Famous Grouse scotches rivals as popular choice

Almost one in three blended drams poured in the British on-trade is The Famous Grouse, according to the latest figures from AC Nielsen.

Following a 3.1 per cent rise over the last 12 months, The Famous Grouse now commands a 30.4 per cent share of the blended whisky sector in England, while in Scotland the brand has cemented its number one position with a 7.9 per cent increase in volume.

The news follows the introduction of two new finishes, Islay Cask and Port Wood, and coincides with the launch of a new TV advertisement campaign earmarked for the run up to Christmas.

Chris Anderson, Maxxium UK's senior marketing manager responsible for The Famous Grouse, said: "The fact that the brand is showing growth as well as dominance within a static market is a testimony to one of the best known names in the whisky industry."

Meanwhile, a resurgence in demand from Asian markets has spearheaded an encouraging start to the year for Scotland's whisky industry, new figures show.​

The Scotch Whisky Association has announced that despite a relatively flat UK market, up 4.3 per cent, exports to the Far East rose almost a third in the first half of the year.

Exports to the European Union were up 7.9 per cent on last year while overall worldwide exports enjoyed double-digit growth, climbing 11.2 per cent in volume and 10.3 per cent in value.

Scotch Whisky Association chairman Ian Good said it was an encouraging start to the year and was optimistic that the whisky renaissance would continue.

He said: "There was much talk of global recession, even in the first half of the year, yet scotch whisky has seen growth in many of its key markets. The festive season now fast approaching is by far the industry's busiest time of the year.

"We hope that consumer confidence will hold steady in the final quarter and allow us to build on these positive half year results."