The World Whiskey Awards during the pandemic
As a first source of investigation we consulted the ranking of the best Whiskeys in the world and we compared it with our own sales flows which, however, are still incomplete to be able to draw conclusions.
This year, as we all know, the pandemic has not allowed us to organize any kind of activities and, therefore, the announcement of the best Whiskeys in the world it was done in live streaming.
Despite everything it was a memorable evening that respected the same canons of previous editions.
From international to Spanish taste
The jury tasted the samples without knowing the company and bottle and then evaluated the best distillate without any possibility of being conditioned in the choice.
Well those on the list of World Whiskeys Awards they are precious, cult and niche products that only rarely coincide with Spanish taste.
In fact, from a cross-analysis conducted by best sellers of the major shops and from the sales budgets of the past years it emerged that the Spanish prefer tradition, the guarantee of known taste.
An anomalous market of connoisseurs and collectors
In this regard, we found, reading various reflections and analyzes online, that the Spanish market It's anomalous.
It is estimated a per capita amount of whiskey consumed per year of only 0,2 liters against well 2 liters drunk by the French people and, despite this rather low figure, the most sought after distillates are the single malt torbati.
So on the one hand we consume little whiskey but on the other we know a lot about it.
This can also be seen from the number of participants in dedicated festivals that exceed five thousand per event, as well as from our local presence and attention to international celebrations.
Read also: Is there really a difference between whiskey and whiskey?
Well-known brands win, preferably peaty
So homegrown Whiskey connoisseurs could be considered more collectors than consumers.
Why? Because in the face of the data concerning the interest in Whiskey, it emerged that consumption and purchase, on the other hand, focus more on more "pop" spirits such as Johnnie Walker, Laphroaig, Talisker, Macallan, Ardberg, Lagavulin e Chivas Regal.
These Whiskeys are not entirely commercial but they are certainly i best known brands and, therefore, not really niche.
In fact, Japanese and Australian spirits have appeared on the international whiskey scene, multi-year winners of the World Whiskey Awards which still remain unexplored by average Spanish consumers.
Recent online sales
If we compare this data with the latest online sales the scenario confirms what emerged from the research consulted, for which Talisker, Lagavulin, Macallan and Laphroaig stand out alongside the best-selling bottle in the world, the Jhonnie Walker.
There has been a significant growth in whiskeys of Japanese origin but still towards non-niche distilleries.
This is not the same as saying that the Spanish drink Whiskey from the supermarket but that, on the contrary, they are traditionalists, peat lovers and Whiskey from Ireland.
The other Whiskeys, especially those of American and Australian origin, are mostly sold in bars where they are consumed expertly mixed for cocktails such as l’Old Fashioned, he Manhattan ed he Mint Julep.
Read also: The regions of scotch whiskey: focus on Speyside
Best sellers on our store
From our observatory, or according to the sales data of our online store, albeit very partial and marginal in relation to the entire Spanish market, we detect a substantial congruity of the above data and specifically, the 5 best-selling whiskey brands of 2020 among the many present in the category of whisky e scotch are the following:
- Lagavulin
- Ardbeg
- Talisker
- CAol Ila
- Glenfiddich
Read also: How to combine whiskey with food
Conclusions: an immature or timid market?
In conclusion we can say that the Spanish Whiskey Market more valuable has yet to fully expand.
We do not have sufficient data to be able to establish whether this is due to a question of cultural "immaturity" or to the confidentiality of a niche that is waiting for the right moment to emerge.
What we are sure of is that the analysis tools and the investigations available to us are not sufficient and, therefore, any deductible hypothesis could be overturned by any subsequent estimates that will be conducted at the end of the year.
At the same time the same data are interesting to trace it state of Spanish Whiskey culture which is alive, present and rapidly growing despite an “overwhelming” interest in a completely different kind of alcohol such as wines, sparkling wines, grappas and liqueurs.
