THE SCOTCH WHISKY TRADE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 783, 9 March 1905, Page 27

THE SCOTCH WHISKY TRADE.

The expectations of an improvement in the Scotch whisky trade in 1904 were not fulfilled. The output rose by 1,103,408 gallons, to 27,110,977 gallons, while the stocks increased by 1,054 993 gallons, and now stand at the largest total on record The movements in production and stocks since what is known as the Pattison debacle are shown in the following :—

In ten years the stocks have nearly doubled, while, the production in 1904-1905 is estimated at only 14 per cent, above that of 1894-1895. The “Statist” remarks“ There is no record of how much of the stock is malt whisky, which is maturing and improving in value for blending purposes and how much is grain whisky, which will not improve to the same extent • but in any case there is a vastly larger quantity than is required for blending purposes And of course the whole stock is being carried at considerable cost, while it depresses the market for the current make. It is obvious that it will take a very much greater increase in the consumption than there is any possibility of seeing to get rid of this incubus of the trade, or to reduce it to reasonable proportions unless the production be very largely reduced, and be kept down for some time to come. This is why the outlook is so discouraging for distillers, who, if they close their distilleries, know that they must lose severely in interest and depreciation.” And so long as the Scotch whisky trade is depressed we must expect forced realisations, and free importation of cheap and immature spirits into Australia

The largest sale of bottled wine on record took place in November in London, at Messrs W. and T Restell’s auction rooms. A total sum of over £50,000 was realised. There were sold altogether 431,628 bottles of burgundies and chablis, clarets and sauternes, and ho ks and moselles which came from the extensive stock of the late Mr i homas Welch, of Mincing Lane. Before the sale a catalogue of nearly a hundred pages was sent to each wine merchant in the United Kingdom, as well as to many noted dealers—most of whom were represented—in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Hungary, Russia, and Italy. Some idea of the number of catalogues issued can be gathered from the fact that one and three-quarter tons of paper were used for them. Among the best prices realised, says the “Distillers’ Magazine,” were; —Burgundy (1887 vintage), 40s per dozen ; Chambertin (1887), 38s; Chambertin elos (1889), 51s; Chateau Latour (1890), 36s ; Chateau Margaux (1893), 60s; hocks, from 645; moselles, from 395; and champagne, (G. H. Mumm and Co.), 90s. The London correspondent of the Sydney “Morning Herald” writes: —More and more Australian wines appear to be capturing the Home trade. Official returns of the imports of wine into the United Kingdom, both in casks and bottle, for the eleven months just ended, show, in comparison with the corresponding period last year that Australia is the only source of Great Britain’s supply which has obtained an increase. France shows a falling off of no less than 1,289,032 gallons ; Portugal, of 549,263 gallons; Spain, of 470,923 gallons; Germany, of 53,751 gallons ; and Italy, of 14 536 gallons. On the other hand, Australia increased her 1903 total to November, of 559,971 gallons to 591,703 gallons, an increase .of 31,732 gallons. It is remarked here that “Australian wine must be gaining in public favour.” There is no doubt it is, for taste in

wine is gradually leaving the old heavier sorts and turning to the lighter vintage A good deal of Californian wine is now drunk at table, Moselles and such being bottled in quarterpints- which are sold in the restaurants at Is 6d per bottle—as well as in the larger and more usual sizes, Australian ferruginous wines, such as clarets and burgundies, are in repute for medicinal purposes—they are ordered to people who want “bracing up.” And if light table wines were bottled in the small size indicated, an increased demand would probably follow. That was the opinion of a well-known restaurant proprietor with whom I discussed the matter recently, and who informed me that the ‘‘baby” bottles of Californian wine were coming much into favour. Australian wine consignments are now offering at Is 8d to 2s per gallon, i.b Writing of wine calls to mind the fact that a New South Wales firm, the Hunter Valley Distilling Company, I believe, have sent samples of their brandy to the commercial agents in London, for the purpose of gauging trade opinion as to the possibilities of business with their brandies in the Home market. Wisely, the samples have been marked as having been distilled from pure grape juice Recently there have been a good many prosecutions of publicans and others, for selling a liquid which is not a pure grape brandy. The substitutes which have been sold have been so cunningly and so scientifically concocted that it has been impossible for the human palate to tell the real from the other. Scientific analysis has, however, revealed the difference. Something inherent in grape brandy, and in grape brandy alone, has been wanting. The question of what is ** brandy ” is still undetermined ; there is really no standard. The British Pharmacopoeia, however defines it as ‘ spirit distilled from the grape, ” and this has been acted upon by the Courts. How extensive was the sale of the inferior sort, to give a name to that which nobody has been able, so far, to define, may be gathered from the fact that nW 99 out of every 100 licensed houses in London display prominently a notice that “ the brandy sold in this establishment is not guaranteed to be pure grape brandy, but is of the same good quality as heretofore,” etc., and so forth. Good Australian grape brandies, which contain 80 per cent of ether, should, therefore, in the future, have a wide market before them.

Stocks. Proof Gals. Production. Proof Gals. 1899-1900 .. 109,898,389 . . 31,798,465 1900-1901 .. 114,853,325 . . 30,196,016 1901-1902 .. 119,948,047 . . 29,973,193 1902-1903 .. 120,343,958 . . 26,007,569 1903-1904 .. 121,337,951 . . 27,110,977