GLENMORANGIE PRICES TO SOAR POST ACQUISITION BY LVMH

LVMH UPS GLENMORANGIE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY PRICES

The LASANTA

Glenmorangie Distillery is located in the Northern Highlands Scotch distillery section of Scotland, UK, 65 km north of Inverness, overlooking the lonesome waters of Dornoch Firth. It claims credit for the popularisation of the idea of 'finished malt whisky' - although it is not certain if they were also the first to apply the technique of double maturation in another cask. 

According to the Glenmorangie Company, the earliest record of the production of alcohol at Morangie Farm is dated 1703. In the 1730s a brewery was built on the site that shared the farm's water source, the Tarlogie Spring. Distillery manager William Matheson acquired the farm in 1843 and converted the Morangie brewery to a distillery, equipped with two second hand gin stills. He later renamed the distillery Glenmorangie. The distillery was purchased by its main customer, the Leith firm Macdonald and Muir, in 1918. The Macdonald family would retain control of the company for almost 90 years, up to 2004. It also owned the Ardbeg distillery in Islay.  

The number of stills was expanded from two to four in 1980, which was also the time they stopped malting their own barley. In 1990 the stills were expanded again to a total of eight. Those eight stills enable Glenmorangie to produce four million litres of pure alcohol each year, confirming them as a worldwide brand. In 2009, Glenmorangie distillery added two pairs of brand new stills to the eight already in use, increasing production capacity from 4,000,000 litres of alcohol per year to 6,000,000 litres of alcohol per year. Together with Bunnahabhain and Isle of Jura, Glenmorangie has the tallest pot stills in the industry at 26 ft 3 in (8.00 m) tall, with 16 feet 10.25 inches (5.1372 m) necks.

Around 1995 Glenmorangie released four different ' wood finishes' - a Port Finish, a Madeira Finish, a Sherry Finish and a Sauternes (Burgundy) wine finish. Later on some more finished 'limited releases' were bottled. The bottles actually hold single-malt Scotch, but the Glenmorangie in each has been "finished" for two years in barrels that once held wine, after ageing 10 years in the traditional second-hand Bourbon barrels.

The Tall Copper Stills at Glenmorangie

   The result is called wood-finished whisky, because it picks up distinctive flavours from the barrel wood. Wood-finishing has been the hottest trend in Scotch for the last few years. Often the results are sweeter and fruitier than traditional Scotch and more appealing to people who are new to its craggy style, but connoisseurs also are attracted by wood finishes because they can show a surprising new side to a well-known brand. Glenmorangie has been the best selling single malt in Scotland almost continuously since 1983, and produces around 10 million bottles per annum, of which 6 to 6.5 million are sold in the UK.

Some of the most knowledgeable in wood finishing are distilleries such as Edradour, the smallest distillery in Scotland, and Isle of Arran. A lot of big names are doing wood finishes as well, including Glenfarclas, Bowmore, Macallan and Springbank. Springbank's 11 year “Madeira Wood”, for example, was matured entirely in ex-Madeira casks.So far, at least 33 of the 95-odd active malt distilleries in Scotland have issued one or more wood-finished whiskies.

In the 1970s, Scotch distillers concluded that finishing in sherry barrels overpowered some of the natural flavours of Scotch, so they switched almost entirely to American Bourbon barrels. That said, some distillers still felt that some desirable flavours could be had from used ex-wine seasoned wood, so a series of experiments were tried at a low scale over five years, studying the effects of different woods. Eventually, they decided that full maturation in ex-Bourbons barrels, followed by finishing the maturation in other wood for shorter periods gave the best results. The first release was a 12-year-old Glenmorangie finished in Port barrels, the Quinta Ruban.

It was undeniably tasty, but Scotch lovers cherish tradition, so there was a fierce controversy. Well known spirits writers first decried and denigrated wine-finished Scotch as either a way of covering up flaws in whisky or a cheap gimmick aimed at unsophisticated people who like sweet, fruity drinks. But in the 2004 edition of his book, spirits writer Michael Jackson acknowledged that wood finishes had become an established part of the single-malt market. Soon thereafter, the company was sold to the French drinks company Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton for around £300 million. The prices of the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg range of Whiskies saw an immediate rise of $10.00 per bottle, followed by periodic hikes. A $49.95 Nectar D'OR now sells at $77.00 in most liquor stores.

Glenmorangie uses a number of different cask types, with all products being matured in white oak casks manufactured from trees growing in Glenmorangie's own forest in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, USA. These new casks are left to air for two years before being leased to distillers Jack Daniel's and Heaven Hill for them to mature bourbon in for four years. Glenmorangie then uses the barrels to mature their spirit. The Original range will mature entirely in ex-bourbon casks, while the Extra Matured range of bottlings are transferred into casks that were previously used to mature other products such as wine, port or sherry for finishing. Rum casks are also used in finishing.

Glenmorangie also obtains small batches of other casks for finishing and release limited edition bottlings from these. Following acquisition by LVMH, Glenmorangie produced a rare limited edition aged in casks previously used to mature Château Margaux, the Glenmorangie 18yo 'Extremely Rare' (43%, OB, Bottled +/- 2010). These bottlings are now extremely hard to find and are priced accordingly.

Approximately 75 per cent of the whisky that is distilled at Glenmorangie is sold as a single malt. The rest is used in blends like Highland Queen.

Port Finish: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban

Sherry Finish: Glenmorangie NAS 'Lasanta'

Madeira Finish: Glenmorangie Madeira Wood Finish, a fruity, creamy whisky with a slight orange hue.

Sauternes (Burgundy) Wine Finish: Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or

American Contribution

TO an American, this is a little disorienting. The Scots have always credited their noble spirit to peat smoke, sea air, water filtered through granite and heather and the like; in brief, to environmental factors that a French winemaker would consider terroir. We Americans have been the ones to dwell on the flavour whiskey picks up from the barrel.

American law spells out exactly what kind of barrel you have to use if you want to call your whiskey Bourbon. It has to be made of American white oak, charred on the inside, and brand-new. Once you've aged any whiskey in it, it can never again be used for Bourbon.

As a result, there are always a lot of used Bourbon barrels lying around. Scotch distilleries have long bought them up for ageing their whisky. To anybody who asked, they've explained that the Bourbon has helpfully extracted all the barrel flavours that would obscure the subtleties of Scotch.

How things have changed. These days many Scottish distillers are exploring the effects of used wine barrels, which add unfamiliar fruity notes. Some are even experimenting with new Bourbon-type barrels, which contribute the familiar vanilla and caramel flavours of Bourbon.

Wood finishes are also spreading from single malts to blended Scotches such as Grant's and the Famous Grouse. (The Grant's aged in ale barrels has a very attractive roundness and fullness -- too bad we can't yet get it in this country.) 

About half the distilleries making wood finishes are in the area east of Inverness known as Speyside. Since Speyside is close to wood-finish pioneer Glenmorangie and known for the delicacy of its whiskies (compared with the smoky island malts), this area is an ideal place to explore the world of wood. The Speyside most familiar to Americans is the Glenlivet, the top-selling single malt in the United States. Glenlivet is aboard for the idea of adding nuances from barrels, but strikes a classical tone, dubious about all these wine flavours.

First posted in 2009.

The QUINTA RUBAN

WWW: THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE INTERNET RAINBOW

How to Create a Rapidly Growing Source of Income

Introduction

After the invention of the wheel and the harnessing of nuclear power, the single most significant event that has affected our way of life today is the Internet. Every single human has total access to it in the free world. It is one vast storehouse and also the channel of data, so much data that today’s terminology calls it the Internet Cloud, a deft simile, permitting what is called cloud computing; in other words, massive amounts of computing in zettabytes (ZB)(1021 bytes )and yottabytes (YB) (1024 bytes) across banks of high speed high capacity servers. The Internet (net) allows any individual who has a workable idea and the basic tools to work the net the facility to monetize his concept, no longer confined to the bricks and mortar markets of yore-the entire world is his market. If he is successful, then he stands to earn a pocketful of gold. He can work from home, with no staff to speak of, at times best suited to him and for as long as he desires.

    Let’s first dispel a myth here. If you think you can get rich overnight, you are living a chimera. It is simply not possible for, say two and a half percent of over two billion users of the net (that’s fifty million people) to all become rags to riches stories. There might be an odd case or two, but those are exceptions. It takes a patient and persistent shoulder to the grinding stone to earn the kind of money where you can live an enriched and carefree life, Yes, it can certainly assist you in earning more, thereby improving your standard of living-a better house, better cars, modern gadgets, etc. Interestingly, the fact is that you are not making money off the net. The net has become the de facto term, whereas you are actually using only part of it.

The Internet: A Sum of Many Parts

The Internet is commonly considered to be a worldwide collection of computer networks, cooperating with each other to exchange data using a common software standard. Through every type of connection, from telephone wires and satellite links, net users can share information in a variety of forms. The size, scope and design of the Internet allow users to:

Ø  connect easily through ordinary personal computers and local phone numbers;

Ø  exchange electronic mail (E-mail) with friends and colleagues with accounts on the Internet;

Ø  post information for others to access, and update it frequently;

Ø  access multimedia information that includes sound, graphic images and video; and

Ø  access diverse perspectives from around the world.

An additional attribute of the Internet is that it lacks a central authority—in other words, there is no "Internet, Inc." that controls the Internet. Beyond the various governing boards that work to establish policies and standards, the Internet is bound by few rules and answers to no single organization. (www.centerspan.org).

Unlike many computer networks, the net consists of not one but multiple data systems that were developed independently.  These are:

Email for exchange of electronic mail messages.

o   USENET newsgroups, for posting and responding to public "bulletin board" messages.

o   File Transfer Protocol , a system for uploading, storing and retrieving data files on computer systems.

o   TELNET, a way of connecting directly to computer systems on the Internet.

o   Internet Relay Chat (IRC), sending public and private messages to other users in "real time"—that is, your message appears on the recipient's screen as soon as you type it.

o   CU-SeeMe, one of a variety of videoconferencing systems that allow users to send and receive sound and pictures simultaneously over the net. All you need is a webcam and voice system, a standard fitment in most computers today. Webinars (Web Seminars) are held in this mode.

o   The World Wide Web. This final component listed is perhaps the most exciting element of the Internet today, the www.(ibid)

o   Of all the worthwhile features of the Internet, none has captured the public's eye and contributed to the Net's growth so much as the World Wide Web. A method of posting and accessing interactive multimedia information, the "Web" is a true "information superhighway," allowing users the world over to access a wealth of information quickly and easily. The major innovation for the Web came in 1992, when programmers from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois developed the Mosaic browser, a software application that displayed the text of a Web document (or page) and embedded graphic elements. By bringing multimedia to the Web, Mosaic gave it enormous potential.   

    Today, several Web browsers are available: Opera, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, to name a few. All use Hypertext for inter-communication, ie, use Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) to link one webpage or site to another webpage or site.

Apart from hypertext and multimedia as two outstanding features of the World Wide Web, the other distinct advantages are:

¤        Open standards that allow Web pages to be viewed through most any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser.

¤        The ability to make software and data files available for downloading.

¤        Ease of use; just point and click on your browser to access the information you need.

For the individual or organization wishing to distribute information, the Web makes "publishing" easy and cost-effective. Putting information on the Web is quite inexpensive compared with traditional publishing, yet puts that information before a potential audience of millions. And unlike a printed publication, a Web document can be revised and updated at any time (ibid).

As already stated, no one has ever logged onto the Internet for the first time and started pocketing dollars in a really short period of time. As with all things in life, there is a learning curve, according to Evans Stone, the renowned Internet Marketer. In takes an average gestation period of three years of work to build a home-based income. Once you break through, you could earn over $100,000 in just twelve months off the net, and since money begets money, you are now established on the path to riches.

 

THE POT OF GOLD IN WWW-2

                      MAKING MONEY OFF THE NET

Attain Mastery of Your Learning Curve

Research the lives of all of the "gurus." The one thing that you will learn is that their experience is not unique. Most of the high earners on the Internet have experienced very similar learning curves. Chances are that your curve will also be similar to theirs, but it is hoped that you can get to the top faster than them. Three years is a long time to struggle, but every ounce of struggle will be worth the reward you finally receive.

            In order to shorten your own learning curve, you must do a few things differently than the old-timers did. You must become the master of your learning curve. This is simply because THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS IS A STRAIGHT LINE. There is only one way to shorten the curve on the Internet: You must aim to succeed and plan accordingly! Most people put up a freebie website and select a few affiliate programs to add to their website. Right out of the gate, most people are running for the finish line without any real plan in mind.

After a few short weeks, people begin to see the writing on the wall that says, "This is going to be a long hard road." People check their hit counters daily for six weeks before they realize that getting traffic to their free site is going to be tough. At this point, they begin developing their first batch of advertising. Then they spend countless months finding places to show their advertisements for free. Some make an even more drastic mistake by blowing thousands of hard earned dollars on their new and untested ads. These are the people who will learn the facts of life the hard way. In time, they will learn how to make their advertising work for them, but most will earn very little money from their affiliate programs.

At this point in the learning curve, most people throw up their hands and walk away from their dreams in utter disgust. Instead of a walking away point, this should have convinced the struggling online entrepreneur that they were simply traveling the wrong road. All that was required was a pause and a relook at the map.

Plan to Succeed

            From day one, you must begin to learn about the nuances of web promotion. Read all you can get your hands on. Don't just read the hype, back it up with the opinions of others who have reviewed the same programs before you came along. Learn from their mistakes and successes. As you begin to learn, you must also look to make a decision. Do you want to step

into a pre-built program that is designed to help you to succeed, OR do you want to create a completely new program of which you are the sole owner?

If you decide to step into a pre-designed and complete turn-key online money-

making venture, you must select the right venture to step into. Start with a 

good site worth the cost and effort, like the renowned and very highly rated 

websites, www.warriorforum.com. (Alexa rating 71 in the US) or 

www.sitesell.com (Alexa rating 191). A quick coaching and mentoring program

 first is recommended. There are many coaching and mentoring programs for 

teaching you on how to generate your first $1000 through internet marketing,

 but if you want to join a good coaching program, you could learn it from

 Wealthy Affiliate University, www.howtomakemoneyinrecession.com/ blog/my-

first-1000-in-just-1-day/.Another good site to go through is www.5iphon.com. 

If you decide to do it on your own, then do all of the necessary research, 

planning and preparation that is needed for your success.

Prepare To Succeed

            Decide what you think you would want to do, and then figure out how your planned site will generate a real income. Internet old-timers know about hundreds of corporation domains that existed with IPO millions, but did not have an actual money plan that could sustain their business model. Most of these companies were among the hundreds of companies that bellied

up in the 2000 dot bomb experience.

            Don't blindly believe in your plan. Research others on the web who have undertaken similar business models and see if they have survived. Study your competitors in depth to learn what is working for them and what did not work for them. To better understand what has or has not worked for competitor websites, check out their time lapsed progressions using the

Wayback Machine: www.archive.org/web/web.php

Become an Internet Guru

            You're familiar with the big time Internet Marketing "Gurus" whose launches are legendary. So, learn what it is that makes a guru, well, a guru. Guru launches are something that everyone in the Internet marketing field watches with a keen eye. After all, most of them make at a minimum, hundreds of thousands of dollars and many of them make multiple millions. You'll see all kinds of different companies and people promoting their launches. You might even ask yourself, "How can I get all the big wigs to promote my launch so I can cash in and make big money just like them?" This is the million dollar question that we all have rolling around in our heads when new launches surface. It's well known that big launches that make a fortune are one of the big benefits of being an Internet Marketing Master!

            It's because of this authoritative status that you are probably on every Internet Guru mailing list so that you can spy on what they're doing. NOTE: They have an insider club! You probably realize that getting the masters to promote your product just isn't as easy as dropping them an e-mail or DVD/CD image.  In fact, it's near impossible to get any of the Gurus to even answer an e-mail, support ticket, or phone call! This is because of their insider club. They only communicate in the business sense, with people they see as part of the "Guru" club. This small group have huge lists and promote the each others offers. Of course this results in huge launches with tons of credibility which produce income that most of us can only dream of.

            You've seen the launches, you've bought the products, and you've seen the stories after the launch about how much money was made. But the tide is turning, now that the number of Gurus have multiplied. Some of their emails end with a note that they are contactable.

            Gurus get more respect, referrals, and money than "Joe Brown" Internet Marketer!

Being an Internet marketing authority has many perks that go with the title, beyond making a bunch of money. Sure, you get to enjoy the benefits of six or seven figure launches on a regular basis with tons of cash hitting your bank account. But you also get tons of respect and hold a position of high esteem in the market place which people take notice of. This respect also breeds trust which continues to bring in new customers based on past popularity and launches. This is how these paramount marketers continue to make sales even after their big product launch is over. People also refer customers to Internet Gurus, many without any compensation, because they know the recommendation is high quality.

            Not everyone is in it for the money! In fact, many people like referring people to excellent courses and resources because their friends will thank them for it. It's this respect that makes people take notice and willingly promote a high profile marketing educators' launches and products on a regular basis. Most people who buy the product or service offered

on a big guru launch immediately become affiliates and promote it as well. These are all big effects of being a Guru. The Solution? Become an internet marketing guru yourself!

            Today’s philosophy is to build relationships with like-minded people who seek guidance to achieve their goals. People are looking for leaders and great coaches. Build relationships first, sell only later. Take it one step further-don’t just sell, offer solutions, offer your help. Be yourself and display genuine personality. Share first, sell later. Keep in mind that people are first interested in themselves and thereafter, anyone else who evinces interest in them.

Now imagine this hypothesis: You create a product and tell a few of your buddies about it and tell them about the launch date. Some may know big Gurus and tell them about you. They promise to promote it and tell many of their marketing friends until you have a roster of a couple dozen high profile people committed to promote your launch. Promotions start well before launch day and come the big day, all of your associates crank out e-mail and blog

promotions on your launch sending tens of thousands of visitors to your site.