HIGHLAND PARK’S ACCLAIMED VALHALLA COLLECTION CONCLUDES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE ALL-FATHER
Direct from the gates of Valhalla, Highland Park has unveiled the last in the series of stunning whiskies that celebrates its Norse heritage. ODIN, named for the King of Asgard himself, joins Thor, Loki and the beautiful Freya to complete Highland Park’s Valhalla Collection.
Legend has it that Odin, All-father of the gods and ruler of Asgard, is an intensely complex character. Known as ‘the furious one’, Odin is the strongest of all the Norse gods and driven by an unquenchable thirst for wisdom. By sacrificing an eye for a drink from the Well of Wisdom, he earned immeasurable knowledge and insight. With only one eye which blazes like the sun, Odin cuts an ominous figure.
Creating a single malt to reflect the dominant characteristics of Odin was no easy feat but the Highland Park whisky makers have excelled. This whisky strikes a balance between the god and the distillery’s signature Orcadian style – Highland Park’s sweet and gentle smoky peat aromas. The result is an undeniably powerful 16 year old single malt.
Gerry Tosh, Global Marketing Manager, says: “Odin, like its namesake, is an intense, powerful and complex whisky. Bottled at 55.8% ABV, it certainly lives up to the legend, a bold single malt higher in strength than Thor, Loki and Freya. In Odin, we have been able to add the final flourish to the Valhalla Collection, a stunning series of remarkable whiskies that offer affordability and exclusive collectability.”
“Now that Odin has joined the ranks of the other gods in the Valhalla Collection, the first chapter in this series is complete. However, the Norse legends of old may still offer us future intrigues.”
With only 17,000 bottles released globally, this limited edition whisky comes housed in the same distinctive award winning wooden frame of Thor, Loki and Freya echoing the fearsome contours of a traditional Viking long ship. The bottle itself reflects Odin’s character – dark and imperfect and slightly battle worn.
Tasting Notes: Highland Park ODIN / 16 years old / 55.8% ABV
Colour: Vivid burst of sunlight
Nose: This intense whisky possesses a fierce spice. Cinnamon bark and nutmeg rise from Odin’s spirit. Behind the spice, toasted walnuts smoulder with pulsating explosions of smoke. Odin cuts an ominous figure and this whisky is no different.
Palate: A huge, powerful palate draws on the complexity of Odin’s character. Layers of peat uncover thousands of years of wisdom. Dense oak combines with rich charred walnuts.
Finish: Throughout is a subtle sweetness, sharing the knowledge of well-seasoned sherry wines. Plums and soft fruit disappear into the dark as the peaty embers glow into a smoky finale.
Odin will be available from specialist independent whisky retailers, at the Highland Park distillery and www.highlandpark.co.uk at an RRP of £180.
For more information please contact:
Linsay Moore/Laura Hutchinson at The BIG Partnership on 0131 557 5252 or linsay.moore@bigpartnership.co.uk/laura.hutchinson@bigpartnership.co.uk
Please enjoy our brand responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk
Scotch Whisky – A Vital UK Industry
Scotch Whisky supports 40,300 UK jobs
Scotch Whisky is an iconic product recognised around the globe and new research published today (28 January) reveals its vast contribution to economic growth in Scotland and across the UK.
‘The Economic Impact of Scotch Whisky Production in the UK’ report, commissioned by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) from 4-consulting, shows the industry contributes nearly £5 billion overall to the UK economy. For every £1 million of value added, the industry generates another £520,000 across the UK, for example in spending on suppliers in a range of sectors, from packaging to haulage.
In terms of the value it adds to the UK economy, Scotch Whisky is bigger than a number of industries, such as iron and steel, textiles, shipbuilding and computing. It is also larger than other UK food and drink sectors, including meat, dairy, beer and soft drinks. In Scotland, it makes up almost three quarters of the food and drink sector and is three times the size of Scotland’s digital or life sciences industries.
Key findings of the report include:
•Overall economic contribution of Scotch Whisky industry to UK is almost £5bn (£4.956bn).
•Direct economic impact of industry, ignoring its wider economic benefits, is £3.3bn, up 21% since 2008.
•Each year, Scotch Whisky producers spend £1.8bn on suppliers. 90% of that expenditure is in the UK, including £1.4bn in Scotland. Dry goods, including bottles and packaging, cereals, energy and transport and distribution make up the majority of purchases.
•Capital expenditure makes up £140m of the total industry spend. Some 70% of that is outside Scotland in other parts of the UK and overseas. The specialist nature of capital equipment, such as machinery, vehicles and software, means it often has to be sourced from further afield, spreading the impact of the Scotch Whisky industry across a wide geographical area.
•The industry supports 40,300 jobs in the UK – up from around 35,000 in 2008 – in a range of sectors including glass manufacturing and labelling. This total includes 10,900 people directly employed by the industry in Scotland, up 6%.
•Every job in Scotch Whisky supports a further 2.7 British jobs.
•Scotch Whisky workers are among the most productive in Scotland – they are around four times as efficient in production as employees in aerospace, life sciences and the digital sectors.
As well as supporting employment in towns and cities, for example in large bottling halls, Scotch Whisky is the lifeblood of many rural communities where it sustains 7,400 jobs, contributes around £900m in gross value added (GVA) and generates around £250m of income.
Despite a slowdown in exports, the Scotch Whisky industry is expanding at unprecedented levels with around 30 new distilleries being planned or built across Scotland. Capital investment reached £142m in 2013, up 31% since 2008.
Finally, Scotch exports are vital to the UK’s balance of trade. They are worth around £4bn a year and without them the UK’s trade deficit would have been 16% larger in 2013.
David Frost, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive, said: “This new report shows just how significant the Scotch Whisky industry is to the wider UK economy, adding £5bn of value, supporting over 40,000 jobs, and contributing £4bn to Britain’s trade performance.
Scotch Whisky must be recognised as a cultural asset that boosts growth and jobs, supports communities and combines the best of the traditional and the modern.
“Given the scale and impact of the Scotch Whisky industry we believe the government should show its support. One way of doing so, in the short term, would be for the Chancellor to cut excise duty by 2% in the March Budget. It is unfair on the industry and consumers, and detrimental to the economy, that almost 80% of the average price of a bottle of Scotch is taxation.”
With media enquiries, please contact: Rosemary Gallagher, SWA communications manager, 0131 222 9230 or 07432 605 385 or rgallagher@swa.org.uk or David Williamson, SWA government and communications director, 0131 222 9226 or 07730 496151 or dwilliamson@swa.org.uk
A full copy of the report is available here /media/70534/economic_impact_20pp_web_v2.pdf
See a short film on the report here http://vimeo.com/117789170
The report
Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the contribution to the economy of each individual producer, industry or sector in the United Kingdom.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a key indicator of the state of the whole economy. In the UK, three theoretical approaches are used to estimate GDP: ‘production’, ‘income’ and ‘expenditure’.
Scotch Whisky’s £5bn (£4.956bn) GVA includes direct, indirect and induced impacts. Its direct GVA is £3.3bn (£3.261bn).
To find out more about the ‘Drop the Duty!’ campaign to have excise cut by 2% visit www.droptheduty.co.uk and follow it on Twitter @droptheduty
Article provided by The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) – http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/
28th January 2015
Places to Stay in Scotland Including The Sligachan Hotel
Whatever your reasons for touring Scotland in 2015, ensuring you find the place that’s right for you to stay will inevitably be a consideration. Like with so many areas of Scotland, the Isle of Skye offers both scenic natural beauty, dramatic landscapes and is home to its sole whisky distillery, Talisker. As well as this, Skye is home to Sligachan Hotel, a favourite among many outdoor enthusiasts, happy couples enjoying their big day or simply those more discerning about their whisky choice.
Situated on the banks of Loch Sligachan and at the foot of Black Cuillin, Sligachan offers the perfect Highland retreat. For more information see: Sligachan Hotel
Malt Whisky Shops, Bars, festivals and more in 2015
As we enter another year, Malt Marketing continues its own development in the pursuit of becoming the number 1 online choice for marketing whisky shops, bars, festivals and more. In just over 2 years, Malt Marketing has introduced visitors to some of the very best whisky shops, online retailers, auctions and whisky bars. As well as this, Malt Marketing has helped market and promote whisky festivals as far afield as London, Sydney and Cape Town to San Francisco and Las Vegas.
2015 will see Malt Marketing continuing to bridge the gap between the world’s most passionate whisky consumers and the very finest establishments to purchase, sample and experience whisky. To market and promote with Malt Marketing in 2015, contact: info@maltmarketing.com
Hard to Find Whisky Opens new Retail Malt Whisky Shop
The first whisky shop of its kind in the UK, Hard To Find Whisky (HTFW) is located in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, an easy ten minute walk from the city centre and New Street and Snow Hill Stations, or two minute’s walk from the dedicated Jewellery Quarter station.
With parking right outside the shop and comfortable seating inside people can really enjoy the HTFW experience. With the largest collection of whiskies in-store than any other retailer in the county, HTFW boasts 3,000 bottles out on display, with 100’s of those from silent distilleries.
Priding themselves in their rare and collectables range, HTFW also stock all the latest releases from the world’s most well-known brands. With prices starting at £25 for an entry level single malt and going up to £35,000 for a rare Macallan 50 year old.
With an excellent range of miniatures, whisky gifts and glassware, HTFW also offer 14 unique, in-store master classes which are available as walk-ins, for pre-booked groups or to purchase as gift vouchers. These are taken by their in-house experts and are available for individuals and up to groups of 20 people. At a cost of £20 per head for a beginners guide to whisky increasing to £1,000 per head for a chance to try some really rare Port Ellen bottling’s as part of the ‘Whiskies Most Wanted’ class.
For more information see:
