| Founded | 1844 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Key people | John Beard (CEO) |
| Products | Scotch Whiskies , Liqueurs, and Vodkas |
| Website | www.whyteandmackay.co.uk |
Whyte and Mackay Ltd is a Scottish company producing alcoholic beverages. It was founded in 1844 and is based in Glasgow. Since May 2007, Whyte and Mackay has been owned by United Breweries Group, a large Indian conglomerate.[1][2]
Charles Mackay and James Whyte started a company as whisky merchants and bonded warehousemen in Glasgow in 1882. W&M Special was their first blended whisky and it was successful in the United Kingdom and other English speaking countries around the world. After World War II they focused on the home market and now sell more than 1 million cases a year.
The company sells Single Malt and Blended Scotch Whiskies, Liqueurs, and Vodkas. Their brands include the W&M 13/19/22/30/40yr old blends[[3]]; Dalmore, Isle of Jura, and Fettercairn Single Malts; Glayva liqueur; and Vladivar Vodka.
Whyte and Mackay were sponsors of the English football team Leeds United from 2003 to 2006, but their backing did little to save the club from a financial crisis which cost them their place in the Premier League. The brand currently sponsors Edinburgh club Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League, the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, the PDC Premier League Darts and the Force India Formula One racing team (also owned by Dr Vijay Mallya).
Boxes of Whyte and Mackay can be seen in the 1931 film The Public Enemy.
In 2009, the company expanded into Social Media setting up Twitter accounts for Whyte and Mackay whisky and Jura Superstition. It also launched an ARG/online and offline game consisting of Twitter and GPS updates called the Whyte and Mackay Safari Hunt.[2]
March 2009 saw John Beard, former chief executive of Bacardi Brown Forman, replace Ashwin Malik as chief executive of Whyte and Mackay.
In October 2009, Whyte and Mackay Master Blender Richard Paterson announced on his blog site that the 30 year old Whyte and Mackay whisky had been voted the best blended whisky in the world in two different prestigious whisky competitions.[4]
In August 2010, it was reported that Whyte and Mackay will be attempting to replicate a supply of whisky discovered in Antarctica from a 1907 expedition of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton's supplies.[5] The 11 bottles of whisky recovered were of the Mackinlay brand; however, Whyte and Mackay now oversee those distilleries.
On October 14, 2010, Whyte and Mackay sold two bottles of their 64-year-old Dalmore Trinitas malt whisky for 100,000 pounds each, or about $160,000.[6] According to the master distiller, only three bottles of this whisky were ever made, and it will not be made again.