(288)   DIAGEO, CARDHU, AND PURE BLENDED MALT

DIAGEO, CARDHU, AND PURE BLENDED MALT

 

The worldwide drinks company, Diageo, producer of the Speyside malt whisky Cardhu (a traditional 12-year-old single malt and the fifth most popular brand in the world), is now being made, for selected overseas markets, from a mixture of vatted malts from several distilleries.  But it is still being sold under its original name, the only change on the label being that instead of being called a single malt, Cardhu is now pure malt.  Diageo says that it has taken this step because it is running out of Cardhu due to the increase in demand abroad.  Other whisky distillers are highly concerned about what the label will do to the reputation of the name of malt whisky, and MPs and MSPs have become involved in the war of words.  The matter is due to be discussed at the meeting of the Council of the Scotch Whisky Association to be held on 4 December 2003.  The SWA website is http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/.