The Whisky Vault, est. 2008, is an online rare whisky specialist store providing you with top quality rare and collectable whiskies direct to your front door.

The Whisky Vault was born from ideas created by Philip and Richard Hawley, a Father/Son relationship, based in Yorkshire, UK. An incredibly enthusiastic business, the project is currently run as an entirely family-oriented project.

With over one thousand items in our catalogue, including over 900 single malts, there are expressions of whisky that are very rare and indeed sought after. We endeavour to keep the site exciting and fresh and therefore are consistently adding new products, as and when we acquire them.

We continue to be recognised as one of the market leaders in terms of our ability to acquire exceptional malts, with expressions in our ranks that date back as far as the early 20^th Century. Our forte is supplying unique, rare and collectable specimens to the world’s army of whisky lovers.  

Having a customer services background, we understand the importance of fair, quality and efficient service. We adhere to this policy relentlessly.

We have detailed photographs of every bottle we have for sale, instead of using stock photos, so you can examine each product as you would expect to receive it. Any product showing in stock on the site is most definitely in stock, we would never take money for items we cannot ship immediately.

We hope you enjoy the site.

www.thewhiskyvault.com

The Macallan Reaches Strong Numbers in the Art World

The Macallan single malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, has reported strong sampling figures after attending its third art show. Providing over 20,000 samples and cocktails, The Macallan introduced consumers to the newest edition of The Macallan’s portfolio, The Macallan Gold.

Those attending designjunction*, The Liverpool Biennial** and most recently The London Art Fair*** visited The Macallan Masterclass lounge in large numbers. Not only did they sample the new luxury single malt whisky, The Macallan Gold but they also found out more about The Macallan’s third edition of the successful Masters of Photography Series, involving iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz.

For this year The Macallan’s sampling programme focused on the contemporary art world. The Macallan engaged with over 5,550 people during designjunction (September 2012), which took place over five days in London’s Sorting Office, showcasing the finest selection of international design brands. The Macallan team also distributed over 4,800 Gold n’ Soda cocktails at the VIP and press launch and at the Pecha Kucha Friday evening event, ensuring The Macallan Gold was at the front of influencers’ minds.

Building on the success of designjuction, The Macallan then headed north and attended The Liverpool Biennial (September – November 2012), sampling over 500 consumers in one weekend during the ten week event, which sees Liverpool come alive with a range of extraordinary art exhibitions and events.

The Macallan continued its successful sampling programme at The London Art Fair (January 2013), which featured over 100 galleries and showcased the work of the greatest names of 20^th century British art and exceptional contemporary work. In addition to the sampling figures, 5,500 Macallan Gold cocktails were sampled over the two preview evenings, bringing the total sampling figure to 9,300 over 6 days. This was largely attributed to the draw of the Annie Leibovitz exclusive shots, which provided The Macallan with strong standout.

Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director at Maxxium UK ltd, commented: “With a high trial to conversation rate it’s important we allow people to taste The Macallan for themselves. Sampling is therefore a key part of The Macallan’s investment plan, which will allow us to grow the brands popularity and introduce new consumers to whisky. Venturing into the world of art and engaging with those with a genuine interest in art and photography has provided us with an excellent platform to do just that.

“The numbers which we have reached over the course of the last five months are extremely encouraging.  Going forward we want to build on these figures giving consumers an insight into our Masters of Photography Series and help build momentum for The Macallan.”

 www.themacallan.com

 www.drinkaware.co.uk

www.themastersofphotography.com

Issued by The BIG Partnership. For more information please contact Sarah Bailey or Helen Wilson at sarah.bailey@bigpartnership.co.uk/helen.wilson@bigpartnership.co.uk or 0131 555 5522

Notes to editor:

ABOUT THE MACALLAN

Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading single malt whiskies.  The creation of The Macallan draws on the vital contributing influences of Spain, North America and Scotland, and of their respective natural raw materials, combined with traditional methods and craftsmanship. From its founding, through the subsequent owners of The Macallan distillery in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and into the present century, The Macallan has been recognised for its outstanding quality above all else. Today this remains the foundation for the worldwide fame of The Macallan and is such that it is truly “The Last Word” in luxury and at the heart of those special moments brought alive over a glass of The Macallan.

The timeless reputation of The Macallan is founded upon Six Pillars:

The Spiritual Home

Easter Elchies House proudly watches over The Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Built in 1700, this Jacobean manor house is The Macallan’s spiritual home.

Curiously Small Stills

The Macallan’s curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills help to concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit.

 The Finest Cut

The ‘cut’ is the amount of distilled spirit collected from the stills as ‘new make’ spirit. The Macallan takes one of the finest ‘cuts’ of any distillery in Scotland; typically just 16% goes forward to fill or our casks. 

Exceptional Oak Casks

The Macallan’s unfaltering obsession with selecting exceptional oak casks brings an unsurpassed, timeless quality to The Macallan.

Natural Colour

The Macallan insists upon Natural Colour. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone which delivers the rich variety of colour, aroma and taste evident through out the range.

Peerless Spirit

The Macallan remains the single malt against which all others must be judged. It is celebrated far and wide by experts and discerning drinkers as the world’s most precious whisky.

The 1824 Series

The UKwill be the first market to take the new range with the launch of Gold in Autumn 2012, exclusively for 6 months. The 1824 Series will then roll out in Europe and Canada plus key emerging territories in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa from Spring 2013.

The Macallan has unveiled The 1824 Series, a range showcasing two of its greatest strengths; oak sherry casks and natural colour.

Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan Whisky Maker, has created four expressions by identifying the natural colour formed during maturation in different casks types to create the character informed by these colours. The expressions are Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby, all names reflecting the actual colour of the whiskies in the range, but also describing naturally occurring minerals and metals.

This innovative approach to whisky making is the first to derive the final character from the natural colours drawn into The Macallan from the oak sherry casks over the years of maturation. It has allowed Bob Dalgarno to assess the broadest range of casks delivering an unrivalled range of natural colours.

Bob Dalgarno, Whisky Maker, The Macallan, said, “The Macallan world of colour is the true inspiration of the 1824 Series. Using colour to drive and define a whisky differs dramatically from the conventional age approach, allowing us to explore different casks and take a more flexible approach to our stock. We have been able to work creatively with the full range of matured stock available, rather than working to a pre-determined character based on age. For me, the key thought in this range is that a great single malt doesn’t need to be 30 years old to taste like a 30 year old.”

By drawing on his broadest range of skills in cask selection, Bob has been unshackled by the need to draw on casks selected first and foremost for their age. His expert skills ensure consistency through the effective management and selection of the casks which provide the spectrum of natural colour and character essential to The Macallan.

Macallan – Bringing you 2012 bottles of Diamond Jubilee Limited Edition

As anniversaries go, each one is rather special.  In fact it could even be said that each is slightly more special than the one before.  When it comes to royalty,

things are no different and to commemorate Her Majesty the Queen celebrating 60 years on the throne, Macallan have pulled out all the stops to mark this momentous

occasion.  With the release of only 2012 bottles of their limited edition Diamond Jubilee bottle, it would be fair to say that this will prove to be a most sought after bottling.  Read more here…

Scotch Whisky Centenary Research

Scotch Whisky is worth more than £4 billion to the Scottish economy and the industry has reached record levels of productivity, research published today reveals.

“Scotch Whisky & Scotland’s Economy – A 100 Year Blend” was commissioned by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) to mark its Centenary. The research by 4-consulting found that the industry is experiencing a second ‘golden age’.

Inward investment and the development of international markets have helped deliver spectacular performance last seen in the 1970s.  The total impact of Scotch Whisky on Scotland’s economy is £4.2 billion – £2.9 billion from the industry itself and £1.3 billion through the industry’s supply chain. It supports around 36,000 jobs in the industry and across the supply chain in Scotland. Productivity has accelerated to £275,000 for each industry employee. Scotch Whisky outperforms most other industries, with employees adding 57% more value per head than workers in the City of London.

By contrast, in 1912, when the SWA was founded, the industry employed 5,000 people in Scotland and generated £3 million in Gross Value Added (GVA).  Scotch Whisky continues to be the main contributor to the Scottish Government’s drive for export growth. Exports are worth more than £4 billion annually, ahead of refined petroleum at £3 billion and business services worth £2.5 billion. The research found that Scotch Whisky underpins the expansion of Scotland’s total international export markets, accounting for 55% of the growth since 2002.

The rising export value of Scotch Whisky is contributing to its success. Even during the current global downturn, the average value of each bottle exported has risen every year since 2007.  Investment in production and marketing by multinational and domestic companies with a global reach has given Scotch Whisky better access to international markets. According to the research, inward investment has restored the industry to the “spectacular performance” last seen in the 1970s. A further investment of £2 billion in Scotland in the next few years has been committed by Scotch Whisky producers.

The research also reveals the industry’s rich heritage. Scotch Whisky’s importance in helping rebuild the UK’s economy after World War II was noted in a draft white paper presented to Westminster by the Minister of Food in 1946. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1950 identified “one or two special items such as whisky” as established exports to North America.

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: “This new research is further evidence of the key role Scotch Whisky plays in the Scottish economy. The demand for Scotch Whisky is coming increasingly from the world’s fastest growing markets. In comparison with other Scottish industries, Scotch Whisky already enjoys an enviable export position across a wide spread of emerging economies.

“The report shows Scotch Whisky is likely to play an increasingly important role in Scotland’s export markets. The momentum of growth needs to be better nurtured by both the UK and Scottish Governments. Scotch Whisky underpins their ambitions for export-led recovery.”