While other drinks sectors are seeing major corrections between supply and demand, whisky’s limited stocks mean that demand will always outstrip supply, especially with the Chinese market for Scotch growing by 7000 per cent in the seven years to 2009. Since there is a limited amount of whisky in the distilleries’ warehouses, supply can’t be quickly boosted to meet supply. Also, with more distilleries focusing on single malts, there is less to go around among the blenders, so the price of blends is rising, too. In 2009, sales of whisky grew by 4 per cent overall, to contribute a whopping $NZ6.4 billion, by far Scotland’s best-performing exporter.
So who is drinking whisky? Well, everyone, really, especially when it comes to single malts. These top-end expressions of a single distillery, all with their own unique character, have become a common currency among consumers. Young, old, male, female, it seems everyone is enjoying the juice of the The wider world might still be struggling through its third year of recession, but whisky would seem to be untouched by the global financial crisis. barley. And why not? After all, it is a hugely rewarding drink. As refreshing as the best beer, as complex as the finest wine, single malts are a class apart. The big question is how long can the distilleries resist the urge to make a cheaper, quicker product to quench the insatiable thirst for it? In the past 20 years or so, the quality of malts has been on an upward curve. Malts that were once destined only for the blending market stepped out under their own names and won new fans. Distillers became choosier about ingredients and recipes, as well as more discerning about oak ageing.
The results of that upsurge in interest in malts meant that whiskies that were once merely good have become great and the big names – like the great glens of Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Glenmorangie – were joined by many others, equally as well-made and flavoursome. From the massive, peaty, medicinal malts of Islay to the soft and heathery Lowland malts, constant improvement has been the key and it is paying off. We were delighted, then, to see so many class acts lined up in this month’s Panel tasting.
It was a big tasting, so we made it a big panel, with regulars Dave Batten and Bart Burgers being joined by Ben Stuart from Beam Global, Chris Harrop from Pernod- Ricard, Hancocks’ Matt Bradley and myself. We tasted the whiskies blind this time, mostly because it was a bit of a challenge to try to identify them. As ever, the comments of those associated with certain brands were discounted for those whiskies.
One thing became apparent quite quickly – while all whisky is good, some whiskies are really, really great. Slainte.
*We were well looked after by Emma and her team at the Corner Store and we’d like to thank them and the folks at Spiegelau, who made sure we had some quality glassware to drink from.

Click here to download the tasting notes.