Emma Gibbs’ Post

Part 2 is up! In the second article about Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery, I discuss the distillery shop, yet another hand-fill experience, and the importance of Pitilie Burn. I also sum up my final thoughts on visiting Aberfeldy. Let's just say...I would highly recommend it. https://lnkd.in/ehby4dk6

Read my newest review of Savage & Cooke Distillery! Savage & Cooke

Irish Whiskey - like a phoenix from the ashes! (Part 1) I have been following developments in Irish whiskey with great interest for over ten years. The situation of Irish whiskey has been quite challenging in the past. In 1974/75, four out of six distilleries were closed, with only Bushmills and Midelton surviving. In the following 12 years or so, the situation remained unchanged. In 1987, John Teeling opened another distillery, the Cooley Distillery. A fourth was added in 2003 with the West Cork Distillery. In 2007, John Teeling reopened the Kilbeggan (Locke) Distillery. As a result of the global whisk(e)y boom and the growing craft distillery scene, whiskey production in Ireland became increasingly attractive. New distilleries emerged and old brands were revitalised. Today, 61 whiskey distilleries are once again active in Ireland and a further 28 distilleries are in planning or under construction. Even if the whisky market is currently weakening somewhat, we are confident that the diversity of Irish whiskey will remain for a long time to come. Graphics of the Irish whiskey distilleries see part 2 The Whisky Map app makes it easy to discover and collate facts, figures and details about whisk(e)y. #https://lnkd.in/dzBS8UuY

White Peak Distillery Releases Wire Works Whisky English Oak Award-winning Derbyshire Distillery White Peak is winding the clock back for its final release of the year. Award-winning Derbyshire Distillery White Peak is winding the clock back for its final release of the year. The launch of Wire Works Whisky English Oak marks the first time the Distillery will be launching a limited edition off line, asking whisky-lovers to support bricks-and-mortar and their retail partners on the challenged high street. https://lnkd.in/gfA_G4tY

Zooming in on the Distillerie Poisson, started in 1860, the smallest of 5 located on the island of Marie Galante: Distillerie Poisson (Poisson = "fish" in French) makes the brand Pere Labat. The distillery was purchased in 2007 by J.C. Brot, who was born and raised in a family with a long history in Guadeloupe and Marie Galante proper. Culturally, on these islands, making rum is seen as a high achievement and JC always dreamed of being a rhum maker. The distillery employs 17 people and manages about 250 hectares of land, some of which is cultivated with cane that feeds the distillery, while much of the cane is bought from small planters to maintain good relationships with the local Planteurs. Being a French territory, working hours are highly regulated (35hr/week, 5 weeks off per year). The teams is working from 7am to 1pm Mondays to Fridays and 7am to noon on Saturdays. Distillation occurs from Feb to July. The facility is not large or glamorous; it's rusty, it's beat-up, it experiences a lot of daily operational challenges which causes frequent repairs and maintenance issues. Despite these conditions, the distillery continues to produce super high-quality booze, experimenting with aging in various types of casks, including ground cru white Burgundy and Mouton etc... The fermentation process lasts 72 hours and is inoculated. The 2 "Creoles" columns, one from 1955 the other from 1977 are all copper and consist of 15 plates - 11 stripping plates and four concentrating plates. White rhum flows out of the stills at 70.7% alcohol by volume and eventually entering casks at around 63%. The distillery makes about 1,500 liters of booze per day and sells about 40K cases a year (3/4 to the French market, the rest sold internationally). The distillery's operation is deeply intertwined with the local community; some planteurs have scheduled appointments to deliver their cane, other randomly show up. The unpredictable supply of sugar cane from the small local planteurs reflects the totally artisanal nature of its production. The island's hot (temp typically varies between 74 and 95 F) and humid conditions contribute to about 7+% annual evaporation in casks, more than twice the evaporation typical in the Cognac or Armagnac regions of mainland France.

Whisky giant Chivas Brothers has revealed plans to build a new distillery on the isle of Islay. It will be the first time the Scotch maker, which is responsible for single malts such as Aberlour and The Glenlivet, has had a presence on the island. An application has been submitted to Argyll and Bute Council for a site at Gartbreck Farm in Bowmore with a decision expected by late March. Islay is already one of Scotland's major whisky attractions with 10 distilleries including Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin. The oldest distillery on the island is Bowmore, which began operating in 1779 and is currently owned by the makers of American bourbon brand Jim Beam. Chivas Brothers are partnering with Islay Estates on the new distillery, which said it would work closely with the community so there was minimal impact to residents. Planning officials said the whisky makers hoped to make a "significant positive contribution" to Islay. Find out more via BBC https://lnkd.in/eMR5w7pP #ChivasBrothers #IslayWhisky #ScotchWhisky #WhiskyDistillery #SingleMalt #IslayDistilleries #WhiskyCommunity #Bowmore #WhiskyNews #ScotlandWhisky

Thankyou Rosemary Gallagher for your excellent piece. Producing a Scottish Rye Whisky as our first brand, RyeLaw, was a clear statement of intent. InchDairnie Distillery is all about flavour, something that I think is often lost when people talk about Scotch Whisky. Now that whisky is produced globally we need to get back to the basics, flavour and provenance. RyeLaw is a Scottish Rye Whisky which does not fit into the current legal definition and for that reason we have to put Grain Whisky on the front of the bottle. This is not very helpful when a Rye Whisky has a different flavour profile to a traditional Grain Whisky. This achieves the exact opposite of why the whisky categories were first developed. They were developed to better inform the consumer, we are now confusing the customer. InchDairnie is a Fife distillery producing a Fife Whisky from Fife cereals. InchDairnie will always be Fife and never just Lowland, another challenge for us.

Craft Distilling Expo - Birmingham - Regional Conference Friday 22nd November 2024 10am-6pm The Bond,  Digbeth, B5 5SE Our exciting list of speakers are confirmed! Keynote Speaker Daniel Szor of Cotswolds Distillery The founder of Cotswolds Distillery reflects on his past decade in the business and potential thoughts on the future. The Future of Powering Stills Scott Allen of Allen Associates Evolving safety and environmental considerations may mean a rethink for direct-fire stills; what are the potential options for the future? From Brewery to Distillery: The Next Steps Matthew Servini of The Craft Distilling Business The lure of brewers distilling one delicious liquid to make another is enduring. Discover some of the practical implications of making the dream a reality. 5 Ways to Cut the Cost of Goods Rosie Milsom Production development and logistic specialist Rosie Milsom presents a quick guide to five potentially overlooked ways to cut the cost of goods without sacrificing quality. Duty and Legal Update Alan Powell from The British Distillers Alliance An update on duty and legal issues under the new government, as well as a look at the potential impact of October’s budget announcements. Buying a Distillery Joe Barber of Stargazey Spirits First-hand insights into buying and (by extension) selling a distillery, and the pitfalls and opportunities to look out for. Sustainability and Whisky: Hand-in-Hand Abbie and Chris of Cooper King Distillery Key considerations when incorporating sustainability into your whisky business, whether your distillery is large, small, or yet to start. Maintaining Distillery Character through Planned, Careful Maturation Abhishek Banik of Copper Rivet Distillery A look at establishing and maintaining a house character and style for your whisky through careful cask management.  

I was honored to be interviewed by Susannah Skiver Barton for this piece. Although I hadn't expected my view to be among the few positive takeaways, after reviewing this insightful industry analysis, I agree: The craft distilling landscape has certainly shifted since the pandemic. When Lee and I started Durham Distillery in 2013, we did it with the full intent of being a unicorn – an American craft distillery focused on creating delicious and differentiated gins. Many craft distillers, however, whether for revenue needs with aged whiskeys or hoping to take a renaissance approach, wanted to do it all. But from a marketer's lens, that broad approach dilutes your brand identity and positioning. As the adage goes, "if you're doing everything, you're known for nothing." Now, without easy access to new distribution partners, the craft distilling industry has to get scrappier and double down on local and regional markets - a natural evolution mirroring what craft beer has gone through. In parallel, strategic partnerships are critical lifelines for those brands that aspire to long-term awareness with significant growth. For Conniption gin, Constellation Brands Ventures has been, and will continue to be, a voice of validation and enabler of growth that would otherwise be much harder or even, unattainable. I realize and acknowledge that our path has now diverged because of it. Make no mistake though, this market reset is already painful across the board, for decade-old distilleries and brand new ones alike. But hopefully this pruning is an opportunity to get refocused on what ignited our collective distilling passion in the first place. At Durham Distillery, that's meant going all-in on gin with a focused sales team and marketing partnerships with the goal of driving deeper penetration and velocity in our core markets. We're not trying to be a national brand right now because we know our dollars won't go far enough to penetrate or create that compound growth. For any craft distiller looking to emerge stronger, I advise the same approach. Reflect on your "why" - that distinctive essence that made you stand out in the first place. Then get laser-focused on nurturing that differentiator through targeted sales, marketing, and innovation efforts. The brands that survive this shakeout will be the ones who carved an unmistakable niche and relentlessly went after it. The game has changed, there's no denying that. But I remain energized about the future of craft distilling. This adversity is already sparking a renaissance of strategic discipline that will ultimately benefit both the industry and consumers who continue to seek authentic, passionately-crafted spirits. If we stay true to our roots while exercising a newly sharpened business mindset, craft distilling's best days still lie ahead. #gin #craftdistilling #distilling #spirits #americangin #adi #acsa

Have you heard of Auchlossan Whisky? Chances are the answer is no, and the reason is that they have just launched their inaugural release! It's a wonderful dram, launched in collaboration with Lost Loch Spirits Ltd and the Whisky Teuchter. Read my review on this single cask, sherry influenced 10 Year Old from the Miltonduff Distillery. #lostloch #whisky #whiskyreview #auchlossan #singlemalt