tanstaafl2 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Was anyone else a bit disappointed by the selection of Diageo as "Distillery" of the year on Whiskey Advocate? http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/12/23/whisky-advocate-award-distiller-of-the-year/Putting aside what one might think of Diageo in general they are a multinational beverage company and not a distiller as I would be inclined to define them. I get what the article was saying but would still like to see the pick be a single true distillery and not a corporate entity that runs multiple distilleries.Perhaps John will stop by at some point and offer some insight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I'm not going to carry water for Diageo (though I do like what they're doing with Dickel) though given a choice I'd rather see the award go to a company that actually owns and operates a distillery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon Boiler Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Eh, still better than that magazine that gave a distillery of the year award to Michters either last year or the year before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnHansell Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Was anyone else a bit disappointed by the selection of Diageo as "Distillery" of the year on Whiskey Advocate? Perhaps John will stop by at some point and offer some insight.It's Christmas, so I'm not going to dwell too long here except to make three points:The category is "Distiller," not "Distillery." Last year we picked William Grant. Same rules.Our justification is in our write-up. I know everyone loves to hate Diageo, but they are doing some great things, both in the short term and long- term.Merry Christmas to my friends at SB.com. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Merry Christmas to you and yours John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compliance Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Conglomerate of the year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 It's Christmas, so I'm not going to dwell too long here except to make three points:The category is "Distiller," not "Distillery." Last year we picked William Grant. Same rules.Our justification is in our write-up. I know everyone loves to hate Diageo, but they are doing some great things, both in the short term and long- term.Merry Christmas to my friends at SB.com. JohnMea culpa for calling it distillery and not distiller. That said, and I did read the Article with interest, my personal sense of a distiller still doesn't match up with Diageo (or William Grant for that matter!). Seems me like it should be corporation (or conglomerate as mentioned above!) of the year and Distiller of the year should be, for lack of a better definition an actual distillery (working in a actual distillery).But I acknowledge they aren't my rules and I suppose if I want to make the rules I should have my own blog and work had for many years to build the kind of recognition John has the industry! For which he is to be commended.And that ain't happening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBM Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 I'm not emotional about it either way, but when I saw Diageo given Distiller of the Year, it lowered my interest in the contents of the article and lowered my respect for Whisky Advocate regardless of their justification.Rational thought would not consider Diageo a distiller or a distillery; they oversee business decisions for operations they own, most of which are distilleries. According to the title of their own web site, Diageo is (a) "Consumer goods companies with portfolio of world-famous drinks brands." Sazerac is the same way, according to http://www.sazerac.com/company.aspx, Sazerac is "an independent, American family owned company and proud owners of many of America's most venerable distilling companies - Buffalo Trace Distillery, A. Smith Bowman, Glenmore Distillery, Barton, Fleischmann, Medley and Mr. Boston."Sazerac is a company, owner of distillery x, y and z. Diageo is a company, owner of distillery x, y and z (and winery x, y, z and brewery x, y and z).Maybe Diageo deserves recognition for their contributions to the world of whisky, but as a reader it's not this award. Give the Distiller of the Year to a distillery, the process and people who actually distill whisky. It doesn't make sense any other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 (Old) Mr. Boston is venerable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutton Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 I agree with John on this one - just because they are a conglomerate or large, doesn't mean they shouldn't be considered. They manage a considerable amount of the whisk(e)y production in the world, and put out a broad quality range at many price points, and are investing for the long-term providing stability to distilleries that may have long gone bust. I think a good case is made in the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiskyRI Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I love small and independent as much as the next guy, or gal, but Diageo does do amazing things. They make a lot, truly a lot, of good whisky and it is readily available in a variety of places. I can go into any hotel bar anywhere in the US and order a Talisker - it's good whisky at a reasonable price. I don't think we should disqualify a company just because they are large but I too would like to see an award for a single distillery recognizing the work of a particular place and staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callmeox Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 We appreciate you taking the time to respond, John. Industry interaction is what makes SB special and we would love to see even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnHansell Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 (edited) We appreciate you taking the time to respond, John. Industry interaction is what makes SB special and we would love to see even more.I check in regularly, and speak when I feel like I have something worthy to say. This is a great whiskey community, and I'm happy to be part of it (even if it is not as much as I would like). Cheers! Edited December 29, 2013 by JohnHansell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Well, you're always welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 I'm not emotional about it either way, but when I saw Diageo given Distiller of the Year, it lowered my interest in the contents of the article and lowered my respect for Whisky Advocate regardless of their justification... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Somebody told me once that Diageo is like that crazy ex-girlfriend: You try to avoid her but d@mn if the sex isn't mind-blowing!While there are some things about Diageo that I don't like, they do put out some of the best whisky in the world... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 I guess I'm in the minority that I don't care if the distiller isn't the cool kid on the block or may be the big company. I just care about what my tastebuds tell me. I like happen to like many of the Wild Turkey offerings. I know it won't make me awesome like Pappy Van Winkle, but I'd rather drink what taste good than feel "cool" when I drink it. Same goes with Scotch. I don't care if it's rare or if it's Glenmorangie (one of my favorites). If I like it, that's what matters. Props to Diageo for doing some fantastic things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oke&coke Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Somebody told me once that Diageo is like that crazy ex-girlfriend: You try to avoid her but d@mn if the sex isn't mind-blowing!While there are some things about Diageo that I don't like, they do put out some of the best whisky in the world...Now that's a sentiment I like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBM Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 It had the opposite effect for me. If John gives award to Diageo, I think it's time for me to re-appraise the company and see what else they are doing.I admit I don't know the details of Diageo's corporate inner workings, but I see them as a business that generates revenue regardless of the product being sold... It could be scotch, bourbon, toilet paper, wine, market branding or dish soap. Unless I'm mistaken, Diageo "corporate" doesn't have a master distiller on their payroll, so can they accurately be labeled a distiller?Specific to distilling, Diageo is responsible for gin, rum, liqueur, vodka, scotch, bourbon, rye and more. Being awarded distiller of the year should take into account everything under their control, yet I didn't see any mention of their other distilling operations.I don't disagree that they have done some amazing things in the whisky world, I just don't subscribe to what is essentially a holding company getting recognition for the actual work of distilling a great whisky. That magic is done by folks way under the suits at Diageo and my opinion is that a distillery should be the one recognized.I very much respect John's work in the industry and with Whisky Advocate. He is publishing to a far broader audience than us fanatics at SB.com and elsewhere which is why I said the content about Diageo's role is worthwhile, I just wish it was presented differently so I could read about the people, the history and the process of a distillery (of the year) and not a corporation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Well at least we should give props to the Diageo "suits" for not changing any of their bourbons to NAS yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Well at least we should give props to the Diageo "suits" for not changing any of their bourbons to NAS yet.That's only the Bulleit 10 right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Diageo does have Master Distillers on staff, someone has to actually make the whisky. John Lunn, MD at Dickel, is highly regarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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