SPECIAL FEATURE: SPIRITS
SPECIAL FEATURE: SPIRITS Spirits brands from across all the growing categories were out in force at last week’s Vinexpo, giving buyers the chance to taste, see and enjoy the next big thing coming to a back bar soon. WHISKY AND WHISKEY Leading the charge were the number of new whisky and whiskey brands at the show, reflecting the growth in a category that Vinexpo and IWSR research predicts will keep growing with Scotch whisky set to reach 93.8 million 9-ltr cases by 2020, up on 87.7 million cases now. Scotch and US whiskies combined are expected to be the best-performing Distillery that produces “The Irishman” range of single malts, said: “The interest is just so big. Asia and Africa are among the leaders but the Middle East and Latin America also want to drink whiskey. We are in 45 international markets and Irish whiskey is one of the fastest growing in the world.” The Walsh Distillery’s own expansion plans reflects the expected growth with plans to move from an 800,000-bottle capacity distillery to one that can produce 8.5m bottles a year. Ireland’s The Shed Distillery was also at the show and hosted a masterclass on “The Irish Spirits Renaissance”. Spirits Raise was able to show this new Terrapure ageing at the show. RUM Premiumisation is very much the driving force of the rum category with more premium brands on the market. But it is also about being able to tell a story, like with Dzama Rhum of Madagascar which has a vintage going back 33 years. Dan Bastien, marketing director, said the rum’s unique flavour comes from using wild grown sugar canes rather than farmed crops common in most major brands. “This is the ylang-ylang of our rum – the particular factor that gives our canes Sophie Lawrence, brand manager, said it had enjoyed a busy week. “Our brands go all over the world. At Vinexpo, it’s like the world is coming to us!” she said. VODKA One of the biggest launches at the show was Taiga Shtof, a super-premium vodka made in Siberia with 100% Alpha Spirit (the highest grade of alcohol) and the purest water sourced from three different locations in the icy Taiga region of the country. The distillery dates back to earlier than the Russian revolution. Roman Gazine, joint founder said: “We chose Siberia to give Taiga Shtof appellation authority – the first vodka brand to do this. Shtof is the original unit of measurement, 1.23ml, that has been used in Russia since the 12th century. Each of our bottles gives 10 measures, or shots, of 1.23ml. Using the craft approach, we are raising the level of production of Russian vodka to a new level.” the Bar at Vinexpo international spirits categories between 2016–2020, with consumption of bourbon set to rise from 39.5 million cases (in 2015) to 46.5 million cases in 2020. But it is Irish whiskey which really is booming in some markets. Connor Booth, brand ambassador for the Walsh BOURBON One of the stand outs in the bourbon section was Earl Hewlette of Terressentia and owner of O Z Tyler Bourbon from Kentucky. He has patented an ageing process that reduces the time the spirit spends in barrel to as little as six months. The cost saving of doing so is huge. He grown here a different personality, of taste and flavour,” he said. Sovereign Brands from the UK were also at this show with its range of premium, craft produced lines including Bumbu, Belaire and Cloud Chaser which are now sold in over 100 countries. SAKE AND SOCHU There was a large delegation of 23 sake brewers and five sochu distillers at this year’s show thanks to the efforts of the Japanese Sake and Sochu Producers Association. It was a big opportunity for them to showcase the best of what is happening with sake and sochu that is gaining more listing particularly with sommeliers looking for something new • 20 VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE
Tovaritch! What a Performance! Russian vodka brand Tovaritch! was not only presenting new brands at Vinexpo, it was putting on daily performances of cocktail making with top mixologists at the Spiritual bar. Writers’ Tears Set to Flow in France Following Vinexpo Deal One of Ireland’s leading Irish whiskey producers, Walsh Whiskey Distillery, hopes to build its popularity in France thanks to a new distribution deal with Dugas of Paris signed at Vinexpo. Thanks to the deal, Dugas will start distribution of Walsh Whiskey’s Writers’ Tears premium Irish whiskey range from September 1 st . The contract was signed at the show by founders and chief executives of the two companies, Francois-Xavier Dugas and Bernard Walsh. Dugas has built a reparation in France for its strong Irish and Scottish whisky ranges. Walsh said he believed Dugas was a “great fit” for the brand as it had such a good network of high-end bars and specialist retail stores across France, one of its key strategic markets. There are three whiskey’s in the Writers’ Tears range: Copper Pot; Red Head Single Malt; and Cask Strength • Tovaritch! is now sold in over 30 countries and is aimed at the premium hotel and restaurant market. It has grown to be the third biggest Russian vodka brand in the UK and is number one in Belgium and South Africa and hopes to widen distribution further after Vinexpo 2017. It is produced using 100% natural, organic and non- GMO ingredients, combining spring wheat and rye from the Volga region with water drawn from underground cellars • Monteru Brandy Turns Japanese France’s Monteru Brandy has built a reputation for developing not only innovative products, but the way in which they are produced. Monteru is the first producer of single grape brandy using the traditional “double distillation” and the most sought after single varietals from the best producing regions of France. They add to this by aging their eaux-de-vie in pre-used oak barrels for a maximum of 3 years in order to keep the typicity of each the unique varietals. French Whisky from Black Mountain France is slowly gaining a reputation for the quality of its whiskies as well as its other more famous spirits. Black Mountain Compagnie is typical of a new breed of The producer’s latest launch craft distiller that is making regional French claims to be both the first whisky a category of its own. That means brandy, and French spirit, making whisky from water that comes direct to be finished in Japanese from a high-altitude spring in the Haut mizunara casks, famous for the Languedoc. Its distillery won’t be finished quality they bring to traditional until 2018, but that has not stopped it from Japanese whiskies • making award-winning blended whiskies, finished in French spirits casks called the Black Mountain Selection. The BM No 1 was named Best European Blended Whisky at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards whilst the BM Notes Fumées was named Best Blend of France at the World Whiskies Awards in 2016. A limited edition will soon be released of Black Mountain No 1 that’s spent six months ageing in barrels whilst being sailed between France and the Scilly Isles • VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 21
