The past 20 years has seen a profusion of new whisky distilleries in the most unlikely places, from India and Australia, and even to England. And, along the way, world whisky – which is defined as any that comes from countries outside Scotland, Ireland, America, Canada and Japan – has gone from a curiosity to being available on your local high street.
Distilleries range from one-man operations such as Belgrove in Tasmania, where founder Peter Bignell uses an old tumble dryer to malt his cereal, to Taiwan’s giant Kavalan distillery, which produces millions of bottles a year. The big boys are taking an interest, too – Johnnie Walker parent company Diageo has invested in both Starward in Melbourne and Yorkshire’s Fielden.
But all is not well in this brave new world. Last year, the East London Liquor Company went bust – the name was saved by a management buyout, but investors and crowdfunders lost money. And, this year, the rapidly expanding Welsh distiller Penderyn paused production at its Swansea outpost, while Sweden’s Mackmyra filed for bankruptcy in August.
But then, making whisky takes a lot of money in staff, energy, equipment and storage before you see any return: EU and UK regulations, for example, mean you have to wait at least three years before what you have made can be sold as “whisky”. And the more successful you are, the more you need to keep laying down, which requires even more investment.
Global demand for whisky is falling, too, so much so that Diageo’s share price dropped by 35% this year. While the likes of that particular giant can absorb such ups and downs, smaller companies are finding it very hard to compete. After all, why should consumers take a risk on a young, relatively unknown English whisky when they could get a 12-year-old Johnnie Walker Black Label much cheaper?
Even so, world whisky isn’t going away any time soon. The best offer something unique: Israel’s M&H, for example, ages its whisky in old pomegranate wine casks in the heat of the Dead Sea (high temperatures mean faster ageing) – try M&H’s special Heart Cut bottling (£52.90 Master of Malt, 57%) for an intense, hot-climate experience. Not to be outdone, Kyrö in Finland recently announced a sauna-aged whisky. Yes, that sounds like a gimmick, but Kyrö also offers something that the scotch giants who buy their cereal on the global market can’t: provenance. It makes distinctive, chocolatey whiskies such as its flagship Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky (£50.25 The Whisky Exchange, 47.2%) using 100% local rye.
Dave Vitale, founder of Starward, meanwhile, jokes that his whiskies made with Australian barley and aged in shiraz casks are more Australian than scotch is Scottish. Now that’s fighting talk.
Five world whiskies that are worth a tryStarward Left Field Single Malt £39.50 Waitrose, 40%. One of the best-value world whiskies out there: tastes like a cross between single-malt scotch and bourbon.
Cotswolds Single Malt £45 Majestic, 46%. England’s bestselling single malt offers rich, indulgent flavours of toffee and dried fruit.
Stauning Host £38 Threshers, 40.5%. This big, spicy Danish rye blend is a brilliant cocktail whisky – try it in a manhattan.
Paul John Brilliance £41.99 Master of Malt, 46%. Fudge, allspice, chocolate and baked apples meet in this hedonistic single malt from Goa.
Agitator Single Malt £42.75 The Whisky Exchange, 43%. This easy-going Swedish single malt combines subtle smokiness with vibrant orchard fruit.