A DYNAMIC DECADE GAVIN D SMITH This is the shortened, printed version. Gavin’s full appraisal of the last ten years can be read here... Considering that the recorded history of Scotch goes back to 1494, surely very little can have happened in the decade since Loch Fyne Whiskies opened its doors, and the first four-page Scotch Whisky Review appeared the following spring. Not so. 112 distilleries were represented on the Autumn 1993 Stock List, while today’s list features malts from 119. Additions include the likes of newcomers Arran and Speyside, along with independent bottlings of Allt a Bhainne and Braes of Glenlivet, plus ‘collectables’ such as Ladyburn.The only permanent casualty has been Kinclaith—but there have been greater losses among some of the more bizarre whiskies on offer. In the mid-1990s United Distillers was at the forefront of experimentation as the industry faced up to the growing taste for ‘novelty’ drinks. However, the lives of the new products were short, and in 1998 Bell’s Red Devil, along with ‘pre-mixes’ with Coke or Irn Bru, were abandoned. Red Devil—made with chilli peppers—was championed by the radical proprietors of LFW, but even such heavyweight support failed to prevent its deletion. According to UD’s Dr Nick Morgan, “That was the one that the guys at the distilleries absolutely loved”. Loch Dhu lingered for a while before being put out of its misery. Mystery surrounds the process that turned an unspectacular but drinkable Speyside whisky—Mannochmore—into a near black, caramel and liquorice-flavoured confection. Dr. Morgan is quick to point out that while he was not involved in developing it, he did kill it off. “A misguided novelty”. There has been a trend for rationalisation and consolidation among the major players. They have closed a number of distilleries or sold them on. Many buyers have been independent bottlers, which says something about the increasing vigour of the market for more exclusive single malts. There has been a trend for rationalisation and consolidation among the major players. They have closed a number of distilleries or sold them on. Many buyers have been independent bottlers, which says something about the increasing vigour of the market for more exclusive single malts. Benromach was the first to be revived by an independent—Gordon & MacPhail acquired in it 1993 and five years later the distillery was officially re-opened by HRH Prince Charles. Morrison Bowmore became wholly-owned by the Japanese giant Suntory in 1995, and not long afterwards the permanent closure of Glen Garioch distillery was announced—and then reprieved in 1997. MBD has prospered with the financial clout to market Bowmore extensively. Pulteney in Wick was sold by Allied to the dynamic Inver House in 1995, and sales have since soared. Inver House then acquired Balblair from Allied, and in 1997 Balmenach from United Distillers. Having revitalised these distilleries, Inver House lost its own independence in 2002 when the company was bought for £56 million by the Thai-owned Great Oriole Group. In July 1996 Macallan was taken over by Highland Distillers and in 1997, Glenmorangie acquired Islay’s neglected Ardbeg from Allied. The £27 billion merger of Guinness (UD) and Grand Metropolitan in 1997 brought about the creation of Diageo, the largest drinks company in the world. Bacardi then bought Dewar’s and four distilleries from Diageo in 1998, and in 1999 the Edrington Group privatised Highland Distillers with Macallan, Highland Park and Famous Grouse. A 30% shareholder in the venture was Glenfiddich’s William Grant & Sons. Bladnoch was reopened to distil on a modest scale in 1999, having been sold by UD to businessman Raymond Armstrong. Following Glenmorangie’s lead in reviving a highly-regarded Islay distillery, independent bottlers Murray McDavid acquired Bruich-laddich in 2001. At the end of 2000, Seagram sold its drinks interests and Pernod Ricard took control of its Chivas Group, instantly becoming a leading Scotch whisky player with 12 distilleries. Subsequently, their tiny Edradour was sold to the bottler Signatory, and to nobody’s great surprise, in October 2002 Allt a Bhainne, Braeval, Benriach, and Caperdonich were closed, allegedly only on a temporary basis. In 2001, Scotland’s biggest ever management buy-out took place, when Fortune Brands sold its JBB European subsidiary. The new company followed the perplexing trend of organisations which ditched perfectly sensible names and acquired meaningless new ones; ‘Kyndal’. The assets included Whyte & MacKay and Invergordon Distillers’ Dalmore, Jura and Fettercairn distilleries, mothballed Tamnavulin and Tulli-bardine, and also the Invergordon grain distillery. In 2002 Glendronach distillery was re-opened by Allied after six years in mothballs, though during the same year, Allied closed its Dumbarton distillery, investing instead in its Strathclyde grain facility. Allied has been taking a close look at its ‘malt strategy’ of late, and despite LFW having noted on a number of occasions that they have simply given up in despair regarding Allied, who knows what the future may hold? Already in 2003 SWR reports more activity on the distillery-dealing front. A recent development has been the industry’s equivalent of ‘hot desking’. A team from Highland Park in Orkney has been along the road to Scapa to distil for Allied. Similarly, a Springbank team has distilled at Glen Scotia. In 1995 Arran came on stream, the third new distillery of the decade after Kininvie and Speyside, and there are more proposed new distilleries in the pipeline than at any time since the 1960s, though which of them will come to fruition is anyone’s guess. So much for companies and distilleries, but what of the whiskies they produce? A significant trend has been the growth of wood-finishing and Glenmorangie has been among the pioneers of this art, ‘finishing’ in casks that previously contained sherry, port, Madeira, claret et al. Indeed, cask finishing became something of an obsession in the industry but some now consider that we consumers are becoming weary of the more exotic finishes. The role of whisky as a ‘collectable’ and/or as an investment has been a significant feature of the past decade. The publication of Christie’s and McTear’s catalogues, and publicity associated with these whisky auctions, has given collectors a valuable source of information and inspiration; in December of last year, a 62 year old bottle of Dalmore sold for a record of £25,877.50. In 1996 Macallan released a successful replica of a 1874 bottling, just one of many exclusive releases to show significant appreciation. ‘Black Bowmore’ is another good example; in 1993 LFW retailed bottles for £95, but four years later they were fetching £1,000. Be warned, however, the value of investments can go down as well as up. SWR18 pointed out a 1958 Highland Park initially offered at £990 was retailing for £300 less. The increased interest in single malts has been reflected in an increased interest in all aspects of whisky production, and nowhere is this more apparent than at distillery visitor centres, now patronised by more than one million people each year. Whisky related events have multiplied, with tutored tastings, regional ‘WhiskyFests’, ‘Expos’ or ‘Whisky Lives’ abounding world-wide. LFW’s bookshelves sag under a blend of glossiness and erudition that has trebled, while the launch of Malt Advocate in the USA and of Whisky Magazine has given a platform for exploration of the subject, even if both publications have followed where SWR fearlessly led! Whisky information has also burgeoned with the growth of the internet phenomenon; lfw.co.uk was one of the earliest whisky web-sites. Now entering ‘Scotch whisky’ into the Google search engine brings no fewer than 118,000 results! And there is a lot of material out there, ranging from the fascinating to the tedious and frankly weird. There are even live web-cams showing whisky being made, or more usually showing nothing much at all happening. Here’s hoping that the next ten years will see as much dynamism in the Scotch whisky industry as the last ten have, even if nothing much can possibly happen in one paltry decade… Gavin’s full detailed appraisal of the last ten years can be read here...