Comments on: Whisky Blog PR Frenzy

By: Diageo Special Releases 2009 - The Verdict | The Whisky Exchange BLOG

Diageo Special Releases 2009 - The Verdict | The Whisky Exchange BLOG — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:20:45 +0000

[...] all a bunch of sad pathetic losers, I should probably direct any angry people to my blog post on Diageo in case some of you want to lambast me for collaborating with everyone’s favourite pantomime [...]

By: Pär Caldenby

Pär Caldenby — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:42:54 +0000

Doubt very much that anyone at Diageo has agonised or lost any sleep at all over the decided closures and re-allocations of jobs to Fife. Tragedy for the people at Kilmarnock, that is for sure. But despite that, anyone shall always be entitled to speak their own mind and be blunt, even – in particular as that does benefit clarity. The politicians, however, have as their one aim in life to be re-elected, so their actions are rarely self-effacing. On the other hand, global finance and multinationals are not very nice to deal with either, as their prime concern is the next one or two financial quarters and that’s hardly good for a long-term industry like whisky, malt or grain. My feeling is that Roseisle will cull a few malt distilleries (or “plants” as they are known within Diageo) when the need for new make malt falls again. Apparently it has not done that just yet. But it will. I’m just hoping the independents can be the winners out of that move when it comes, at least from a relative point of view.

By: kallaskander

kallaskander — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:24:49 +0000

Hi there,

it is bitter for Kilmarnock and the people working at Port Dundas. No doubt.

But to make the whole issue a national affair because there is a political party with the term “National” in its name does not help at all.

Here a good explanation why it does not help.

http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Brian-Monteith-Diageo-deserves-to.5469703.jp

Not being Scottish it is easy for me to see things different when Scottish interests are concerned. Queation is is this all about Scottish interests at all?

Not really. To play the national card when Scotch whisky is involved is 30 years too late.

Scotch is not in the hands of Scots anymore. It is the drink associated with Scotland. In that sense it is a national drink.

But it is in foreign hands, most of it is drunk abroad, it is made with more imported that homegrown barley and the marketing budgets millions of pounds worth are spent abroad.

To lose 700 jobs is hard for any city. But instead of lammenting and rallying against a thing that seems inevitable the energy behind that would be better spend in looking for alternatives that are feasible and sustainable.

By: bgulien

bgulien — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:42:35 +0000

It’s an industry, so these things happen.
But I think a lot of people still see the whisky industry as a bunch of quaint little distilleries, who are doing their own thing in a lovely rural setting.
Time to wake up.
The big whiskies are made in anonymous plants, where efficiency rules.
What is left are visitor center distilleries, who are born in the mind of a PR officer.
See the Dewar’s Whisky world or whatever.
Droves of tourist come to these location to be fooled about the world of whisky.
Only a bunch of small independent’s will survive by doing things the old way.
Some will survive as a premium, high priced whisky, like Ardbeg, Lagavulin or Laphroaig.
But the bulk will be produced by faceless plants.
It’s a good thing that Scotch whisky must be distilled, matured and bottled in Scotland or else the production could be moved to Poland or Romania.
Watch out for this to happen in the future!