Jim Beam’s collection of small batch bourbons arrive in the UK
23 April 2015: Maxxium UK is welcoming Beam Suntory’s super-premium collection of small batch bourbons featuring Basil Hayden’s, Booker’s and Baker’s this month. Available across the on-trade, the trio are among the highest quality products from the world’s #1 bourbon producer, offering consumers premium expressions of bourbon that showcase the long-standing traditions of the Beam family.
These products will be introduced at the Jim Beam Crafthouse, an experiential event also housing other Bourbon Legends including Jim Beam Signature Craft 12-Year old, Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek. Taking place on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 April, the Jim Beam Crafthouse will immerse guests in an educational and interactive experience led by special guests Bill Samuels Jr, President of Maker’s Mark and Kevin Smith, Vice President of Kentucky Beam Bourbon Affairs, accompanied by Maxxium UK’s Mixxit team.
Jim Beam’s strong family heritage is at the heart of the development of all three small batch bourbons. Baker’s is named after Baker Beam, Jim Beam’s great-nephew; Booker’s was created by Jim Beam’s grandson, 6th Generation Master Distiller Booker Noe; and the recipe for Basil Hayden’s Bourbon dates back to 1796. The result is a collection of distinct and exquisite bourbons, rich with American heritage. These bourbons are individually unique and now for the first time have a unified bottle shape ensuring the collection is easily identifiable on shelf and in bar.
Baker’s Bourbon is aged for seven years and hand bottled at 53.5% ABV. The Beam family has a secret jug yeast recipe that has been used for over six generations and it is this formula which is responsible for the bourbon’s silky smooth texture and for balancing the bold, intense flavour with a consistently luxurious taste from batch to batch.
Master Distiller Booker Noe, Jim Beam’s grandson, originally created Booker’s for his own personal use. It is one of the only bourbons available today that is bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, yielding an intense flavour and nose which is one of a kind. Booker’s Bourbon is bottled at its natural ABV of 62.5% and aged for between six and eight years in barrels in the centre of the rack house. The temperature and humidity there ensure the perfect conditions for ageing this exceptional bourbon. Each of the barrels used in this process were hand-selected by Booker himself, leaving a lasting legacy.
Basil Hayden’s was created with the same high-rye style of the whiskey originally produced by its namesake in 1796. Basil Hayden the distiller was born in Maryland, where a high proportion of rye was used in the production of whiskey and then moved to Kentucky, adapting the method of producing whiskey from a base of corn. However he continued to add a higher percentage of rye than other distillers, resulting in a smooth, mild bourbon, with a slightly peppery taste and aroma. This bourbon has a gentle taste and at 40% ABV it is smooth and approachable.
The small batch bourbons will be available in the UK on-trade from the 1st May.
Maxxium UK’s Marketing Controller for Imported Whiskey, Janice McIntosh says:
“Jim Beam’s small batch bourbons will appeal to bourbon connoisseurs and consumers interested in exploring premium dark spirits. The collection offers three unique bourbons which embody the Make History philosophy, perfectly displaying the wealth of history and craftsmanship in Jim Beam bourbons.
“The premium bourbon segment is a developing opportunity within the category and we are proud to offer customers and consumers the premium Baker’s, Booker’s and Basil Hayden’s bourbons. This unique collection will allow our customers to capitalise on the growth of US whiskey and offer something special to the growing contingent of American whiskey enthusiasts.”
Baker’s is available in 700ml bottles with a RRP of £53.99, Booker’s is available in 700ml bottles with a RRP of £63.99 and Basil Hayden’s is available in 700ml with a RRP of £41.99.
For more information, please contact: Jennifer Cirillo or Simone Harvey
Tel: 020 8544 6917 or e-mail: j.cirillo@lime-pr.co.uk, s.harvey@lime-pr.co.uk
CELEBRATING 200 YEARS WITH THE RETURN OF LAPHROAIG® 15 YEAR OLD
20 April 2015: Established in 1815, this year sees the 200th anniversary of Laphroaig® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. To commemorate this landmark celebration, Laphroaig is proud to announce a very special and limited release of Laphroaig 15 Year Old.
A long revered expression in the Laphroaig range, Laphroaig 15 Year Old was originally launched more than 30 years ago, with a lower level of peat and a higher bottling strength of 43% all combining to give the whisky a mellow, rounded taste, its briny orchard fruits adding bite and depth, the overall feel rich and smoky.
Laphroaig Distillery Manager John Campbell decided to re-release this product, one of his long-time favourites, in celebration of Laphroaig’s 200th anniversary. Beautifully made, Laphroaig 15 Year Old pays homage to the original edition, answering the call for its return by many a long term friend, while at the same time introducing new fans of Laphroaig to a whisky that they have yet to taste.
Laphroaig has been dividing opinions for 200 years, always garnering strong and interesting points of view through the years. Some of these varying opinions are featured in videos as part of the Laphroaig Opinions Welcome campaign, which can be viewed at www.laphroaig.com/opinions.
Laphroaig 15 Year Old will continue to welcome a multitude of different global perspectives on the divisive whisky with the launch of ‘200 Opinions Wanted’ – a competition to celebrate the very best Laphroaig opinions from around the world. Two-hundred of the most unique opinions will be displayed as individual tiles on the distillery wall and the authors of the very best of them will be rewarded with a trip to Islay to attend “Laphroaig Live,” a global whisky event held at the historic Laphroaig Distillery for the first time in nine years. In addition to the distillery’s 200th anniversary, this year also marks the 21st birthday of Friends of Laphroaig, the brand’s loyal group of fans and supporters. Much of this year’s Laphroaig Live is designed with them firmly front of mind. All the more reason to celebrate!
Laphroaig 15 Year Old will be available in May 2015 in all good whisky retailers with a RRP of £75.00 with additional new releases planned across the year.
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Maxxium UK, UK distributors of Laphroaig.
For further information please contact: Sarah Fearon or Laura Hutchinson at The BIG Partnership on 0131 557 5252 or email: sarah.fearon@bigpartnership.co.uk or laura.hutchinson@bigpartnership.co.uk Please enjoy our brand responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk
Scotch Whisky exports down in 2014
Long-term outlook remains strong despite scotch whisky exports being down in 2014
Weaker economic conditions and political volatility in some markets saw the value of Scotch Whisky exports decline 7% to £3.95 billion in 2014 from £4.26bn the previous year, according to new figures published today (1 April).
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) called on the European Union and the future UK government, no matter the political complexion, to continue to press the case for more open markets, and to pursue ambitious Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to promote exports. The SWA pointed to existing FTAs, such as the EU agreement with South Korea, which have boosted growth and to the huge potential of agreements with countries including India, the USA and Vietnam.
Scotch Whisky has enjoyed strong global growth over the last decade, with total value of exports up 74% since 2004 and Single Malt up 159%. But the SWA reported challenges in several markets last year, with the volume of exports also down slightly by 3% to 1.19bn 70cl bottles.
The overall picture, following several years of record-breaking growth, was consolidation in many developed markets and underlying strong growth in most emerging markets. Political volatility affected this picture in places and some fluctuations were driven by changes in stock levels rather than by underlying consumer demand.
Growth was seen in a range of important markets, such as Taiwan where exports jumped 36% to £197 million, partly on the back of the growing popularity of Single Malt Scotch. Exports to India were up 29% to £89m, despite the 150% import tariff.
Exports to the USA, the biggest market for Scotch, fell 9% by value to £748m. However, customs export figures did not tell the whole story, as consumption figures released earlier this year by the US Distilled Spirits Council show the market shrank by only just over 1%. Single Malt sales volumes were up 6.3%. This suggests the fall in exports in 2014 was due partly to stock adjustments – as high inventory levels of Scotch are drawn down to meet consumer demand, rather than buying new stock – as well as to an increasingly competitive spirits market.
Global exports also performed better in the second half of last year – down 4% – than in the first six months when they fell 11% in value compared to the same period in 2013, suggesting longer-term fundamentals are sound.
The picture was encouraging in Europe last year:
•Exports to France, the biggest market by volume and second biggest by value, were up 2% to £445 million and 3% to 183m bottles. The French market is stabilising after Scotch, and other imported drinks, were hit by a tax increase in 2012.
•Exports to Spain were up 1% by volume for the first time in several years.
There was a mixed picture in emerging markets, partly as a result of political and economic volatility. Exports by volume to Mexico grew 5% to 42.8m bottles, while value fell by 10% in that market. There was a similar trend in Brazil, with volumes flat but value down 20%. The important hub market of the United Arab Emirates continues to boom, with exports up 27% by value.
Alongside Taiwan and India, there were other positive developments in Asia:
•Exports to Thailand were up 16% to 27m bottles.
•Japan was up 8% in value to £64m, the first increase since 2011.
•South Korea was up in value to £117m, the first increase since 2010. South Korea was given a boost by a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU in 2011 which phased out the import tariff.
•However, exports to the major regional hub of Singapore fell by 39% in value to £200m. This was partly down to the ongoing austerity campaign in China, the final destination for a lot of Scotch shipped from the UK to Singapore. Direct exports to China, the 26th largest market by value, fell 23% to £39m
The Association stressed the importance of pursuing ambitious FTAs to open markets and support export growth. There are a number of on-going negotiations which should benefit Scotch Whisky, including the EU-Vietnam FTA expected to be signed this year, an agreement with Colombia and Peru due to come into force and an agreement with Canada. The SWA urged the early re-opening of negotiations between the EU and India and progress on other important negotiations, such as the EU-US Trade & Investment Partnership.
David Frost, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive, said: “Economic and political factors in some important markets held back Scotch Whisky exports in 2014 after a decade of strong growth. It shows that the industry’s success cannot be taken for granted and that we must continue to argue for more open markets and ambitious trade deals that tackle barriers to market access.
“The long-term fundamentals remain strong, with consumers in emerging markets wanting to buy Scotch Whisky as a high-quality and authentic product with a strong reputation and clear provenance. This drives the strong investment in Scotch Whisky production in Scotland and the significant interest in entering the sector.”
Article Source: http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/
The source of the figures is Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
A table of top 20 overseas markets for Scotch Whisky along with infographics relating to regional markets, both by value and volume, can be found below.
In 2014, Scotch Whisky exports were worth £3,945,166,375 in value, down from £4,260,644,945 in 2013. Volume was 1.19 billion bottles, down from 1.23 billion bottles.
Media contacts:
Rosemary Gallagher, SWA communications manager, 0131 222 9230/07432 605385 or email rgallagher@swa.org.uk
David Williamson, SWA government and communications director, 0131 222 9226/07730 496151 or dwilliamson@swa.org.uk
Arrange your distillery tour with Malt Marketing
As we enter the spring and summer of 2015, why not allow Malt Marketing to assist you with your distillery tour plans for the coming year. Whether you are an individual keen to explore the whisky regions of Scotland or perhaps looking to arrange a group booking, Malt Marketing will work with you and one of the country’s leading tour operators to ensure your experience is one truly to remember.
Contact: info@maltmarketing.com for more details.
Perth Food and Drink Park Is Open for Business
A ground-breaking initiative to create a new business park to strengthen Scotland’s diverse and world-renowned food and drink sector has hit a key milestone with the announcement that the site is open for occupation.
Perth Food and Drink Park – representing a £5m investment by Perth and Kinross Council – provides up to 11 serviced development plots across a 16 acre high quality and easily accessible site at North Muirton, to the north of the city.
The site has been specifically designed to create a hub for the all aspects of the food and drink industry in Scotland to thrive, and is being seen as having particular appeal to the whisky sector.
Perthshire has a very strong whisky heritage with world-renowned brands such as The Famous Grouse, Bell’s and Dewars all having distillery production in the region.
The Park is aimed at attracting inward investment opportunities as well as creating expansion potential for existing and start-up businesses.
It is predicted the Perth Food and Drink Park – the first dedicated hub of its kind in Scotland – could sustain up to 400 jobs once fully occupied.
Food and drink is one of Scotland’s key growth sectors with ambitions to grow from £13.1Bn today to £16.5Bn by 2017. Within Perth and Kinross, the annual turnover of the food and drink sector is estimated at £280m and there are an estimated 130 companies in the processing sector.
Councillor John Kellas, Convener of Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee at Perth and Kinross Council, said the Park offers a unique opportunity for businesses in the food and drink sector to occupy a fully-flexible, bespoke site to develop or expand their operations, in one of Scotland’s most attractive locations.
He said: “Perthshire has unrivalled heritage and credentials in food and drink, evidenced by the likes of its superb beef, lamb and venison, its soft fruit industry and world-famous whisky distillers, as well as a range of artisan and specialist producers.
“We are passionate about continuing to see the food and drink industry in both Perthshire, and Scotland, thrive.
“We have identified food and drink as an area of outstanding growth and have committed substantial investment into helping businesses in this sector through the creation of Perth Food and Drink Park.
“With Perth Food and Drink Park now ‘open for business’, it’s an unparalleled opportunity for companies to take advantage of creating purpose-built premises while enjoying the benefits of shared business infrastructure and support facilities.
“The Perth Food and Drink Park demonstrates the clear intent to position Perth as the most desirable place to live, work, visit and invest.”
Perth Food and Drink Park offers serviced development plots ranging in size from one acre to three acres – however, there is scope for units to be combined in larger premises – with each site providing medium pressure, HV electricity, superfast broadband, telecoms, water and drainage. Financial incentives are available subject to eligibility.
The Perth Food and Drink Park is located strategically close to the A9 trunk road, with good links to Perth city centre and train station, and only a 45 minute drive from Edinburgh International Airport. With its central location and excellent access, a million people live within an hour’s drive of Perth.
The new Park is in an established business location at North Muirton yet has an attractive semi-rural setting bounded to the north by productive arable land and to the east by the banks of the River Tay which is famed for its salmon fishing.
The marketing for the Perth Food and Drink Park is managed by Perth and Kinross’s global inward investment campaign Invest in Perth, alongside the council’s business development and investment team.
A comprehensive marketing programme – supported by marketing agents GVA James Barr – is being planned to promote Perth Food and Drink Park nationally and globally, including through the Scottish Cities Alliance and attendance at key industry events and exhibitions.
For more information, view www.perthfoodanddrinkpark.co.uk.
Issued on behalf of Invest in Perth by Holyrood Partnership.
For more information contact Brian Lewis/Chris Fairbairn on 0131 561 2244 or info@holyroodpr.co.uk
