At this time of year, the books start thudding in. This week I got the third tome from whisky man, Dominic Roskrow. Boy, has Dom been a busy boy. The latest is ‘The World’s Best Whiskies – 750 Unmissable Drams from Tain to Tokyo’, published by Jacqui Small, price: £20.
Johnnie Walker The Spice Road debuts
Diageo has unveiled formally its latest Johnnie Walker expression: The Spice Road, which is only available in duty free stores.
Glenfiddich Malt Mastermind finalists
First Drinks has announced the finalists of the Glenfiddich Malt Mastermind cocktail competition.
Major scotch exhibition to open
A major exhibition about scotch whisky, Scotland’s 'national drink', will open on 29 November at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
Major scotch exhibition
A major exhibition about scotch whisky, Scotland’s national drink, will open on 29 November at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
Diageo to buy 27.4% stake in United Spirits
Diageo plc, United Breweries (Holdings) Limited and United Spirits Limited have announced agreements under which Diageo would acquire a 27.4% stake in USL, the leading spirits company in India.
SWA calls for criminal sanctions on Chinese 'scotch' fakers
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has called for further sanctions on producers and distributors of imitation scotch in China.
Sullivans Cove is Southern Hemisphere's best whisky
Sullivans Cove,Tasmania’s single malt whisky, has been named ‘Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year’ in Jim Murray’s 2013 Whisky Bible.
Limited edition Bell’s in aid of Help The Heroes
Diageo has introduced a limited edition bottle of Bell’s to raise £1 million for Help The Heroes charity.
Diageo announces more scotch expansion
Diageo has announced that it has applied for planning permission to double the capacity of Glen Ord, a Highland malt whisky distillery near Inverness.
Jura launches 30 year old whisky
Jura distillery has added a 30 year old single malt whisky to its range.
William Grant tops £1bn turnover
William Grant & Sons, the independent family distiller which owns Glenfiddich has topped the £1 billion turnover mark for the first time.
Scotch exports increase by 12% by value
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced that scotch whisky exports have increased in value by 12% in the 12 months to the end of June 2012.
Launch analysis: The Chivas Brothers’ Blend
Joe Bates talks to global brand director James Slack about Chivas Regal’s biggest duty free exclusive launch in the brand’s history
Drambuie reports 9% operating profit increase
The Drambuie company, owners of one of the famous liqueur brands, has announced an operating profit of 9%, based on constant exchange rates for the year to June 2012.
Edrington unveils age-statement-free Macallan Gold
Macallan Gold has launched exclusively to the UK, with about 50 European markets and Canada to receive the new pale single malt scotch whisky next spring.
Pernod flags up possibility of new whisky distillery
Chivas Brothers boss Christian Porta has told journalists and analysts today that the next significant development for its scotch whisky business will be to build a new distillery.
Diageo plans a new malt whisky distillery
Diageo has announced that it is submiting pre-planning applications for three potential locations for a new malt whisky distillery.
Chivas Regal – the magnum force
Chivas Brothers has unveiled a 1.5 litre magnum of its flagshiop blended scotch whisky, Chivas Regal, aimed specifically at elite bars.
Book Review: Canadian Whisky The Portable Expert
The first book dedicated to Canadian whisky, according tohe publishers. So, not before time then.
Book Review: Whisky Opus
Yes, it is that time of year: late summer/autumn when publishers start releasing books with an eye to the Christmas gifting market. Well, here’s one for anyone looking for either a coffee table book or an easy-to-read/glance at, authoritative book on whisky.
Wemyss Malts releases five-malt range
Edinburgh whisky bottler Wemyss Malts has launched a five-expression range of blended and single cask, single malts; themed around the taste and aroma of each whisky.
Ballantine’s 40 Year Old rolls out
Pernod Ricard's whisky and gin arm Chivas Brothers has rolled out Ballantine’s 40 Year Old across "significant" Asian markets.
Whisky Exchange to put on October tasting show
The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show will take place at Vinopolis in London in October.
World's largest whisky unveiled
The Edrington Group has broken the world record for the largest bottle of whisky with the unveiling of a 228-litre bottle of The Famous Grouse.
There’s something quite transfixing – almost hypnotic – when it comes to looking at the latest brand figures for spirits around the world. You cannot stop. More particularly so as there seems to be so much cause for celebration in the 2011 round-up. There’s Johnnie Walker scotch whisky on an incredible 18 million cases; the Irish whiskey Jameson’s posting a 20%-plus increase and now nudging the 4 million case-mark, well I could go on, and on. But one result has really warmed the cockles of my heart – and that’s William Grant’s single malt scotch whisky Glenfiddich.
Glen Garioch steps up duty free focus
Morrison Bowmore Distillers has launched a travel retail-exclusive Glen Garioch single malt whisky.
Hiscot merges fully with Jinro
South Korea scotch whisky producer, Hiscot Ltd has merged fully with Korean brewing company,Hite-Jinro Group Co Ltd.
Indian whisky
The market for whisky in India is huge, but local brands have the lion’s share due to the exorbitant import tariffs. Christian Davis reports
The Macallan 64 Year Old Lalique Cire Perdue is world’s most expensive whisky sold at auction – that’s official.
The Macallan unveils new range
The Macallan has unveiled a new range, the 1824 Series, which is being rolled out into the UK market this autumn.
Grant's recreates whisky 100 years on
Grant's master blender Brian Kinsman has recreated William Grant's whisky - Stand Fast.
US: Diageo buys maple whiskey
US: Diageo has purchased Cabin Fever Maple Flavoured Whisky from the Robillard family. Diageo aims to capitalise on two growth trends in the US: flavoured whiskey and craft distilling.
Credit to Pernod. The company has done a fine job this week in extolling the success of scotch whisky around the world and in telling important opinion formers that the company is best placed to capitalise on that thirst and in doing so earn lots of money for the company, its suppliers, customers, not forgetting its investors.
Pernod raises the stakes
Pernod Richard is raising the stakes in scotch whisky after a week in which it hosted a ‘Capital Markets Day’ of presentations up at its flagship Glenlivet distillery on Speyside.
International Spirits Challenge goes to Scotland
The whisky element of the International Spirits Challenge is to be held in Scotland and will feature a chance to meet the judges.
Laphroaig celebrates Jubilee
Islay single malt whisky Laphroaig is to launch a Diamond Jubilee commemorative edition.
Bowmore launches new expression
Islay single malt Bowmore is launching a new expression in the UK - Bowmore Small Batch Reserve.
Beam makes its Mark over wax seal
A US court has upheld a ruling to protect Maker’s Mark’s dripping red wax seal.
Former Cooley MD to create Irish whiskey company
Jack Teeling has left his position as managing director of Cooley Distillery, just months after its sale to Beam, to set up an independent Irish whiskey company.
Seven Islands Vintage, a Scottish Indian whisky
Seven Islands Vintage is described as a luxury single malt scotch whisky bringing together the best of India and Scotland.
Black Grouse goes Alpha
The Edrington Group has unveiled a new version of The Black Grouse, the rich, spicy, sweet and smoky version of its mainstream Famous Grouse blended scotch whisky brand.
Johnnie Walker and Jenson Button to make whisky
Diageo is to create a £30,000 whisky inspired by Formula One driver Jenson Button.
Ian Macleod to reopen Tamdhu, launch premium whisky
Ian Macleod Distillers is to reopen Speyside distillery Tamdhu. The company purchased the distillery in 2011, after it was closed in 2010 by previous owner the Edrington Group.
£1m whisky shop opens in Edinburgh
Edinburgh-based Scotch Whisky Experience has opened the doors to its whisky shop, following a £1million refurbishment.
Scotch exports hit record high
The scotch whisky category belied global economic instability in 2011 by growing sales value 23% to a record £4.2billion.
Diageo launches two new Johnnie Walker whiskies
Diageo GTME Americas has launched two new products under the Johnnie Walker brand. Johnnie Walker Platinum Label and Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve will launch in the Americas first, followed by a global roll-out in travel retail in the first half of 2012.
Rexam to roll out Teacher’s ready to drink can for India
Rexam, the can maker, has announced that it has been chosen by Beam Global Spirits and Wine India to provide the can for its new Teacher's ready-to-drink variant.