Combinations of similar straight whiskeys of different distillation periods or from different distillers are designated as blended, rather than straight.
"There's a great future for gin and all the gin distillers need to maximise that opportunity," Hayman says.
Between December and February, the vineyards and distillers of Poitou-Charentes throw open their gates to visitors for free visits and tastings, often accompanied by dinners or live music in the cellars, while local restaurants devise complimentary menus (cognacetapes.com).
He had to withdraw his acceptance of a directorship with Guinness, whose 1986 take over of Distillers had been condemned by the STUC.
Hayman Distillers is a family company dating back to 1863 – Hayman's children are the fifth generation to work for the business.
This difference is exactly as it should be; most Scottish distillers don't even want new barrels since the flavours from the wood would overpower the character of their distillate.At the same time, many distillers are coming to see the value of introducing different woods into the maturation process.
With the blessing of his father, Paul Ricard, who founded the Ricard company, the younger Mr Ricard embarked on an international spending spree: he bought America's Austin Nichols, producer of Wild Turkey whiskey, Irish Distillers, another whiskey maker, and Jacob's Creek, an Australian wine company.
This evidence that whisky can be trendy among the young lies behind the distillers' decision to aim new campaigns at the youth of Britain and America.Will it work?
Parisian cognac distillers, Japanese male-cosmetics firms and cranemakers in Illinois have all jumped in.These investments have transformed the structure of many firms.
Bols, one of the oldest distillers in the world, denied that the merger might be a prelude to a bid for Seagram's entire business.Other firms joined in the spree: Scottish & Newcastle declared it would purchase Centralcer, one of Portugal's biggest brewers, and Denmark's Carlsberg offered a deal to Albani Brewery, one of its domestic competitors.
In fact it is necessary only for some.In a recent article on American beer and spirits ("Prohibition hangover", September 8th), we wrote that craft distillers accounted for just over 25% of the spirits sold and 45% of the revenue from spirits last year in America.
