Distillery 23
New Malt Launch From GlenWyvis Distillery
GlenWyvis Distillery Launches Its Second Single Malt Scotch Whisky
GlenWyvis Distillery – The world’s first community-owned distillery – has announced the launch of its second three-year-old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Batch two of the Dingwall-based distillery’s 2018 vintage distillation, known as Batch 02/18, follows the launch of its inaugural release whisky in December 2021 and will be available to purchase from 29th June 2022.
8,000 bottles will be available in total, and can be purchased directly from GlenWyvis Distillery’s website, with shareholders given early access, or from selected specialist retailers in Scotland and the UK. A number of bottles will also be available for purchase in Germany, where GlenWyvis Distillery’s largest non-UK shareholder base is.
Five per cent of online sales from GlenWyvis Distillery’s website will go directly to the GoodWill Fund; a fund that will benefit community projects and good causes in the Dingwall and Ross-shire area.
Speaking about the launch, Matthew Farmer, GlenWyvis Distillery Manager, said: “Following the success of our inaugural release – the first whisky produced in Dingwall for almost 100 years – I’m delighted to welcome batch two to the GlenWyvis Distillery family!
“Batch two was created from 23 casks between three and four years old, consisting of 15 first-fill ex-Tennessee/Bourbon, five first-fill ex-Oloroso and three refill Hogsheads. 02/18 has noticeably more oak influence and a deeper colour than our first whisky, while still letting our unique spirit shine through. I hope everyone enjoys getting to know our distillery character.”
GlenWyvis Distillery’s inaugural release whisky was in high demand, selling out via pre-order almost immediately. Since then, the small team has been working hard to deliver an equally sought-after second offering.
Board Chairman, David Graham added: “Congratulations to the team on the launch of GlenWyvis Batch Two Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky! For such a small team at the distillery, they really punch above their weight, and I am very proud of what they have achieved.
“Dingwall is well and truly back on the whisky making map!”
For further information, stockist details or to purchase GlenWyvis Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 02/18, please visit: www.glenwyvis.com
RESTORATION FOR GLEN GARIOCH’S DISTILLERY
BEAM SUNTORY TO INVEST IN £6 MILLION RESTORATION AND UPGRADE OF GLEN GARIOCH’S DISTILLERY IN OLDMELDRUM
16 March 2021 – Beam Suntory, a leading global premium spirits company, is making a significant £6 million investment in Glen Garioch’s renowned distillery in Oldmeldrum. The renovation will see the distillery return to more traditional production processes, while also introducing new cutting-edge technology for direct-fired distillation. The planned changes will also reduce the distillery’s carbon footprint. Work began in 2020, and various stages are expected to be completed over the course of 2021.
The cornerstone of this transformation will be the reintroduction of floor maltings as well as the installation of direct-fired heating to the wash still – traditional methods still used by only a handful of whisky distilleries. The return to these traditional processes is a sign of Glen Garioch’s deep respect for its rich heritage, as well as the complexity and quality of its small batch, hand-crafted Highland single malt.
To complement this return to tradition, Glen Garioch has developed a state-of-the-art, highly efficient and safe method for direct fired distillation, which Beam Suntory anticipates will reduce the distillery’s carbon footprint by around 15%.
The first new make spirit will come off the stills later in 2021.
Kwanele Mdluli, Distillery Manager, commented: “We are proud to make this investment in Glen Garioch’s historic distillery, and we’re excited about the future. Although these traditional distilling and malting methods are rare in today’s industry, our teams have deep expertise and passion for these methods, and we’re all looking forward to bringing them back to our distillery. We are honoured to be a part of Glen Garioch’s long tradition of innovation and quality craftsmanship.”
Francois Bazini, Beam Suntory’s Managing Director – Scotch, Gin & Irish, added: “Coming from one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, Glen Garioch is a rare find – a complex, hearty Highland malt, produced only in small batches. Our whisky has always been made with extraordinary care, and by reinvigorating its distillery and tapping into the brand’s rich history, we’ll be able to build on the quality and complexity that Glen Garioch is already known for. Although we’re looking to the past for inspiration – we’re opening the next chapter in Glen Garioch’s future.”
Entrepreneur News in Conjunction With Glen Scotia
Glen Scotia Whisky Joins Great British Entrepreneur Awards as Partner
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards is delighted to announce Glen Scotia as its first Entrepreneurial Spirit Partner.
The scotch whisky brand, owned by Loch Lomond Group, is one of the few Campbeltown distilleries to have maintained production from the heady days of the 1830s when the region was known as the whisky capital of the world.
The brand continues to enjoy success, now backed by centuries of craftsmanship and experience and its award-winning whiskies are renowned for their distinctive maritime influence and Campbeltown character.
The partnership will see Glen Scotia sponsor the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. GBEA and Glen Scotia will also recognise and reward a business owner who has shown particular entrepreneurial spirit each month.
Founded in 2013, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards acknowledges the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and businesses in the United Kingdom. Central to its ethos is being more than just ‘an awards ceremony’ – it’s a sense of community, and a thriving ecosystem of support all year round that provide opportunities for winners and finalists to connect and showcase their business.
Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “I’m delighted to announce this new and unique partnership with Glen Scotia. It has an incredibly long and inspiring entrepreneurial journey behind it, and I’m thrilled they share our passion for supporting entrepreneurs and celebrating their achievements.”
John Grieveson, Chief Marketing Officer at Glen Scotia, said: “The early entrepreneurial spirit shown by our founders back in 1832 is embedded in Glen Scotia’s DNA. Back then, our founders, along with many others at the time, rode the wave of entrepreneurialism seen in Campbeltown in the early 1800s, harnessing the abundance of natural resources needed to produce quality Scotch Whisky, as well as new technology including steam navigation which meant that whisky could be shipped directly to Glasgow in under nine hours from what is still one of the most remote parts of Scotland’s mainland.
“We’re proud to be one of the three surviving distilleries from this boom-town era, which has only been achieved by our ability to innovate and adapt the business over the centuries. Our new partnership with the GBEA is therefore very fitting, and we are very much looking forward to working with them to support the new generation of British entrepreneurs.”
Cairngorms Distillery News From Gordon and MacPhail
Gordon & MacPhail Unveils The Cairn
Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled the brand for its new distillery being built in the Cairngorms National Park.
The distillery is to be named The Cairn, reflecting its stunning location overlooking the Cairngorm mountains, at the gateway to Speyside.
The family owned whisky specialists were granted planning permission for the new distillery last year and work started on site in July this year.
Unveiling the new brand Ian Chapman, Brands Director said: “We have put the consumer right at the heart of the process of creating the brand, as we have with the design of the distillery itself. We wanted to make sure it was clearly Scottish, but easy for consumers to pronounce and to spell. This will be particularly important for our international markets when English is not the first language.
“We also had to be mindful of Benromach, our other distillery. We wanted the new brand to complement, not compete.”
Benromach is positioned as a traditional, hand crafted brand so the new brand had to broadly occupy more contemporary territory.
Working with Glasgow based branding agency Good, the company cast its net wide looking for ideas for a name, asking staff and shareholders for suggestions. More than 300 ideas were eventually whittled down to a shortlist which met select criteria.
As well as the name, the identity needed to have icons and graphical elements to make it unmistakable for non-English speaking consumers. An icon has been developed to symbolise the brand; the fragmented shape representing the coming together of many pieces to form a cairn. The typography used for the words “The Cairn” is ultra-modern and premium, yet it is complemented by the use of a Serif font for the word “Distillery” to represent contemporary craft cues that imply heritage and legacy.
Ian Chapman added; “The brand is eye-catching and contemporary and the approach to develop it put the consumer at the centre of our thinking. It is the same approach we have taken to designing The Cairn Distillery itself. The modern building takes advantage of the outstanding views across the River Spey to the Cairngorms and has been designed with the customer at the centre of the experience.”
Scheduled to open in spring 2022, The Cairn Distillery will include a visitor experience, tasting rooms, retail space and coffee shop.
Laphroaig Announces Second Ian Hunter Instalment
Laphroaig® Unveils the Second Instalment In The Ian Hunter Series
Introducing Book Two of The Ian Hunter Story™, A Rare Collectable in Laphroaig®’s Series of Super-Premium Whiskies
Following the huge success and popularity of Ian Hunter Book One, Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig has announced the second instalment in the fascinating Ian Hunter Story™ that continues to honour the legacy of the icon and last founding member of the Johnston family to run the Laphroaig® Distillery.
The Ian Hunter Story™ will consist of five annual releases, the first of which was launched in 2019, set into beautifully crafted books that document the story of Ian’s incredibly rich legacy. Every year a new chapter is unveiled, uncovering the extensive history behind Laphroaig® and the characters who created it.
Following on from Book One: ‘Unique Character’, Book Two is entitled ‘Building an Icon’ and is limited to just four hundred cases, meaning this incredibly rare liquid will be a highly sought after collectable from whisky enthusiasts all over the world.
This collection is unlike any other and one that is sure to be treasured by Laphroaig® passionate fans across the world.
Ian Hunter: Book Two
With Book One reflecting on Ian Hunter’s formidable character, Book Two is dedicated to the hours of tireless work Ian Hunter committed to the Laphroaig® brand whilst at the helm. Matured in Sherry casks for 30 years, this non-chill filtered whisky is beautifully rounded with a combination of sweet, spiced and medicinal notes. Ian’s innovative approach to whisky-making is especially notable here, resulting in Laphroaig®’s iconic signature flavour: complex, smokey and often polarizing.
For whisky lovers who have always wondered who built the undeniably iconic Laphroaig® distillery on a craggy shore on the Isle of Islay, the latest chapter of the Ian Hunter Story™ answers that very question. Who else but Ian Hunter? The second book of Ian’s story is dedicated to his tireless work building Laphroaig®’s distillery and infrastructure, and therefore, Laphroaig®’s icon.
The latest instalment delves deeper into Ian’s innovation in the very fabric of the distillery. Having introduced American oak, ex-Bourbon barrels to the maturation process, Ian realised the distillery itself would have to expand to keep pace with the changes he was to make. Although he may not have realised it at the time, Ian’s expansion of the Laphroaig® distillery would one day become a worldwide icon.
Ian’s tireless work on building the Laphroaig®’s iconic infrastructure ensured that the exquisite and distinctive whisky, that matures gently inside the warehouse while drawing on the flavour of the wood and breathing in the stormy Atlantic climate over 30 years, reaches its friends the world over.
The legendary Ian Hunter
At times polarising but highly regarded and loved by those who knew him best, Ian Hunter is one of the most important figures in the history of single malt whisky. His influence on Islay – one of the most famous whisky-producing regions – cannot be overstated.
Ian joined the distillery in 1908 as the youngest member of the Johnston family. His relatives, the brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston had founded the distillery in 1815. His arrival had a lasting legacy on the distillery that is still used to this day as he is credited with doubling the production and successfully exporting Laphroaig® whisky around the world.
One of his biggest successes was managing to sell Laphroaig® to America during Prohibition. Ian managed to do this by leveraging the spirit’s unique character, which meant that it could be sold for medicinal purposes.
John Campbell, Laphroaig® distillery manager, comments: “You cannot enjoy Laphroaig®’s exquisitely smokey and complex liquid, without paying homage to the legendary Ian Hunter. His influence in our whisky production techniques and our iconic brand as a whole is undeniable. The second book in our Ian Hunter Story™ celebrates his legacy in shaping Laphroaig® to what it is today.”
The limited edition whisky will be available from selected retailers for an RRP of £760.
