Time to sort this out
Dave Broom launches a campaign for clear labelling
Initially, the trade appeared to take the Cardhu/dow switch with remarkable equanimity. Maybe it just took a long time for the penny to drop, for now we have âOutraged of Speysideâ protesting long and loud about the whole affair.
The British nationals have even got hold of it. Knew fine well that the story wouldnât go away. Remember where you read it first kids!
Whle the vatting of Cardhu isnât dragging whiskyâs reputation through the mire as some suggest, it does set a precedent. How other distillers act upon this will determine whether it is a dangerous one or not.
There have been views aired which call into question the decision to sell the vatted Cardhu under the same name as the single malt, the argument being that it could make consumers assume that all malts could be vatted.
Agree with that or not, it touches on the central issue, namely that this isnât about vatted malts, but about labelling. Specifically it centres around the use of the word âpure.â
I was in Switzerland the other week and saw bottles of Glen Grant âpure maltâ next to Cardhu âpure maltâ, next to Glenlivet âpure single maltâ.
Which one of these is vatted? How can a consumer know? Just as you think things canât get any weirder along comes Bellâs with its new vatted malt expression and guess what the label says?
âA rich blend of pure maltsâ. Can someone tell me what the hell that means? Once youâve stopped laughing that is.
I canât imagine the Scottish.....
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By Dave Broom
Section : A dram with Dave Broom
Page number : 12
