TALISKER INTRODUCES NEW PORT-FINISHED SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Following the successful launch of TALISKER STORM™ in March, the famous Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Isle of Skye is now acquiring another new family member, this time enriched by double maturation in port cask wood.

It has been named TALISKER PORT RUIGHE™, after the principal town and port on the Isle of Skye, and as a tribute to the great Scottish trading-houses such as the Cockburns, Grahams and Symingtons who braved the high seas and were instrumental in the creation and global growth of the port wine trade.

TALISKER PORT RUIGHE combines the powerful smoky maritime character of Talisker with succulent sweet notes of rich berry fruits for a superb contrasting taste experience. (Full tasting notes)

Like the recently released Talisker Storm, TALISKER PORT RUIGHE is a permanent addition to the current core range of Talisker single malt whiskies. It is being introduced to offer Talisker consumers a further intriguing flavour dimension of this celebrated and distinctive island single malt whisky.

It will be available from mid-April 2013 in whisky specialist retailers in Western European markets. Talisker Port Ruighe will have a Recommended Retail Price at a premium of 20/25% to the price of Talisker 10 year old. It is bottled at the traditional Talisker strength of 45.8% ABV, without an age statement.

Master Blender Maureen Robinson explained:

“Talisker Port Ruighe is a combination of spirit that has been matured in American Oak and European Oak refill casks in the traditional manner along with spirit that has been filled into specially conditioned deeply charred casks.  The spirit is then finished in casks that have previously held Port Wine which  endows it with spicy fruit notes. These bond elegantly with that clean, fresh smokiness that signals its essential Talisker character.”

Talisker Distiller Manager Mark Lochhead added:

“Talisker lovers are getting spoiled this spring! After Talisker Storm, which has been very well received, we’re now offering a contrasting taste experience that will intrigue whisky drinkers who enjoy a hint of aromatic fruit and richness with their Talisker smoke. It’s still very much a true Talisker, but from a different, memorable angle.”

Talisker Port Ruighe

TALISKER OPENS DOORS TO VISITORS AFTER £1MILLION REVAMP

THE world-famous Talisker Distillery on the Isle of Skye has opened its doors to its spectacular new visitor centre following a £1million redevelopment.

Talisker’s new Visitors Centre

Distillery manager Mark Lochhead officially opened the new centre in time for the Easter tourist season following a major revamp and expansion of the distillery’s visitor facilities.

Talisker is the only distillery on Skye and is a leading tourist attraction on the island, welcoming almost 60,000 visitors last year. The major investment has significantly extended the visitor centre and dramatically enhanced the offering for visitors to the iconic distillery.

Mark Lochhead said:

“We are absolutely delighted with the investment we have made here at Talisker and with the new facilities we have created. Talisker is going from strength to strength as a brand and the distillery is growing in popularity with people coming from all over the world to visit the home of our iconic single malt.

“The new visitor centre gives us a wonderful stage to tell the story of Talisker with its rich history and heritage and also to give our visitors a really high quality experience which matches the unique whisky we make here.

“We are also delighted for the local economy here on Skye. This investment has seen a significant number of contractors staying in the area benefiting local businesses and the increasing tourism will also have a great knock-on effect for local businesses.”

The investment has seen the creation of a new welcome area for visitors and a spectacular enhanced viewing gallery in one of the distillery warehouses. New tasting rooms have also been created in which visitors can savour Talisker™ single malt Scotch whisky in surroundings which reflect the heritage and provenance of the whisky.

Diageo operates 28 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, more than any other company, and with 12 of these having dedicated visitor centres it is also the leading provider of whisky tourism facilities, welcoming over 270,000 visitors last year. These include the homes of some of Diageo’s iconic Scotch whisky brands such as Glenkinchie, Oban, Lagavulin, Dalwhinnie, Royal Lochnagar and Cardhu.

Talisker is Diageo’s busiest distillery visitor centre welcoming  59,767 people in 2012- up by more than 10 per cent from 54,303 in 2011.

Talisker is also one of Diageo’s leading single malt Scotch whiskies in terms of sales performance, delivering net sales growth of 20% in the company’s recent half year results.

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DIAGEO ANNOUNCES NEW DISTILLERY LOCATION IN HIGHLANDS, AND MAJOR INVESTMENT IN SPEYSIDE WHISKY PRODUCTION

Diageo has today (3 April 2013) announced Teaninich near Alness in the Highlands as the location for its plans to build a new malt whisky distillery.

The company also announced a major new phase of expansion to its Scotch whisky production in the Speyside area.  All of this activity is a key milestone of the £1bn five-year investment plan which was launched last year.

Brand new distillery

The new distillery, which will create up to 20 new Diageo jobs, will be adjacent to the company’s existing Teaninich distillery but will have its own name and identity. It involves an investment in the region of £50 million and will have the capacity to produce around 13 million litres of spirit per annum (mla) from 16 copper stills. An on-site bio-energy plant will also be constructed to convert co-products into green energy to power the distillery.

Expansion of Teaninich

At the same time, Diageo also plans to invest £12 million in expanding the existing Teaninich distillery to almost double its capacity. The single malt whisky produced at the new distillery and at the expanded Teaninich distillery will be used in a range of Diageo’s world-leading blended Scotch whisky brands.

Expansion of Mortlach

Full planning applications will be submitted to Highland Council and the company hopes to be in a position to begin work on the new distillery in 2014. Diageo also announced plans to invest around £30million in new production facilities in Speyside, including a project to substantially increase the capacity of the Mortlach distillery at Dufftown. This will involve the building of a new stillhouse, which will replicate the unusual partial-triple distillation process which makes Mortlach unique.

Bio-energy plant at Glendullan

Another element of the investment will be the construction of a new plant at Glendullan to process co-products in an anaerobic digestion process, producing bio-gas which will be used to power the Glendullan distillery. This new plant is an important element of future distillery expansion plans on Speyside as it creates the capacity to process the extra co-products which will result from increased Scotch whisky production.

Other recent Diageo investments in Scotch whisky

These developments build on recent Diageo investments in Speyside totalling in excess of £40m, including distillery expansion and upgrade projects at Linkwood, Mannochmore, Glendullan, Dailuaine, Benrinnes, Inchgower, Cragganmore, Glen Elgin and new bio-energy plants at Dailuaine & Glenlossie.

Elsewhere in Scotland, as part of the £1bn investment programme, the company is progressing plans for a major expansion of Glen Ord Distillery, near Muir of Ord and is progressing with construction of new warehousing at Cluny near Kirkcaldy.

Diageo comments

Brian Higgs, Diageo Malt Distilling Director, said: “We are delighted to announce the next phase of investment in expanding our Scotch whisky production capacity in Scotland.

“All three sites we considered for the new malt distillery were excellent potential locations but after detailed investigations Teaninich came out just ahead in terms of the many complex logistics required when planning such a development.

“It is a significant investment for the local economy around Alness and we look forward to working positively with Highland Council and the local community as we progress our plans.”

In relation to the latest Speyside investment Brian Higgs added: “Mortlach is one of Diageo’s most important malt whisky distilleries, producing the finest quality single malt used in our world-leading blended Scotch whiskies.  We are delighted to be able to develop and expand this distillery.

“Along with the plans for the new bio-plant, our financial investment in Speyside is the equivalent to building a new distillery and with other expansion work already underway, the Moray economy is benefiting significantly from Diageo’s investment in Scotch whisky distillation.”

Bryan Donaghey, Managing Director, Diageo Scotland, said: “This announcement is a significant milestone in our £1 billion investment programme in Scotland to support the global growth of our Scotch whisky brands.   The plans also demonstrate Diageo’s commitment to building a sustainable business through investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.”

See Note  on Diageo and Scotland

TALISKER LAUNCHES ITS BOLDEST WHISKY TO DATE: TALISKER STORM

Talisker™, the famous Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Isle of Skye, is to have a new family member.

TALISKER STORM™ is an exuberant new expression of Talisker, calculated to delight and intrigue the many adorers of this celebrated island whisky: more intense and smoky, with enhanced and vibrant maritime notes,  smoothly balanced with Talisker’s signature hot sweetness.

It will be available early 2013 through domestic retail channels and whisky specialists in selected European markets.

Full gold in appearance, and assembled by Diageo’s master blenders from both rejuvenated and refill casks at different ages to deliver a perfect balance of vibrant distillery character and smoother woody richness, it is bottled at the traditional Talisker strength of 45.8% ABV, without an age statement.

The consensus among early tasters reads:

‘The sweet warmth and briny, peppery finish that are the symbol of the Talisker character have been carefully accentuated through a skilful blend of differing aged Talisker casks. The profound maritime character achieves a deeper intensity, like a warm welcome from a wild Hebridean sea.”

In price terms Talisker Storm sits between the Talisker 10 year old and the Talisker Distillers Edition expressions.

How the whisky makers developed this stormy new addition to an already celebrated family of highly distinctive single malt whiskies  is explained by Master Blender Dr Jim Beveridge:

“We wanted to focus on distillery character  -  the bedrock of Talisker Storm. So we sought out some great mature Talisker, enriched and mellowed by time spent in carefully rejuvenated casks, and brought that together with some very fresh distillery character preserved by maturation in refill casks. The result is Talisker’s unique distillery character delivered by aged, mature whiskies, integrated in one vibrant dram.”

Talisker Distiller Manager Mark Lochhead added:

 “Any new member of the Talisker family has a lot to live up to and I am proud to say that Talisker Storm does just that. The distinctive whisky we create with such passion and care here on Skye speaks very boldly of the dramatic island where it was born. Everyone here is delighted at the skill with which our malt masters have put together this vivacious new Talisker. Talisker Storm is indeed the right name for it!”

Further exciting new expressions of Talisker will be launched later in 2013.

Click for full tasting notes.

The TALISKER™ and TALISKER STORM™ word and associated logos are trademarks © Diageo 2013

DIAGEO’S SCOTTISH ARCHIVE TO EXPAND

Diageo has announced plans to invest £1.5 million in expanding and enhancing the company’s global brand archive in Clackmannanshire.

The Diageo Archive at Menstrie is the largest collection of its kind in the world, consisting of more than half a million items. The collection includes documents, advertising material, bottles, books and memorabilia relating to global brands such as Johnnie Walker, Bell’s, Smirnoff, Gordon’s and Tanqueray.

The expansion project will include a new storage facility and a new reception and library area for hosting visitors to the archive. Each year hundreds of Diageo employees from around the world visit Menstrie to learn about the history and heritage of the brands for which they work. The archive is also a key source of inspiration for innovation and the development of new products and marketing campaigns.

Christine McCafferty, who has managed the Diageo Archive for the past 15 years – and who oversaw the relocation of the archive to Menstrie in 2001 – said the plans marked an exciting new phase for the flourishing facility.

She said: “The Diageo Archive is has been carefully and lovingly built over many years and is a living record of the tradition and heritage of brands which are famous around the globe.

“Diageo has the world’s leading collection of premium drinks brands and with new marketing campaigns, new bottles and new packaging being developed all the time our collection is continually expanding. I am absolutely delighted that the company is prepared to invest in developing and expanding our home here in Menstrie, securing the future of this global facility in central Scotland.”

Over 400 years of history

Although the Diageo Archive is 23 years old it holds more than 405 years of history and heritage on Diageo brands, companies, people and sites – including Diageo’s 28 malt distilleries in Scotland.

It contains material on more than 1500 brands, 200 Production Sites and 150 markets and includes more than 10,000 bottles and 12,000 adverts, all of which record the evolution of the brands.

The Archive is currently served by a team of five professional Archivists who are recognised experts not just in the care of materials, but the history and heritage of the company’s brands and they remain committed to expanding their collection of material from around d the world.

“Diageo’s ongoing commitment to the history and heritage of our brands is hugely encouraging and further demonstrates the integral role we have in terms of increasing brand knowledge and passion within the business, to inspiring innovation and design,” added Christine.

“As the demand for our brands grows worldwide and there is an increasing requirement to protect brand identities and trade-marks, the work we do here in Menstrie remains as relevant and essential as it did when we started in 1990.”

The Diageo Archive facility in Menstrie opened in June 2001 and although it is not open to the general public, a selection of the archive material is always on display at the company’s distillery visitor centres around Scotland. The archive also contributes regularly to public displays, including a recent exhibition at the Scottish Parliament to mark the centenary of the Scotch Whisky Association.

Diageo has submitted a planning application to Clackmannanshire Council for permission to extend and re-develop the archive, which is part of the company’s Technical Centre complex at Menstrie.

‘MALT WHISKY AND PLACE’ DEBATE: LONDON GASTRONOMY SEMINAR, 30TH JANUARY 2013

London-based colleagues may be interested to know about this forthcoming event arranged by The London Gastronomy Seminars. It is at 6:30pm, on Wednesday 30^th January 2013 (approximate duration two hours), at Senate House, University of London.

It will be a discussion, chaired by eminent wine & drinks writer Andrew Jefford.  Representatives from two of the leading Islay distilleries, Bruichladdich and Lagavulin, will each to present their case as to how and why their whisky is distinctive.

The aim will not be to ‘prove’ that ‘terroir exists’ or doesn’t exist for Single Malt Scotch Whisky, but to understand where the differences come from.

Speakers will be Georgie Crawford (Site Operations Manager, Lagavulin Distillery), Jim McEwan (Production Director and Head Distiller, Bruichladdich Distillery), and Dr Nick Morgan (Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo).

Tickets are being sold at £12. Full details can be found at: http://www.londongastronomyseminars.com/upcoming.htm

And also on Facebook.

DIAGEO PLANS FOR GLEN ORD DISTILLERY EXPANSION

Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business, will this week submit a planning application for the expansion of the Glen Ord distillery near Muir of Ord.

The planning application, which will be submitted to Highland Council, is the latest step in Diageo’s £1billion investment plan to expand Scotch whisky production capacity over the next five years, which was announced by Diageo in June.

As part of the investment programme Diageo plans to expand around half of its existing 28 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, as well as building at least one new single malt distillery.

Glen Ord is a key distillery for Diageo, producing spirit for its world-leading portfolio of blended Scotch whiskies, as well as for The Singleton of Glen Ord single malt Scotch whisky.

Glen Ord Distillery: condensers

Under the plans being submitted this week, the distillery will see the installation of 10 new washbacks (vessels for the fermentation process) and six new copper stills. This adds to the 10 washbacks and six stills which the distillery currently has and will add to the production capacity by around 5million litres of alcohol per annum. This will take the overall capacity of the distillery to over 10mla. The new washbacks and stills will be housed in existing buildings at the distillery.

An additional mash-tun will be installed as part of the investment.

Brian Higgs, Diageo’s Director of Malt Distilling, said: “Earlier this year Diageo announced plans to invest £1bn in expanding its whisky production business in Scotland in order to meet growing global demand for our brands.

“Over the next few months we will be bringing forward a number of planning applications to increase capacity at our existing distilleries and the Glen Ord expansion is an important part of that programme.”

Kirsty Dagnan, Senior Site Manager of Glen Ord Distillery, also welcomed the investment plan for the distillery.

She said: “I’m delighted that Glen Ord distillery will benefit as part of Diageo’s plan to invest in Scotland and I’m particularly pleased that the local economy will also have the opportunity to benefit from the work we plan to carry out here.

“We will be working closely with the local authority and consulting carefully with the local community in the weeks ahead as we follow the planning application process.”

Glen Ord Distillery has already benefited from significant investment by Diageo in recent years. In 2011 Diageo invested over £3million to increase the capacity of the distillery by around a million litres by installing additional washbacks.

Last month Diageo submitted Proposal of Application Notices (PANs) in relation to three possible sites for a new distillery, although no final decision has been taken on the location. The sites identified for possible development are Teaninich, Ross-shire, and Glendullan and Inchgower, both on Speyside. All three locations are adjacent to existing Diageo distilleries.