Port Ellen Distillery Reopens After 41 Years
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
1w ago
41 years after the venerable Port Ellen Distillery closed in 1983, an all-new Port Ellen distillery has opened on Islay. The project, seven years in the making, completes Diageo’s £185 million investment in upgrading its Scotch Whisky distilleries and visitors centers. The centerpiece of the project is an all-new carbon-neutral still house with two sets of stills. One set replicates the original Port Ellen stills, while the second set will be for experimental projects. In a statement, Port Ellen Master Distiller Alistair McDonald said “It is an honour to take up this new position at the helm o ..read more
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Compass Box Founder John Glaser Steps Down
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
2w ago
After 23 years, Compass Box founder and chief whisky maker John Glaser is leaving the London-based company. His resignation comes two years after Caelum Capital took majority ownership of Compass Box, which has become known for its eclectic collection of blended Scotch whiskies. “What I can say now is that is has been an incredible 23-year journey.  And now it’s time to step away,” Glaser said in an email. “It’s not been an easy decision, but it’s the right time. It’s time to pass on the reins to the new management and explore other opportunities.” Glaser will continue to own a minority s ..read more
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U.S. Whiskey Exports Set Record in 2023
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
While most drinks industry reports have been full of bad news in recent weeks, a new report released by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows U.S. spirits exports have recovered from three years of European Union tariffs. Exports totaled $2.2 billion in 2023, up 8% over 2022, while American whiskey exports increased by 9% to a record $1.4 billion. Whiskies account for 63% of all U.S. spirits exports by value and 34% by volume. In a news release, DISCUS Vice President of International Trade Rob Maron said “The tariffs imposed from 2018-2021 as part of two separate disputes be ..read more
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Scotch Whisky Exports Decline in 2023
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
In what industry executives describe as a “challenging year” for the spirits industry, 2023 proved to be a down year for Scotch Whisky exports. New data released by the Scotch Whisky Association show a 9.5% decline in the value of exports during 2023 compared to 2022, which has been called an outlier year because of the boom in exports and spirits sales globally following the end of the pandemic. Volume declined by 19% year over year as consumer demand for spirits slipped given current economic headwinds. Exports to the U.S., traditionally Scotch Whisky’s largest export market by value, were d ..read more
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U.S. Spirits Sales Flat in 2023
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
U.S. spirits producers turned in a flat performance in 2023, according to new economic data released today by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. While distilled spirits maintained their market share accounting for 42% of all beverage alcohol sales, sales only showed a 0.2% gain with a 1.2% gain in volume. Irish, Single Malt Scotch whiskies, and Canadian whiskies took the largest hits, dropping year-over-year in revenue growth by 19.4%, 8.4%, and 5.9% respectively. This is significant, since the U.S. represents the largest market for Irish and Canadian whiskey sales and one of ..read more
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Bourbon Has $9 Billion Impact on Kentucky Economy
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
A new report estimates that the Bourbon industry has a $9 billion economic impact on Kentucky’s economy each year. According to the biennial report commissioned by the Kentucky Distillers Association, that impact includes more than 23,000 jobs with annual salaries and benefits totaling $2.2 billion. “Kentucky Bourbon is a $9 billion economic and tourism powerhouse for our Commonwealth, now generating more jobs, more payroll, more tax revenue, more tourists and more distilleries in more Kentucky counties than ever before, KDA President Eric Gregory said at a briefing at the state Capitol in Fra ..read more
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Artisanal Spirits Company Acquires Single Cask Nation
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
The Artisanal Spirits Company, owners of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, have acquired the US-based independent bottler Single Cask Nation from its founders, Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin. The founders will remain with the company and lead its business from their base in Connecticut, according to a statement released by ASC today. “In a way, by joining ASC we’re coming full-circle in our whisky journey,” Johnstone-Yellin said in the statement. “It was actually The Scotch Malt Whisky Society that first inspired us to start an independent bottling business in the first place. We’ve ad ..read more
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Kentucky Distillers Report Record Production
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
For the fifth consecutive year, Kentucky Bourbon distillers filled more than two million barrels of whiskey, with total production reaching 2.7 million barrels in 2022, a 3 percent increase over 2021. The state also recorded new milestones of 12.6 million barrels of maturing whiskey inventory valued at $6.7 billion, according to data released by the Kentucky Distillers Association. The data is based on annual reports all distillers file with the Kentucky Department of Revenue detailing their inventories as of January 1. The report also shows the state’s distillers paid a 30 percent increase in ..read more
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Chivas Brothers Workers Ratify New Contract
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
Members of Unite and GMB Scotland have voted overwhelmingly to accept a revised contract offer from Chivas Brothers, the Scotch Whisky unit of Pernod Ricard. The two-year contract covers about half of Chivas Brothers’ 1,500 employees around Scotland, and includes a 6.4% pay raise previously rejected by union members in October. The revised offer makes the pay raise retroactive to July 1, while adding an additional pay hike in the second year of the contract tied to the inflation rate. In addition, workers will each receive a £500 one-time bonus payment. In a statement announcing the results of ..read more
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Strikes Against Chivas Brothers Postponed
WhiskyCast - Podcast
by Mark Gillespie
3w ago
The unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery, bottling plant, and warehouse workers have called off their planned strikes for next week after the company made a new pay offer. The move will allow GMB Scotland and Unite to poll their members on the new offer, and essentially ends any threat to holiday orders for Chivas Brothers. Both unions had planned strikes for next week, with GMB Scotland planning a one-day strike at 21 Chivas Brothers facilities around Scotland and Unite planning three days of rolling strikes at other Chivas Brothers sites. GMB Scotland spokesman David Hu ..read more
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