The Famous Grouse

The Famous Grouse
Type Blended whisky
Manufacturer Edrington Group
Distributor Edrington Group
Beam Suntory
Country of origin Scotland
Introduced 1896
Alcohol by volume 40%
Variants The Black Grouse
Snow Grouse
Related products Highland Park
The Macallan
Website The Famous Grouse

The Famous Grouse is a brand of blended Scotch whisky, first produced by Matthew Gloag & Son in 1896, and currently produced and owned by The Edrington Group.[1] The single malt whiskies used in The Famous Grouse blend include the Edrington-owned Highland Park and The Macallan.[2] Its emblem is the Red Grouse, Scotland's national game bird.[1]

It has been the highest selling whisky brand in Scotland since 1980.[1] As a standard price blended Scotch whisky, its main competitors in its home market are Bell's, Teacher's and Grant's. The majority of its UK sales are during the Christmas period.[3]

History

Matthew Gloag was a grocer and wine merchant at 22 Athole Street[4] Perth, Scotland.[1] Gloag purchased whiskies from distilleries around Scotland, and when Queen Victoria visited Perth in 1842, he was invited to supply the wines for the royal banquet.

In 1860, his son, William Gloag, took over the company. Following the Great French Wine Blight the company began to look at creating its own blended whiskies around 1875. In 1896, William's nephew, Matthew Gloag (1850-1912), took over the family business. He created a new blended brand called The Grouse in 1896. at this time the company was still operating from the grandfather's premises but had expanded to occupy adjacent shops, jointly covering 20 to 26 Atrhiole street.[5] In 1905 the limited company of Matthew Gloag & son was formed and the Grouse was renamed The Famous Grouse in the same year.[1] Matthew Gloag's daughter Phillippa first designed the label's grouse icon.[1] Only at this point did the company move to new purpose-built premises on Kinnoull Street.[6]

In 1970, Matthew Gloag & Son, owned by the Gloag family, was sold to Highland Distillers, after the death of the chairman, Matthew Frederick Gloag.[1] The marketing and distributive power of the company saw Famous Grouse become the highest selling Scotch in Scotland by 1980 and the second highest selling in the United Kingdom.[1] From the 1980s the brand began to be exported overseas, where it now sells over 2 million cases annually. In 1984 The Famous Grouse was awarded the Royal Warrant.[1]

Product

The standard blend is 40% ABV.[2]

The blend is matured in oak casks for up to six months at 46% ABV.[7]

In 2007 a peated special version of The Famous Grouse called The Black Grouse developed for the Swedish market was released. The packaging displays a black grouse in place of the usual red grouse. The following year a special version, meant for chilling, was released called Snow Grouse. The packaging features a ptarmigan.[8]

Promotions and sponsorships

A bottle of Black Grouse

The Famous Grouse has focussed its television advertising around the Christmas period since 1996.[9]

The Famous Grouse was the primary sponsor of the Perth-based football team St Johnstone between 1986 and 1989 and again between 1991 and 1998. It also sponsored the Scotland national rugby union team from 1990 until 2007, and was 'The Official Spirit of Scottish Rugby' from 2013 for three years.[10]

In May 2014, Famous Grouse was named the Official Whisky of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Whisky Opus. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 2012. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-4093-7580-7.
  2. 1 2 "Famous For A Reason". The Famous Grouse. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  3. ↑ "Famous Grouse gears up for Xmas ad campaign". Morning Advertiser. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  4. ↑ Perth Post Office Directory 1850
  5. ↑ Perth Post Office Directory 1900
  6. ↑ Perth Post Office Directory 1905
  7. ↑ "Famous For A Reason" (PDF). The Famous Grouse. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  8. ↑ Archived June 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Maxxium accelerates into summer". Talking Retail. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  10. ↑ http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/13/01/16/scottish-rugby-secures-new-three-year-sponsorship

Bibliography

  • Buxton, Ian (2012). The Famous Grouse A Whisky Companion: Heritage, History, Recipes and Drinks. London: Ebury Press. ISBN 9780091944742.
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