Master of Malt
 | |
| Industry | Independent Bottler, Online Retail, Brand Distribution |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Royal Tunbridge Wells |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | List of products |
| Website | Master of Malt |
Master of Malt is a retail seller and independent bottler of Scotch whisky and other alcoholic beverages.
History
Master of Malt was founded in 1985, originally as a mail order company selling whisky by post.
In 1990, the company opened a retail shop in the spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. The Master of Malt website was first launched in 1997, and the business was turned into a solely online retailer when the shop was closed in 1998.
In 2009, the company restructured its business, establishing a new management team and launching a new website.
Since the relaunch, Master of Malt has diversified its business to include a significant amount of independent bottling, several additional sub-brands, a trade retail business and a brand distribution business.
Brands and products
Master of Malt brand
As well as being a retailer, Master of Malt releases products carrying its own branding.
- Single Cask Bottlings - These bottlings are all cask strength single cask releases. The range has included releases from the following distilleries: Arran, Springbank, Bally Delicious, Braes O’Glenlivet, Auchentoshan, Tormore, Tobermory, Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Clynelish, Balblair, Edradour, Glen Grant, Macallan & Ledaig
- Lost Bottlings Series - A series of rare and old whiskies including releases from Balblair, Bunnahabhain, Springbank, Edradour, Glen Grant & Ledaig.
- Secret Bottlings Range - a range of bottlings from undisclosed distilleries including an 8 Year Old Blended Whisky; 30, 40 & 50 year old releases from Speyside, and single malt releases from Speyside, The Lowlands, Islay, The Highlands, and The Islands.
- Single Malt Whisky Liqueurs - Liqueurs made exclusively from single malt whiskies, including 10, 15, 21, 30, 40 and 55 year old releases.
- Cocktail Bitters - Including single-varietal bitters, cask aged bitters and clear cocktail bitters.
Professor Cornelius Ampleforth
The Professor Cornelius Ampleforth[1] range is inspired by Victoriana in both the product recipes and packaging. All the products are wrapped in brown paper and are twine and wax-sealed.
The range includes Bathtub Gin, Rumbullion!, a cold-distilled Absinthe, and Old Tom Gin, Besmoked Vodka, Summer Fruit Cup, Proprietary Barley Spirit Drink and Cask Aged Gin.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company
That Boutique-y Whisky Company[2] is a range of single malt whiskies, single grain whiskies, blended whiskies and blended malts. They all carry cartoon-style label that are hand-drawn by illustrator Emily Chappell.
The Handmade Cocktail Company
The Handmade Cocktail Company[3] manufactures pre-mixed and bottled cocktails including The Vesper, The Rob Roy, The Negroni, The Old Fashioned, The Manhattan and a Gin Martini.
Drinks by the Dram
Drinks by the Dram[4] offers a range of thousands of spirits in a 3cl sample format as well as in tasting sets of 5 samples that include tasting notes. In 2012 Drinks by The Dram released the Whisky Advent Calendar and The Ginvent Calendar, in conjunction with The Gin Blog.[5]
The Hot Enough Vodka Company
The Hot Enough Vodka Company[6] produces vodkas infused with the Naga Jolokia chilli. In February 2012 Phillip Schofield tried the 100,000 Scoville Variant live on This Morning.[7]
Other products
Other Master of Malt branded products include a Maple Whisky Liqueur, a mature your own whisky kit and Kentucky Toasted Oak Barrels.
Master of Malt also produces products for other people, or co-branded products, including Boxes[8] Blend, The World Whisky Day Blend,[9] The Spectator Gin,[10] and Cream Gin, which was produced in conjunction of the Worship Street Whistling Shop.[11]
Distribution
Master of Malt acts as the UK distributor for the following brands.
- FEW Spirits[12] – U.S. Illinois Craft Spirit Distillery.
- Filliers Spirits[13] – Belgian Spirit Distillery.
- Spirit of Hven[14] – Spirit of Hven.
Awards
| Date | Awarded by | Award/Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2013 | Off-licence News - Drinks Retailing Awards | Online Retailer of the Year | Winner[15] |
| Feb 2013 | Off-licence News - Drinks Retailing Awards | Innovation of the Year | Winner[15] |
| Mar 2013 | Icons of Whisky | Online Whisky Retailer of the Year (Rest of World) | Winner[16] |
| Mar 2013 | Icons of Whisky | The World’s Best Online Retailer | Winner[16] |
| Mar 2013 | Icons of Whisky | Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year (Rest of World) | Winner[16] |
| Mar 2013 | Icons of Whisky | Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year (Rest of World) | Winner[16] |
| Mar 2013 | Icons of Whisky | Best New Range | Winner[16] |
| Mar 2013 | International Wine and Spirits Challenge | Liqueur | Silver - 40 Year Old Speyside Whisky Liqueur[17] |
| Mar 2013 | International Wine and Spirits Challenge | Gin - Premium & Super Premium | Gold - Bathtub Gin[17] |
| Mar 2013 | International Wine and Spirits Challenge | Gin - Super Premium | Silver - Cream Gin[17] |
| Mar 2013 | International Wine and Spirits Challenge | Gin | Silver - Origin - Istog, Kosovo[17] |
| Feb 2013 | Rum Masters | Rum - Overproof | Silver - Navy Strength Rumbullion![18] |
| Mar 2013 | World Whiskies Awards | World’s Best Liqueur | Winner - 40 Year Old Speyside Whisky Liqueur[19] |
| Mar 2013 | Icons of Whisky | Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year (Global) | Winner[16] |
| Mar 2012 | Icons of Whisky | Online Retailer of the Year | Winner[16] |
| May 2012 | Drinks Business Awards | Best Design and Packaging | Winner - Bathtub Gin[20] |
| Mar 2012 | World Whisky Design Awards | Best Innovation - New Brand | Winner - Drinks by the Dram[20] |
| Feb 2012 | International Wine and Spirits Competition | Gin - Contemporary Style | Gold - Bathtub Gin[21] |
| Feb 2012 | International Wine and Spirits Competition | Flavoured Rum - Spiced | Silver - Rumbullion![22] |
| Feb 2012 | International Wine and Spirits Competition | Scotch Whisky - Blended - No Age Stated | Bronze - St Isidore Blended Scotch Whisky[23] |
| Feb 2012 | International Wine and Spirits Competition | Vodka - Flavoured - Chilli | Bronze - 100,000 Scovilles Naga Chilli Vodka[24] |
References
- ↑ "Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Products". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "That Boutique-y Whisky Company Products". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Handmade Cocktail Company Products". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Drinks by the Dram Products". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "www.theginblog.co.uk". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "The Hot Enough Vodka Company Products". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Schofield tries vodka on air". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Boxes on MySpace". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "World Whisky Day Blend". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Spectator Gin". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "The Whistling Shop". Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Few Spirits page on Master of Malt official website". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Filliers page on Master of Malt official website". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Spirit of Hven page on Master of Malt official website". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Drinks Retailing Award 2013 Results". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 "Icons of Whisky 2013 Results". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 "International Wine and Spirits Challenge 2013 Results". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Rum Masters 2013 Results". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Rum Masters 2013 Results". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Drinks Business Awards 2012 Results". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Bathtub Gin Gold IWSC 2012". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "Rumbullion! Silver IWSC 2012". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "St Isidore Bronze IWSC 2012". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑ "100,000 Scovilles Naga Chilli Vodka Bronze IWSC 2012". Retrieved 2013-05-13.
External links
Media related to Master of Malt at Wikimedia Commons