The big news in Scotch whisky is undoubtedly the resurrection/revival of three of the most iconic single malts of Scotland. From the island of Islay, we have Port Ellen coming back, and in the Highlands, Brora is going to get its stills going again. Today, Ian Macleod announces the revival of Rosebank. Feels like some kind of one-upmanship from the whisky giants, but if the new stock is as good as the old, then it is the drinkers and collectors who are going to benefit.
This is most probably the result of the moneymen realizing that releases of Port Ellen/Brora/Rosebank going for thousands of dollars each on auction circuits and in Diageo's annual special release. If these single malts are still so popular after so many years, surely there's money to be made by re-opening these distilleries. It is still an open question how much the new bottlings will cost, and whether the new releases will contain any of the old malt. But more brilliant whiskies coming into the market is always a good thing. I guess the owners feel that the whisky bubble isn't going to burst anytime soon? Or, are the re-opened distilleries only targeting the collectors' and high-rollers' market, which is less sensitive to the price fluctuations of the general market?
Can't tell yet, but this is generating a whole lot of buzz. Now we just gotta wait for ten years...
No comments:
Post a Comment