Hand wringing in Scotland about Scotch

[bonneamie]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jul/31/scotch-whisky-vintage-glenfiddich-50

Glenfiddich is releasing a 50 year old Scotch, but people are still worried about the future of Scotch in Scotland. It's perceived to be an old man's drink!

[cowdery]

Unlike the United States, which still consumes most of its whiskey output, scotch is primarily an export product and exports are booming. The domestic market may be important to certain brands, but it's not that important to the overall industry, which is doing quite well, thank you very much.

[Josh]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jul/31/scotch-whisky-vintage-glenfiddich-50

Glenfiddich is releasing a 50 year old Scotch, but people are still worried about the future of Scotch in Scotland. It's perceived to be an old man's drink!

Interesting link Amy! Thanks for sharing it! I don't know if I ever had Glenfiddich in my more Scotchy days. The 50 y/o is a gimmick, but it seems to be getting attention which I'm sure was the whole point.

The comparison to wine is an interesting one, although I'm not sure if it's entirely apt. Spirits are much less a function of terroir than wine is, obviously. In some ways I think this makes it scarier for the European distillers, and easier for the New World producers to beat them at their own game.

Going by malt whiskies alone, I don't think the Scots & Irish have much to worry about now, but Japan is only getting better and Canadians and Americans are starting to get the hang of it. I think it's only a matter of a decade or so before N. American malts will be able to pull a "Judgement of Paris" on the Scottish and Irish malts.

I hope I'll be able to watch that on TV while I sip a dram of Old Forester.:grin:

[TNbourbon]

The flavors of long-aged Scotches -- particularly those aged in ex-bourbon barrels, which are many -- have lovely, subtle flavors, and I debate with myself whether that subtlety comes from the long aging, or the fact of post-first-use barrels, or both. I suspect it is the last.

Anyhow, I've not yet found a Scotch -- single malt or otherwise -- past, say, 25 years old that I did not enjoy.

To me, a well-balanced -- aged or otherwise -- bourbon has a definite, identifiable theme (Chuck, chime in here -- I'm ever open to being challenged and wrong!), but I think of long-aged Scotches as a 'rainbow' of flavors, often disparate and seperate.

The greatest difference, and (only) part of the reason I'm a bourbon aficianado primarily, is the price. It is only a great rarity that I've enjoyed long-aged Scotches, often at single-price events such as WhiskyFest or the Sampler. Thus, it's hard for me to imagine that $4-$5,000 bottlings are going to do much to keep the locals tippling.

But, as Chuck states, the well-heeled, worldwide targets of such items WILL keep the distilleries operating, which benefits all of their markets, domestic and export.