Inver House Distillers: Icon of Whisky

Airdrie-based Company named as 'Distiller of the Year'

05/11/2007

Inver House Distillers, proud producer of some of Scotland’s most exciting and fastest growing malts, has received the prestigious ‘Distiller of the Year’ award at the Icons of Whisky 2007 event.

The Airdrie based company, who this year globally relaunched their Balblair Single Malt as a superpremium ‘vintage’, beat off competition from Glenmorangie, Bowmore and William Grant & Sons amongst others after an international judging panel voted for the company due to its 'excellent and impressive contribution' to whisky.

"Based on the innovative and brave work that Inver House have pioneered this year, we felt that they really needed to be included in the ‘Distiller of the Year’ category and every person on our panel strongly backed their win," said one of the judges, Damian RileySmith, Managing Director of Paragraph Publishing. "2007 has been a big year for whisky – there has been a lot of changes and investment in the industry – but Inver House has found a way to inject ambition, personality and a genuine warmth into everything it has done. As a team they’ve contributed to the world of whisky in an impressive way and we felt that their efforts in particular deserved the 'Distiller of the Year' award."

Karen Walker, Marketing Manager of Inver House was at the award ceremony and couldn’t believe when the results were read out:
"It was an incredible but very pleasant surprise to hear our name being called out as ‘Distiller of the Year’ – we had no expectations whatsoever that we would win! This accolade is the one that everyone wants so we are, of course, overjoyed at the recognition. As a company, we’ve really tried to push the boundaries and develop whisky in a positive way and going forward, our main aim is to continue to contribute to the growth and success of Scotland’s national drink."

Within the last few years, Inver House’s malts have strongly established themselves with those in the know and continue to attract increasing attention. Highlights include:

· Old Pulteney Single Malt, also known as ‘The Genuine Maritime Malt’, embarked on its first international sponsorship this year by supporting renowned sailing sportsman 68year old, Sir Robin Knox Johnston during his participation in the ‘ultimate solo challenge’ – the Velux 5 Oceans Round the World yacht race.

· Balblair Single Malt Whisky was relaunched at the turn of the year as a super premium, contemporary whisky brand, focused on international modern luxury markets, including France and Japan. Distinguished by its use of vintages (it is chosen by optimum ‘year’, in a similar way to wine), Balblair has been building a network of other outwardlooking, likeminded brands including Canongate Books, Mackintosh Rainwear, Timorous Beasties and the artist, JoLoMo in an effort to shift traditional stereotypes of Scotland both in the UK and abroad.

· Other Inver House brands performing well both in the UK and internationally include: anCnoc Single Malt Whisky, Heather Cream liqueur, Speyburn Single Malt and Hankey Banister Blended Malt amongst many others.

Announced on the eve of Whisky Live! Glasgow, the Icons of Whisky dinner is a glittering awards event, seen as one of the most important in the industry. Held at Oran Mor in Glasgow, this particular Icons of Whisky event is especially prestigious, marking the best whisky companies in both Scotland and Ireland – the spirits’ homelands.

Inver House will now compete against distillers throughout the world for the International Distiller of the Year award, which will take place in London next year. The Icons of Whisky judging panel is comprised of an international editorial board drawn from the Paragraph Publishing group.

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