The global market review of malt whisky – forecasts to 2012 is the first of our joint titles with The International Wine and Spirit Record (The IWSR). The IWSR brings 35 years of experience in providing first-class, primary brand data that focuses exclusively on the global alcoholic beverage market.

This extensive new report provides exclusive research for the malt whisky market (blended and single), and contains 38 detailed tables. They include actual volume data from 1997 through to 2006, and forecast data to 2012 for the top 10 brands and companies, on a global, regional and country basis for malt whisky consumption.

The market for malt whisky continues to rise with volumes up by 5.2% in 2006, standing at just over 6m cases, making it worth an estimated US$2.4bn.

It now grows faster than blended Scotch and the category continues to shift towards the premium end of the spectrum. And yet, amidst the optimism that pervades the industry just-drinks has found issues that need to be addressed if malt whisky is to truly establish itself as a premium spirits category.

If malt is to grow, should it disassociate itself from blended Scotch and establish itself as a separate premium spirits category with a wider competitive set? More worryingly, at only 7.3% of the total Scotch category, and given the growing premiumisation of the market, is malt whisky under-performing when compared to the rest of the drinks industry?

The report aims to answer these questions, and further investigate the performance of most of the major malt brands, such as Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet and The Macallan. It discusses the evolution of the category’s continuing shift to premium, and reviews the performance of the major markets. Comment from executives, such as Andrew Gray, sales director, Bruichladdich and David King, Glenrothes are included.

Chapter 1: Brand performance – The report provides an overview of the top brands, with comment from executives such as Nick Morgan, marketing director, malts, Diageo, and Steven Sturgeon, marketing director William Grant & Sons. We also take a look at the major markets, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan, and data tables showing the top 10 companies and brands by volume for the duty free sector are also included.

Chapter 2: Brand strategies – Two years ago, the previous edition of this report concluded that the malt category was at a crossroads. It was evolving from a product to a brand, and so with its continued growth, and increased number of volume players, we ask, has the evolution taken place? We also discuss the progress of malt as a brand, and its foray into the luxury segment, plus we take a look at what kind of consumer drinks malt, and we consider, ‘How do malts differentiate themselves from the crowd?’

Chapter 3: Does anyone know how much whisky there is? – Much of the malt category’s future growth is predicated on there being sufficient whisky to fuel it. While this may sound like a truism, the problem is that while each firm knows how much stock it is sitting on, no-one fully knows how much stock there currently is overall. This, needless to say, makes forward planning somewhat difficult. In this chapter we discuss the status of the market further, along with pricing issues, such as heavy discounting, particularly at key periods of the year, and the direct effect this has on brand-building.

At the other end of the spectrum, the rising cost of top-end whiskies is already causing consternation among the malt aficionado community, and there are mutterings among the mavens that since they have been priced out of the collectable single malt market, they will turn their attention elsewhere, to rum, Armagnac or Cognac.

Regional data for Asia, Australasia, CIS, Europe, North America and the Rest of Americas showing malt whisky consumption by volume to 2012 and value for 2006 is also included in this section.

To see full table of contents, and the extensive list of tables, click on the ‘contents’ tab.

Chapter 1 Brand performance
The trend to premium
The major markets
The US
France
The UK
Spain and Japan
Taiwan
Canada
Duty free
Germany
Italy

Chapter 2 Brand marketing strategies
Who drinks malt?
How do malts differentiate themselves from the crowd?
Malt as brand: a progress report
Can malt be luxury?
The over-arching idea?
The consequence of slowness (or was Cardhu right?)
Are we there yet?

Chapter 3 Does anyone know how much whisky there is?
Will malts pay the price for blends’ success?
Pricing
Play…or walk away?
The flight of the mavens?
Regional data
Asia
Australasia
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Europe
North America
Rest of Americas

List of tables
Table 1: Global malt whisky consumption, 1997-2012 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 2: Malt whisky consumption by region, 1997-2012 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 3: Global top ten brands by malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 4: Global top ten companies by malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 5: Top ten markets by malt whisky consumption, 1997-2012 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 6: Top ten fastest growth markets by malt whisky consumption, 1997-2012 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 7: Top ten brands in US malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 8: Top ten companies in US malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 9: Top ten brands in France malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 10: Top ten companies in France malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 11: Top ten brands in UK malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 12: Top ten companies in UK malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 13: Top ten brands in Spain malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 14: Top ten companies in Spain malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 15: Top ten brands in Japan malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 16: Top ten companies in Japan malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 17: Top ten brands in Taiwan malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 18: Top ten companies in Taiwan malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 19: Top ten brands in Canada malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 20: Top ten companies in Canada malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 21: Top ten brands in duty free malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 22: Top ten companies in duty free malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 23: Top ten brands in Germany malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 24: Top ten companies in Germany malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 25: Top ten brands in Italy malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 26: Top ten companies in Italy malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 27: Top ten brands in Asia malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 28: Top ten companies in Asia malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 29: Top ten brands in Australasia malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 30: Top ten companies in Australasia malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 31: Top ten brands in CIS malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 32: Top ten companies in CIS malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 33: Top ten brands in Europe malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 34: Top ten companies in Europe malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 35: Top ten brands in North America malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 36: Top ten companies in North America malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 37: Top ten brands in Rest of Americas malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)
Table 38: Top companies in Rest of Americas malt whisky consumption, 1997-2006 (‘000s nine-litre cases) and 2006 value (US$’000s)