Distiller of the Year 2007 - Scotch Blog's Drammies Awards

We are proud to have been voted by the public, for the second year in a row, the Drammies’ Distiller of the Year. A title that includes all areas of the whisky industry and not only distilling, but blending and independent bottling too. 

“Over all this distiller did the best job this year. New Products, moving the industry forward, whatever criteria you choose, these guys are in the forefront”
-  Kevin Erskine, Scotch Blog

The  Scotch Blog is  the ‘pleasingly irreverent’ US-based, whisky website edited by whisky fan – and in these days of marketing muscle – the laudably independent Kevin Erskine. This award is particularly satisfying to us, for it is won by votes cast by the public and the trade alike – and not bestowed  on ‘Muggins’ turn’, influenced by advertising revenue, or  decided by entry fee investment as happens at most other whisky awards.

As Erskine explains on his illuminating web site www.thescotchblog.com “The Drammies were created to be, above all, a "People's Choice" award  - to try to disregard the influence that the industry has over the spirits writers and periodicals…” 

“These are not awards chosen by a single person, they are not even the selections of a closed panel of "experts", and it is definitely NOT meant to be the Special Olympics of Spirit awards where everyone is urged to enter (for a fee) and everyone walks away with a Gold Medal they can stick on their ads and bottles to fool consumers. No fees here. Only nominations for the more interesting things out there, and awards for the most deserving products.”

It is equally satisfying to see that Islay dominates these awards, punching way above it’s weight; Islay distilleries won  three out of  the six whisky  awards (excluding non-whisky products and worst categories) that’s 50% from a measly  9% of Scotland’ s distilleries. And, in this purer environment,  independent companies won hands down over multinationals – 4 of the 7 positive awards went to the Little Guys, the private enterprises.

Finally, a word from Erskine about how The Drammie Awards were processed to ensure absolute authenticity, for as an indication of  just how important these awards are considered by the trade, the world’s leading drinks company was exposed trying to rig the voting: “We looked VERY closely at all of the votes - and anything that so much as hinted of impropriety was disregarded.”. What was worthy of being disregarded? Suspicious volumes from industry domains, single votes (for a single product in a single category), voting in bloc (votes only for a single company's products) and uninformed votes (clearly from voters who had no experience of the nominees). 

Thanks to all those who voted for us.