s and measurables is many and varied…
Different individuals will assign different values and levels of importance to each of the above. What makes one show good for Person A might make it a less desirable show for Person B. This writer’s observation is certainly that some shows set about the business better than others. For example, several Australian cities are blessed to have a number of different whisky shows on offer during the calendar year, and Australian readers will possibly already have decided why they prefer one of Whisky Fair, Whisky Show, Whisky Live, Whisky Freedom, etc.
An ongoing challenge for any whisky show is how to control the inevitable “over-indulgence” that occurs with some attendees. Security is now tight at many shows, and exhibitors are better trained at looking for the signs and refusing service when necessary. Many shows attempt to limit consumption with tokens or vouchers for a prescribed number of drams (e.g. you might only get 10 vouchers to redeem against 10 whiskies during your session) but such models are increasingly in the minority these days.
Whisky shows also adapt and evolve over time. In most cases, they’re ironing out wrinkles or tweaking and improving things to provide better value or more attractive and appealing features. One aspect that’s certainly gaining momentum is the increasing presence of other spirits at whisky shows. Rum, in particular, is a rapidly rising presence at many shows, while gin and brandy are also starting to make regular appearances. Some enjoy this diversity; others feel that attending a whisky show and finding a large contingent of stands serving non-whisky products is not what they signed up for.
A growing problem for some of the event organisers is finding space to work in. They’re not just competing for space on the calendar or for the “punter’s dollar”, but – most critically of all – they’re competing for the exhibitors. The reality is that, for many brands and distributors, there’s only so much time, staff, and stock you can devote to this form of marketing and promotion. It costs money to take out a stand at a show; it costs money (in one form or another) to pay your rep to man that stand for two or three days; and it costs money to pour out bottles of precious stock to punters who aren’t always wearing their most appreciative hat. Accordingly, brands are becoming increasingly choosy over which shows they’ll be present at, and which ones they’ll give a miss.
For the brands and exhibitors, it simply becomes a value proposition: How much will it cost me to be there, and how much might my brand make back in positive exposure or sales? (If retail sales are part of the equation at the event). Is it a fun and pleasant show to be a part of, or is it a chore? Some exhibitors ask themselves, “Can I afford to be there?” whilst others are obliged to ask, “Can I afford not to be there?” As an exhibitor myself who’s directly represented a specific brand I work for at many different whisky shows, and who’s also represented other brands as a “gun for hire”, I can advise that it’s not always fun and pleasant on the other side of the serving table. (For more on that theme, you can read this article Whisky fairs – from the other side of the table).
As a result of some of the above, we’re seeing some shows attract and maintain a lot of support and engagement from industry (i.e. the brands and exhibitors), whilst other shows struggle. One particular “success story” is the biennial Dramfest in New Zealand which has a remarkable and enviable record of attracting brands and luminaries to its stalls. Considering it’s perhaps the longest possible distance from Scotland for any whisky show, the calibre of the “talent” that flies out for it is testament that they’re doing something right. And looking after their exhibitors is nine-tenths of that equation.
Of course, new models are now emerging, particularly out of Asia. A rising trend is the “charge per dram” shows, where there’s a modest entry fee, but you then pay a dram price for each individual whisky you try. Not surprisingly, such models lend themselves to older, rarer whiskies, and attract a more “cashed-up” crowd. Whisky Exchange’s “Old & Rare” is one example, others include WhiskyNow Hong Kong, Whisky Fair Takao (in Taiwan), and Chichibu Whisky Matsuri.
If you’ve not been to a whisky show previously and you’re planning on attending one shortly, you would do well to read this survival guide first: Heading off to a whisky show? Read this first!
And if you’re an “old hand” at such events, you may even have started to feel they’re getting passè. For the sake and health of the industry – at all levels from production to retail – can I encourage you to keep lending your support. As this article goes to print, whisky shows and tastings all around the globe are being cancelled in the context of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Whisky festivals will obviously be “on hold” for the next while. If and when they come back on stream, let’s get behind them.
Cheers,
AD
Got any comments to add? What makes a whisky festival good for you? What do you look for, and what do you aim most to get out of them? Scroll down below to add your thoughts….
