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Old 03-11-2004, 07:23 PM   #1
jazznut
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"Cardhu row rumbles on"

Cardhu row rumbles on By Dominic Roskrow
Whisky news
Whisky Magazine - Issue 37, page 7

"Individuals from all sectors of the whisky industry are throwing their weight behind Whisky Magazine's campaign to introduce clear and defined labelling for all Scotch whisky.

The move follows a last minute compromise between the Scotch Whisky Association, Diageo, and other SWA members, over the packaging of Diageo's Cardhu vatted malt.

With the issue thrust into the mainstream public eye - the debate made national British television news and was featured across the world - the whisky industry came close to a breaking point.

Only a last gasp emergency meeting by the SWA salvaged the situation. Diageo agreed to change the colours of the labels and packaging of the new Cardhu, and agreed not to reformulate any of its other single malts in the same manner.

And it is working with other whisky producers and the SWA to set out clearly defined definitions for different types of whisky.

But if the association is hoping to draw a line under the whole matter it may be diappointed. For while some see Diageo's change of heart as an honourable climb-down by the global giant, others are furious because they believe it has got away with a great dis-service to the world of whisky.

Cynics believe that Diageo has only conceded what it always intended to, and point to the fact that the promotional pictures of the new product were available almost as soon as the outcome was announced.

Meanwhile, Whisky Magazine readers have joined in the row, arguing that no vatted product should carry a distillery name and the word 'pure' should be banned as a description for malt whisky.

Contributing Editor David Broom has also called for a hallmark device to be introduced and used only on genuine single malt whisky labels."

Even though Diageo and its distillery-administrative arm, United Distillers & Vintners, aren't voicing it, the rationale behind their transforming Cardhu from a single to a vatted malt is clear.

Cardhu's product was widely viewed as an approachable whisky suitable for novice single malt drinkers or those with 'soft' palates. Yet the whisky's retail price had forsaken its competitiveness with the better known Glenfiddich (Grant family-owned) and Glenlivet (now Pernod Ricard). And most of the site's malt had rolled southward to UDV's main warehousing and blending facilities to be used in the Johnnie Walker blends, anyway.

How best to regurgitate a product name? Simply by changing the constitution of the whisky (and what better way to do that than by amalgamating one's stockpiled 'overflow' from various distilleries?) and placing it back on the shelves, ostensibly at a lower price. In short, inventory movement and cash flow.

Oh, and yes, change the distillery's name back to Cardow (from the original Cardow farm) so that nobody would confuse the single and vatted malts .

If this little 'experiment' had taken place without eliciting too much controversy, one could well imagine Diageo repeating the exercise. After all, this company represents the single largest holder of malt whisky distilleries in Scotland.

True innovation is something to be applauded. But this venture into uncharted territories smacks of profiteering and deception. - jazznut
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