Ξεκινάω με τα δυο παρακάτω:

https://whiskymag.com/story/the-rise-of-irish-malt-whiskey

https://whiskymag.com/story/the-cult-of-irish-whiskey

The gift set pairs a branded tulip-shaped nosing glass with Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky, which was matured in oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and Moscatel Sherry casks.

With an ABV of 40%, the expression offers notes of dried fruit, caramel and tropical fruit on the palate.

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2026/01/kavalan-saddles-up-for-lunar-new-year/

Δεν ξέρω αν έχει αναφερθεί αλλά το βάζω αν ενδιαφέρει κάποιον. 

Εμένα πάντως όχι!

26 October 2009 | Source: Chris Mercer

Recent figures from drinks heavyweights Pernod Ricard and Diageo suggest that premium Scotch whisky sales are suffering in the economic dowturn.

Pernod Ricard's better-than-expected first quarter sales figures last week lifted spirits in the industry, apart from, perhaps, in Scotland.

Flagship premium Scotch whisky brands Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s reported sales falls of 7% and 15% respectively for the three-month period to the end of September. Volume sales fell by 17% and 13%.

Granted, half of Chivas' 8% volume decline in Asia was caused by a lack of deliveries to Japan, where the brand has moved from a distribution deal with Kirin Holdings to a Pernod in-house operation. But, the figures still make difficult reading.

Pernod rival Diageo did not give specifics on its 6% group sales fall for the first quarter. However, for Diageo's most recent full-year, to the end of June, like-for-like sales of premium Scotch brand Johnnie Walker slipped 6% in value and 11% in volume, compared to a year earlier.

While decline is not as stark as in Champagne, and does not appear to be entrenched, premium Scotch looks to be having a relatively tough time of it in the downturn.

Asia, driven by China, was the only sales growth region for Pernod Ricard in the first quarter, yet Scotch sales struggled even here.

"In China, the trend on Cognac is better than on Scotch," said Pernod's managing director for finance, Gilles Bogaert in the company's results call last week. Chivas Regal, he said, reported growth in the country, but this was largely at the expense of Ballantine's.

Some in the Scotch industry argue there is not a blanket trend on whisky sales in the downturn, however.

"There is disparity in the industry, between the big brands and smaller ones," according to Robert Hicks, who has worked in the Scotch industry for 40 years and is currently brand ambassador for Teacher's blended Scotch.

Fortune Brands, which owns both Teacher's and Laphroaig via its Beam Global Spirits & Wine division, last week reported mixed sales for the brands, with growth in emerging markets balancing out "soft volumes" in the UK.

From Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) figures, it is clear that Scotch is having a more turbulent time than it has done for several years. Scotch whisky exports fell by 5% in volume in 2008.

Although exports for the year rose by 8% in value to a record GBP3bn, they fell by 11% in value in the US, a key market. One senior industry figure last week told just-drinks that Scotch figures in Spain, another key market, have been "eyewatering" this year.

It is expected that 2009 figures will reflect more challenging conditions, according to the SWA. From what we know so far, this looks to be the case.

http://www.just-drinks.com/article.aspx?id=98866&lk=dmf

Νέα προσθήκη για το Lagavulin

Sweet Peat 11 Year Old

Ωρίμανση αποκλειστικά σε βαρέλια 1st fill ex Bourbon. Εμφιαλωμένο στους 43 βαθμούς.

Dear ******,

I am really excited to announce something of a first for Laphroaig; we are holding a live, global, online whisky tasting and debate! We hope you will join us in making this one of the biggest online whisky tastings in the world! Therefore, we would like to invite all of our Friends of Laphroaig to come online and take part in this unique event.

We will be holding the event on Wednesday 21st November at 20:00 (GMT). It will last around 40 minutes and will include a live question and answer session where you will be invited to put your questions to the panel. This will include Robert Hicks - master blender, Jim Murray - author of the famous ‘Whisky Bible’ and of course myself.

The event will cover four highly distinctive Laphroaig expressions; 10 Year Old, 10 Year Old Cask strength, Quarter Cask and our new Oloroso expression the 27 Year Old. You will also have the opportunity to vote live for a fifth expression for the panel to taste.

Once you have registered (see below), you will be able to submit your questions for the event. I’m anticipating that we will get a lot of questions and forty minutes won’t be enough to get through them all. We will therefore be asking you to vote on your favourite questions with the winning questions being answered on the night. Don’t worry though - even if your question isn’t picked you will still have the opportunity to submit your question live during the event itself.

To take part in this unique event go to the web address: www.laphroaig.com/live

Pass this email onto your friends

As you know we always ask our ‘friends’ to help us spread the word about Laphroaig. This live tasting would be the perfect way to introduce all your friends to our unique single malt so please pass it on – unlike normal whisky tastings the web can accommodate everyone!

I look forward to ‘seeing’ you on 21st!

Slainthe,

John Campbell

Distillery Manager

Με πρωτεργατες, λοιπον, τον υπογραφοντα, τον @DMTK και αλλους κρυφοκαρπικους εραστες, ορμαμε στον αγωνα της απεξαρτησης απο τα μικρομεζεκλικια με ανθρωπομορφες παντιερες τον Καπιταν Ιγκλο και τον Νιτσιακο. Εμπρος, νερο στο μυλο του υδατανθρακα, φωτια και τσεκουρι στα εδωδιμα και αποικιακα τσιμπολογηματα! 🪓🔥

Το site για την καλή Υγεία, την σωστή Διατροφή και την Ευεξία - ygeiamou.gr

Το κλέβω από το προφίλ του φίλου μας του Serge και προτείνω να διαθέσετε αρκετή ωρίτσα για να το διαβάσετε. Φυσικά αναμένω την τοποθέτηση και του ειδικού μας. @sir mihas

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2017/01/japanese-whisky-needs-trade-body-and-gi/

“It could be as much as 10 years!” exclaimed Takeshi Niinami, president and CEO of Japan-based drinks group Suntory Holdings, when recently asked by The Spirits Business how long he believes his company’s shortage of Japanese whisky will last. “We can’t supply enough for the market requirement, but in 10 years’ time we will gradually be able to respond to the need.” For whisky enthusiasts, a decade is a long time to wait.The vast chasm between the supply and demand in Japanese whisky, particularly older varieties, is an all-too-familiar tale. Largely sustained by the production of a handful of key distilleries, the sector was unprepared for the ferocious growth in consumer interest over the past five years. A number of producers have been forced to ramp up their no-age-statement (NAS) offerings, while even more have resorted to strict allocation policies across their entire portfolios.

Nikka Whisky left mouths agape in June 2015 when the group announced plans to discontinue a large number of its age statements and replace some with NAS bottlings because of strained supplies at the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

“Our sales have grown so much and I found that they had completely destroyed our stocks, so I asked our sales and marketing teams to stop offering aged products,” says Sakuma Tadashi, Nikka’s chief blender.

Emiko Kaji, Nikka Whisky’s international business development manager at parent company Asahi Breweries, adds: “It was necessary to survive and continue our business. It was a long-term decision as we need to rebuild stocks for consistency.” Kaji confirms that Nikka plans to reintroduce age statements but warns that the brand must “plan very well and learn from past lessons”. Allocation of Nikka’s products will continue for two to three years, she expects, and the brand is not entering any new markets, focusing on the UK and US almost exclusively in terms of exports.

“At the moment, more products are sold in the domestic market and sometimes our importers get frustrated,” says Kaji. “But in the future, the Japanese population will be shrinking, so we need to focus more on export markets. It’s a long-term view and I am dedicated to the export market, but we have big discussions with the domestic team on how to spilt stocks.”

Intentional drop in exports

After a stellar year in 2015, Nikka expects more subdued sales growth of between 2% and 5% in 2016 because of the intentional drop in exports. The firm expanded production at Miyagikyo in September last year, restarting production of four stills that had lain dormant since the late 1990s. Yoichi’s productivity has remained the same, and Nikka says it will maximise the capacity at its current sites before opening any new distilleries. Its main competitor, Suntory, expanded production at the Yamazaki and Hakushu malt distilleries in 2013 and 2014 respectively, while Hombo Shuzo recently opened a second site for its Mars Whisky brand, now Japan’s most southerly distillery.

A number of new ‘craft’ players have also made their first foray into the market, one of which is Akkeshi Distillery, based in the namesake town of Akkeshi on the northern island of Hokkaido. The distillery, owned by raw-food importer Kenten, started production in November 2016 and there are plans to release heavily peated single malts, blends and single estate expressions.

“Diversity is a good thing; it can only continue to help with the current growth of the Japanese whisky industry,” believes Clint Anesbury, product development and brand manager at Akkeshi Distillery. “It gives consumers the opportunity to experience different products outside of what they are normally accustomed to from the major players in the market. I believe that having diversity will not compromise any related products, it will help with education and offer alternatives in a category that is seeing a shortage in terms of product availability.”

While distillers are summoning all their might to produce more liquid and diversify the category, questions remain over the sustainability of Japanese whisky, which lacks the infrastructure thought so important to the long-term success of its Scottish, Irish and American cousins. Japanese whisky producers have historically sought to replicate the techniques and styles of Scotch whisky, but the sectors differ in one fundamental way – in Japan, there is almost no culture of buying or swapping stocks for blends. As such, there is a greater need for producers to be self-sufficient, resulting in stillhouses with stills unique in size and shape. As supplies become increasingly strained, might producers seek to establish a third-party industry, or consider sharing liquid? Such a suggestion is usually met with wry amusement in Japan, which has an exceptionally competitive corporate culture.

“I couldn’t imagine this,” says Nikka’s Tadashi. “I would never say ‘never’, but it’s difficult to imagine.” His colleague Kaji adds: “This is partly because of our culture. Our founder [Masataka Taketsuru] went to Scotland and worked for Suntory, and then became independent. We have been competing with each other for a long time. There’s more of a community in Scotch whisky, but we are competitors.” Corporate competitiveness aside, producers do not have enough liquid to sell to other brands, even if they wanted to, according to David Croll, co-founder of importing and distribution business Number One Drinks Company. “I just don’t think producers will get the stocks to do this,” he claims. “They have stopped doing single casks for retailers because they need everything they have.”

Stock limitation

This limitation of stock means a number of Japanese whisky brands import whisky from abroad, predominantly Scotland, to bottle in their blends – an aspect of the industry that is largely unknown to consumers. The scale of importing is not clear and producers are reluctant to discuss in detail, but some admit they have no choice. “They are in such an acute supply situation that they just need to get liquid,” adds Croll. Suntory says that it only uses whisky made at its Japanese whisky distilleries while Nikka confirms that it sources whisky “for some SKUs”, but Mars Whisky admits that “if necessary” it purchases whisky from distilleries in Japan and abroad. “It is one of the possible ways to create whisky with complex and interesting flavours,” says Masahito Matsushima, who works in the planning and marketing department for the brand. Since the new Akkeshi Distillery can only produce malt whisky, it plans to import grain whisky to create blended varieties. “[If] we were planning on producing an affordable blended whisky that includes grain whisky, and are unable to source that grain whisky locally, we’d naturally need to outsource it, while sticking to category product guidelines and informing our consumers when needed,” says Anesbury.

An official definition of Japanese whisky does not exist, meaning that such activity does not contravene any laws. According to Rosemary Gallagher, head of communications for trade body the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA): “There is nothing wrong with mixing Scotch with whiskies of different origin as long as the labelling of such products does not mislead consumers into believing the product is Scotch.” She adds: “There is no official definition of whisky in Japan that we know of. The integrity of Scotch whisky is protected by its rules, so consumers can therefore be guaranteed quality and provenance in a way that might not be possible with some other whiskies.”

HMRC figures show that value imports of bulk blended Scotch whisky to Japan increased from £865,000 (US$1m) in 2014 to £3.1m (US$3.8m) in 2015, while bulk single and blended grain went from £4m (US$4.9m) to £4.7m (US$5.8m) and bulk blended malt from £7.6m (US$9.4m) to £10.5m (US$13m). Much of this may be bottled locally as blended Scotch, but some will be mixed with Japan-made whisky.

This dependence on imports means a geographical indication (GI) status for Japanese whisky would be difficult to implement. Regardless, opinion is divided over whether such regulation would be beneficial to the sector in the first place. Nikka’s Tadashi says: “Flexibility to use ingredients without any restrictions will be key to create unique expressions from the perspective of the blender.” The practicability of a Japanese whisky GI may be difficult to fathom, but Croll claims it could be a good thing to protect the category’s future. “Up until 10 years ago, Japanese whisky was only sold in Japan, but now it is overseas there should be a clear sign of what it contains,” he says. “This might stop less scrupulous brands entering the market.”

Dedication to craftsmanship

Speaking in a personal capacity, Anesbury is inclined to agree: “Here in Japan, there is a dedication to craftsmanship and continuous improvement while maintaining traditional processes. However, what the industry may need to address is what really defines Japanese whisky. There are producers with a history of producing all types of spirits other than whisky as their main staple, but introduce whisky products to the market using imported whisky that has been matured in Japan while marketing them as Japanese whisky. Perhaps a Japanese trade body needs to be established to act as a positive force for the industry.”

Another issue that could taint consumer trust in Japanese whisky is unstable pricing. As stocks continue to dwindle, prices have soared to an all-time high, on both the primary and secondary markets. A bottle of Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013, which was initially priced US$120, now carries an RRP of up to US$4,000 on some retailers’ websites after it was named ‘World Whisky of the Year’ in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2015. Auction prices are even steeper and some believe they could reflect negatively on the broader industry – “it’s a case of guilt by association,” says Croll.

However, Shinji Fukuyo, executive officer and chief blender at Suntory, says that prices are not necessarily dictated by brands themselves. “We haven’t really increased our prices – it’s the retailers that have done this. From my perspective, price and quality should be balanced. Prices are increasing and sometimes they are reasonable and sometimes they are not. It’s a problem, but we cannot control retailers’ pricing.” He also believes there is a space in the market for more reasonably priced products. “In Japan, there’s phenomenal polarisation,” he states. “There’s cheaper whisky, which is consumed a lot, but to get better whisky costs a lot more. From a long-term point of view, there should be quality whisky at all price points.”

And pricing will surely become more important as Japanese whisky’s competition extends beyond its borders. “We have entered the next stage, not only competing with Japanese brands, but also competing with other categories,” says Kaji. “That means continuous efforts are needed to keep growing. Competition is becoming more global, but more competition means more opportunities in more markets.” Despite the complexities and challenges faced by Japanese whisky distillers, the growth and newfound diversity of the industry could spark a change of mind-set. “Given that more craft distilleries are open and running in Japan, we think craftsmen in Japanese whisky will team up to gather and share techniques of whisky making,” says Mars’s Matsushima. “That might improve our whisky in the long-term.”

Masahiko Yoshida, brand manager for Japanese whisky producer Kirin, adds: “We welcome healthy competition that contributes to the growth of the Japanese whisky category. Being more mature and educated, consumers are now starting to look for varieties in whisky and we think the landscape of the Japanese whisky market will change over time.” Indeed, producers are already establishing a point of difference, inspired by the trends and tropes used by Scotch, American and Irish brands – most notably, terroir. Mars hopes to produce a different flavour of whisky at its distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture, compared with its other distillery in Nagano Prefecture. Meanwhile, Akkeshi plans to release a 100% Akkeshi-produced whisky using local barley, water, yeast, and felled Japanese oak. The distillery will also source peat locally from surrounding wetlands.

Japanese whisky is certainly at a turning point in its seemingly unstoppable trajectory. While innovation and a drive to establish a competitive edge among distillers is providing much needed diversity, it remains to be seen whether a lack of official definition and regulation will affect the sector in the long term.

R.I.P.

Συγγραφέας, γευσιγνώστρια και ειδική ερευνήτρια ιστορικών αρχείων σε σχέση με την ιστορία του ουίσκυ, ήταν γνωστή για το πάθος της με το χρυσό απόσταγμα και είχε εργαστεί σε διάφορες εταιρίες του κλάδου. Θα μείνει στην ιστορία ως η πρώτη γυναίκα συγγραφέας με θέμα το ουίσκυ με το "Single Malt Whisky companion" το 1997, ενώ επίσης μεγάλη συγγραφική επιτυχία ήταν το "A Teacher's Tale" με θέμα την ιστορία-κληρονομιά του γνωστού Teacher's blend.

http://www.helen-arthur.com/index.html

Με δυό λόγια:

1. Το Loch Lomond θέλει να παράξει malt whisky σε column still. Τί whisky είναι αυτό;

2. Οι ινδοί της whyte and mackay θέλουν να κάνουν στιν Ινδία whisky με το ίδιο όνομα και με τοπικά υλικά... και 60% φτηνότερο

https://www.whisky.com/whisky/news/newsdetail/article/limitierte-editionen-von-glencadam-mit-finish-in-px-und-madeirafaessern.html

https://www.whisky.com/whisky/news/newsdetail/article/raasay-dun-cana-aus-sherry-quarter-casks.html

Happy St' Patrick's Day λοιπόν σε όλους!

Πιείτε ένα Connemara να το γιορτάσετε και αν δεν βρείτε τότε πιείτε ένα Bushmill's, Tyrconnell, Cooley, Locke's ή έστω μια μπύρα Guinness

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headl...teid=66633-name

Έχω την εντύπωση ότι θα δούμε πολλά τα επόμενα χρόνια στο χώρο του whisky.Αρνητικά η θετικά θα το δείξει ο χρόνος.

Για αρχή λοιπόν όπως ήδη είπα:

Highland Park Dark Origins - Discontinued

 Το έβαλα σε ξεχωριστό  topic γιατί είναι ΑΠΙΣΤΕΥΤΑ ΟΜΟΡΦΑ νέα.

https://athensdistillers.com/ 

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About Us

At Athens Distillers & Co, we prioritise cultivating robust business methodologies and systems. Our commitment to transparency and effective communication underscores our dedication to fostering enduring connections with associates, producers, and business collaborators.

Our heritage fuels our profound love for the art of spirit-making, grounded in the ancient Greek idea of distillation. We pay homage to a lineage originating with Aristotle, who envisioned its potential in the 4th century B.C. through experiments in seawater evaporation. Centuries later, the tangible “still,” credited to the 4th century A.D. Greek alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis, intertwines theory and practice, epitomising our enduring dedication.

Our Services

Crafting a spirit goes beyond science; it’s inspired by ideas, memories, and the experiences. At Athens Distillers & Co, we attend to every nuance and aspiration for your bespoke spirit. Our comprehensive services and expertise in luxury sales and product development steer your spirit’s journey from inception to excellence.

TAILORED CONTRACT DISTILLATION SERVICES

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Προσωπικά να ευχηθώ καλή επιτυχία στον Ανέστη και την ομάδα των Athens Distillers & Co και με το καλό (επιτέλους) κάποια στιγμή στο άμεσο μέλλον να δούμε και το/τα πρώτα Ελληνικά αποστακτήρια. 

https://www.whisky.com/information/news/newsdetail/daftmill-sherry-single-cask-12-years.html

https://thewhiskeywash.com/whiskey-styles/scotch-whiskey/the-epicurean-launches-white-port-finished-addition-to-wood-series-single-cask-series/

https://www.newmoney.gr/fine-living/poso-ouiski-pinoun-i-ellines-apo-tis-palies-ellinikes-tenies-eos-ta-panevropaika-rekor-katanalosis/