Whisky Boys, Back to School – Week 6
The Scotch Whisky Trail Certificate 2011 – City of Glasgow College (week 6)
We are now well into the second half of this great wee course. This week we are dealing with Marketing and Brand Development 1900 – 2011.
From this weeks lesson it became very clear that the BRAND is KING.
In the early years brand did not matter and marketing in any form was non existing, but as the years past it did become very evident that a brand name and logo was a great asset, for example, the wee black and white dogs, the white horse or the walking man are all examples where you do not need to see the written word to know what the Whisky is.
Brand advertising became stronger and stronger from posters and the label on the bottle, together with the shape and colour of the bottle. Sponsorship in sport got stronger and having a well known celebrity to advertise your brand greatly helped sales.
As the sales throughout the world got stronger, the Scotch Whisky Association was formed to protect the industry, and in many cases has had great success in prosecuting offenders.
In the last decade or so big changes in advertising and marketing due to the internet, the upsurge in cocktails and the attempt to get the average age of the Whisky drinker lower and to get the young female as a recognised enjoyer of a wee dram.
So what is next ? does anyone know?
As usual the second half of the lesson is when John Lamond, our lecturer brought out the evenings tasting bottles, and a fabulous selection they are, as you can see below :-
Glenglassaugh Clearac Spirit 50% Alc/vol 50cl, – Both Jim and Scott are not lovers of this type of spirit,and as such we did not even have a wee sip.
Glenglassaugh Peated Spirit 50% Alc/vol 50cl – As above we both did not sip this one either.
Campbeltown Loch Unaged Blended Scotch Whisky, 40% Alc/vol, 70cl – Quite smooth and a hint of pepper nip, some spice and a bit drying, Nice.
Balblair 2000 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% Alc/vol 70cl – A fresh and dry dram with some oakiness and liquorice and spicy fruit.
Tomatin 12 Year Old Spanish Sherry Finish, Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 40% Alc/vol 70cl – A creamy smooth dram with sherry and honeyed vanilla and soft fruits.
Tomatin 15 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% Alc/vol 70cl – The new boy of the Tomatin range, quite malty, oak and chewy spice with some citrus notes.
Dalmore The Gran Reserva Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 40% Alc/vol 70cl – Mellow and sweet full of Christmas cake fruit, very complex and this one is Scott’s favourite of the night.
Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46.3% Alc/vol 70cl – Full bodied and robust dram, sherry cask influences with just a little peat.
Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% Alc/vol 70cl – Smooth with not too much peat, a touch of sherry in this well rounded rich and drying dram.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask Unaged Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 48% Alc/vol 70cl – Heavy Islay dram, very peppery, hospital emergency ward 10 with a bar-b-que outside the window.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Unaged Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 57.1% Alc/vol 70cl – Oak, vanilla and peat by the sackfull, ocean spray, Quite smooth with a little burn, everlasting flavours, Jim’s favourite of the night by a long shot.
Well eleven drams and again a fantastic selection from John Lamond our lecturer, and listening to the other students, it was the Islay dram’s that were the biggest hit.
With only two more weeks to go and these include a distillery visit (at time of writing it seems to be Auchentoshan) and the exam, so a busy two weeks coming up, and both Jim and Scott are looking forward to them.
