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The Bottler: Duncan Taylor & Co
| Established: 1938 |
| Silent since: False |
| Address: 4 Upperkirkgate, Huntly, Aberdeenshire AB54 8JU Scotland, UK |
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Duncan Taylor has its origins in Glasgow where the company was initially a merchant and broker of Scotch Whisky casks within the Industry. Devotion to the principle of providing only the finest casks to be filled at Scotland"s leading distilleries has been a key feature of the company"s history and this tradition of building an outstanding portfolio of only the finest scotch whiskies is being maintained to this day by the current owners.
When the company moved its headquarters to the North East of Scotland, close to Speyside - Scotland"s largest whisky producing region - it also took the decision to focus on the production and marketing of its own brands and to cease the "brokering" of whisky in cask form to Distillery companies and Independent bottlers.
Founded in 1938 and based in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in Scotland"s largest whisky producing region, Duncan Taylor & Co is renowned for the quality and range of its casks of rare auld single malt and single grain scotch whiskies.
Duncan Taylor & Company has ownership of one of the largest privately-held collections of rare scotch whisky casks. The company has been "laying down" casks from premium Scottish distilleries for decades and has, in recent years, made its branded products available to whisky connoisseurs throughout the World.
The basis of the current Duncan Taylor company was the collection of Mr. Abe Rosenberg and two of his brothers. In a partnership with Charlie Guttman he managed to make the J&B brand a huge success in the USA. He owned several companies, including (from the early 1960"s) Duncan Taylor & Co. Ltd., especially set up to obtain casks of Scotch (malt and grain) whisky. When Abe passed away in 1994 the company had collected almost 4,000 casks. The company was run by a trust for a number of years until Euan Shand and Alan Gordon bought Duncan Taylor in 2002. The business was relocated from New York to Huntly in Scotland and the brand quickly established itself on the malt whisky scene. A few of Duncan Taylor"s series are "Whisky Galore", "Peerless" and "Rarest of the Rare".
from Malt Madness, Duncan Taylor & Co
The Distillery: Tormore
| Established: 1960 |
| Silent since: False |
| Address: Grantown On Spey, Moray PH26 3LR, Scotland, UK |
2003 - A 12yo official bottling of Tormore (with a cobalt blue tube & label) is released. This bottling replaces the 10yo and 12yo official expression that were available in the 1990"s.
I can"t claim to be amongst the biggest fans of the single malts that are produced at the Tormore distillery in the heart of Speyside, but I have to admit it is one of the prettiest distilleries in the area. It"s also conveniently located along one of the main roads in this part of Speyside, so it would be perfect for a visit - if only they had a visitor centre... However, it seems the distillery doesn"t. Also, they"ve taken their site www.tormore.com off-line.
When construction of the Tormore distillery was started in 1958, the goal was to produce malt whisky for the various "Long John" blends. However, the Tormore malt soon became an ingredient for various Ballantine"s blends as well. Long John International was taken over by Whitbread & Co. in 1975, who passed on the Tormore distillery to Allied Distillers Ltd. in the same year. This was the start of three relatively uneventful decades until 2005 when Pernod Ricard purchased the owners Allied Domecq. The most remarkable events in this period were the introduction of the "Caledonian Malts" in 1991 by Allied, which included Glendronach, Miltonduff, Laphroaig and Tormore. In Allied"s alternative to Diageo"s succesful "Classic Malts" range, Tormore was later replaced with Scapa.
In 2005 Pernod Ricard bought Allied Domecq, strengthening its position on the whisky market. They transferred the management of the Tormore distillery to their subsidiary Chivas Brothers who released a 12 years old official bottling to replace the 10 years old version that had been available throughout the 1990"s. Around the year 2000 a 15 years old official bottling was released as well, but this expression is very rare and difficult to find. Independent bottlings of Tormore used to be extremely rare as well during the 20th century, but during the third millennium more independent bottlings were released - notably by Blackadder, Cadenhead"s, Douglas Laing and Signatory.
In 1972 the number of stills at Tormore was expanded from four to eight and the heating system was converted from coal to steam. And speaking of "heating".... When Tormore distillery was built a lot of attention was paid to the garden, which also includes a long, rectangular pond. The idea was that during winter time the traditional Scottish game of curling (a little bit like bowling on ice) could be played. However, the designers had forgotten all about the heat that would be generated by the still house - not to mention global warming. As a result, the first game of curling has yet to be played at Tormore.
In 1984 another change was made to the heating system of the stills, allowing them to be heated by burning wood chips - a by-product of the logging that took place in the pine forests of the area. This made Tormore distillery just a little bit "greener".
Well, they seem not all that keen on communicating with their customers. Somewhere along the line something must have gone wrong, because the official bottlings from the 1980"s mostly do very well on the MMMonitor and it wasn"t until the 1990"s that the quality started to drop. The independent bottlers managed to find the occasional gem , but the OB"s were mediocre.
The Tormore distillery was founded as recently as 1960, circa half a mile from the river Spey. When construction began in 1958 it was one of the first new distillery to be built in the area in the 20th century. Long John International commissioned Sir Albert Richardson to design the distillery that now has the status of "listed building". The buildings are made of granite and a clock on the premises plays four different Scottish songs every quarter of an hour. An entire village of workers houses was built in the same style; it was sold in 2004 for £550,000. The hedges in the garden are clipped in the shape of stills or bells.
I"d like to finish this profile with a few words about the technical specifications of Tormore. The malted barley that is used to make Tormore is lightly peated. Each still has a purifier to make the spirit lighter and these days the whisky is matured mostly in ex-Bourbon casks - which would also produce a relatively "light" whisky. Tormore has one lauter mash tun and eight washbacks, all made of stainless steel. Even though some casks are stored at the distillery, filling of the casks takes place in one of the other facilities of Chivas Brothers in the area.
In The New Millenium
2005 - Chivas Brothers buys Allied Domecq and becomes the new owner of the Tormore distillery. Chivas Brothers is a subsidiary of drinks conglomerate Pernod Ricard - so this acquisition means that their market share has increased.
Trivia:
- Many people consider Tormore to be the first newly built distillery of the 20th century because Glen Keith (1958) and Tullibardine (1949) both used existing buildings.
- A time capsule in the shape of a pot still (containing glasses, a large bottle of the Long John blend, the names of the Tormore staff in 1960, a history of the clans, samples of barley, local water and cask staves, etc.) is buried on the distillery grounds. The aim is to open the capsule in 2060, a century after the distillery was officially founded.
- In the river Spey near the Tormore distillery, one of the few remaining beds of freshwater pearl mussels can be found. The fact that the mussels have managed to survive in these waters proves that the water of the Spey river is still relatively pure. Elsewhere, pollution has driven these pearl mussels to extinction. The existence of the bed of pearls has given Tormore its nickname, "the Pearl of Speyside".
from Malt Madness
The Owner: Chivas Brothers
| Established: 1801 |
| Silent since: False |
| Address: Strathisla Distillery, Seafield Avenue, Keith, Banffshire, AB55 5BS, United Kingdom |
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Chivas Regal is a blended Scotch whisky produced by Chivas Brothers, owned by Pernod Ricard. According to the brand packaging, Chivas Brothers was first established in 1801 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Chivas brand"s home is Strathisla Distillery at Keith, Moray in Speyside, Scotland. It is the market leading Scotch whisky aged 12 years and above in Europe and Asia Pacific. Chivas Regal sales have grown by 61% between 2002 and 2008.
In the early 1900s, Chivas Brothers decided to create their most aged blended Scotch whisky to export to the U.S, where the booming economy after the turn of the century was fueling demand for luxury goods. The whisky was named Chivas Regal.
Chivas Regal 25 Year Old was launched in 1909 as the original luxury Scotch, and became a leading brand in the U.S. Chivas Regal continued its success until prohibition in the 1920s.
In 1843, Chivas Brothers were granted a Royal Warrant to supply goods to Queen Victoria. Chivas Brothers was described in 1890 as "undoubtedly the finest purveying business in the north of Scotland" by "Scotland of Today" magazine.
During the 1850s, James Chivas decided to respond to his affluent customers" demands for a smoother whisky, by beginning to blend whiskies to create a proprietary blend to Chivas Brothers. Their first blended Scotch whisky named "Royal Glen Dee" was launched, followed in the 1860s by their second blended Scotch whisky, "Royal Strathythan".
The House of Schivas, a large mansion, was built at Schivas in Aberdeenshire in 1640. The name is derived from the Gaelic "seamhas", meaning narrow place.
Chivas Brothers traces its roots to the opening of a grocery store at 13 King St, Aberdeen in 1801. The store sold luxury foodstuffs such as coffee, exotic spices, French brandies, and Caribbean rums to a wealthy clientele. In 1842, Chivas Brothers were retained to supply provisions to the royal family at Balmoral Castle upon Queen Victoria"s first visit to Scotland.
Chivas Regal was purchased by Seagrams in 1949, which provided a much wider distribution and marketing system.
Chivas Regal was re-launched as Chivas Regal 12 year old in the US following the disruption of both Prohibition and World War II. Chivas became a fashionable brand of the era, and became associated with Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack. Chivas Regal was the Scotch whisky requested by Sinatra, along with other spirits brands backstage at performances, and Chivas sponsored Frank Sinatra"s Diamond Jubilee Tour in 1990.
The Strathisla distillery is owned by Chivas Brothers, and Strathisla Single Malt is one of the malt whiskies used within the Chivas Regal blend.
Strathisla Single Malts have a natural sweetness and help to define the taste of Chivas Regal.
In 1950, the company Chivas Brothers was able to buy the Strathisla Distillery which produces the Strathisla Single Malt, which is used within the Chivas Regal blend.
The Chivas Regal range was expanded with the launch of higher aged whiskies, in 1997 with the launch of Chivas Regal 18 year old, and in 2007 with the launch of Chivas Regal 25.
Chivas Regal was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2000 upon the break up of Seagrams Group.
The home of Chivas Regal and location of its visitor centre is located at the Strathisla distillery. The distillery was founded in 1786, and is the oldest working distillery in the Highlands of Scotland - Strathisla Distillery, located in Speyside.
from Wikipedia
The Owner: Pernod Ricard
| Established: 1975 |
| Silent since: False |
| Address: 12, place des Etats-Unis, 75783 Paris Cedex-16, France |
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HELLO WORLD!!! Pernod Ricard owns a wide variety of brands including: Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Seagram"s, Pernod absinthe, Absolut, Ricard pastis, Martell cognac, Jaconb"s Creek wine, pernod anise, Havana Club rum, Ballantine"s scotch, Kahlue, Malibu rum, Beefeater gun, Stolichnaya vodka, Mumm champagne and more.
Pernod Ricard came into existence when old rivals Pernod and Ricard merged to form Pernod Ricard S.A.. Ricard was founded 1932 in Marseille by Paul Ricard. Pernod started with Henri-Louis Pernod who opened his first absinthe distillery in Switzerland in 1797, followed by Maison Pernod Fils in Pontarlier. In 1926 these distilleries merged with Distillerie Hernard in Paris to form Les Etablissements Pernod.
After the 1975 merger that formed the current company a series of buy-ins and takeovers began that continues until this day. In 1988 PR acquired Irish Distillers which includes Jameson Irish Whiskeys, in 1989 PR acquired Orlando Wyndham (makers of Jacob"s Creek wine), in 2001 PR purchased 38% of Seagram"s Wines and Spirits, in 2005 PR purchased Allied Domecq and in 2008 PR bought V&S Group which includes the Absolut Vodka brand.
Reborn from the Pernod Fils company as a producer of anise liqueur following the ban on absinthe, it is now a worldwide conglomerate. It owns the alcoholic beverage division of the former Seagram corporation, among many other holdings. In 2005, the company acquired British-based international competitor Allied Domecq plc.
In 2008, Pernod Ricard announced the acquisition of Swedish-based V&S Group including Absolut Vodka.
Pernod Ricard (Euronext: RI) is a French company that produces alcoholic beverages. The company"s most famous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise liqueurs, and often referred to as simply Pernod or Ricard. The company also produces several other types of pastis.
from Wikipedia