Latest news with #JamesEspey
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Award-winning Scottish drinks firm puts brand up for sale
'We have worked with care and conviction to build a brand that reflects Scottish heritage, quality and a strong commitment to sustainability that extends beyond the bottle' – Sarah Dougan Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An awarding-winning Glasgow drinks venture has put its brand and and associated assets up for sale. Slange Var is said to have a 'robust intellectual property portfolio', including internationally registered trademarks for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and food products. Bosses are also considering limited brand licensing opportunities, including product-specific collaborations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The firm - whose name derives from the phonetic rendering of the Scottish Gaelic for 'cheers to your health' - was recently listed in the Metis IP100, an international index that ranks intellectual property-rich companies, based on the quality and commercial potential of their IP portfolios. The Slange Var drinks venture was founded around a decade ago. The company has not placed a minimum value on the proposed sale, which includes internationally registered trademarks, recipes, domain names and associated digital assets. Founder Sarah Dougan believes it is a lucrative brand for an international drinks' producer, particularly one selling into markets with a large Scottish diaspora, such as North America, Australia and New Zealand. 'Slange Var is a brand with incredible potential, just waiting for the right partner to take it to the next level,' she said. 'We have worked with care and conviction to build a brand that reflects Scottish heritage, quality and a strong commitment to sustainability that extends beyond the bottle.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad James Espey, a shareholder in Slange Var, said: 'No longer is a brand name simply a catchy title; it's a digital asset with tangible, and often hefty, price tags attached. Before the internet, building a brand was a laborious process, often confined to geographical boundaries. 'Today, the digital landscape offers instant global reach, enabling brands to connect with millions, cultivate communities, and foster loyalty with unprecedented speed and efficiency.' Espey, who has helped to develop some of the world's most successful drinks brands, including Baileys Irish Cream and Chivas Regal 18 Year Old, added: 'A memorable, relevant domain name is the digital equivalent of prime real estate property. It acts as a direct conduit to a brand's online presence, influencing SEO [search engine optimisation] rankings, user experience, and brand recall.' Slange Var was founded around a decade ago by Dougan, an entrepreneur and former lecturer in business, and her husband Charles. Dissatisfied with existing low and zero-alcohol options, they crafted their own blend of lime, ginger, honey, cider vinegar and water. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The drink was entered at the SIP competition in California where some 300 judges awarded the top prize of the Consumers' Choice Award. Amid global economic headwinds, following Brexit, the pandemic and the energy crisis prompted by the conflict in Ukraine, the founders took a strategic decision to pause production and focus on strengthening the company's global IP portfolio and brand equity. This has involved securing registrations in key markets like the UK, EU, US, Australia and Japan, with pending applications in Canada and India.
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Last Drop Distillers Unveils Its Very Limited 2025 Collection
The 2025 Collection from The Last Drop Distillers is available now The Last Drop Distillers has just released its much anticipated 2025 Collection. As part of an annual drop, this year's Collection features three whiskies that have each undergone unique maturation methods by some of the most prestigious distilleries around the world. In this new release you'll find a 27 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery (Release No. 37), a 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch from the Tomintoul Distillery (Release No. 38) and a 22 Year Old Japanese Blended Malt Whisky (Release No. 39). Founded in 2008 by two icons of the spirits industry, Tom Jago and James Espey, The Last Drop Distillers has one main mission: to seek out and collect remarkable spirits from around the globe regardless of their spirits category and blend them in a seamless way to be enjoyed right down to the very last drop. Jago was in the spirits industry for over 50 years and is responsible for globally recognized brands such as Baileys Irish Cream, Malibu Rum, and Johnnie Walker Blue. Throughout his career he worked closely with Espey and the two built these beloved brands together, so it was a no brainer in 2008 when they decided to start the aptly named, The Last Drop Distillers. With decades in the spirits industry, the connections these two men made were endless which is something that's helped the brand grow into what it is today. Under the watchful eye of The Assembly, a carefully selected panel of experts who survey the barrels available to The Last Drop, nearly 90% of offerings are rejected due to the brand's high quality standards. 'We are very fortunate in that now we've moved from the early days where it was very much about us hunting for these old barrels and now people are approaching us,' says Drew Mayville, Master Blender at The Last Drop Distillers. While they have more supply he says they are still very picky and exact with which ones they will use. 'It goes beyond curating and finding the right barrels, now we have to create exactly what will have the right taste.' This year's release showcases the art of blending and maturation while focusing on best-in-class American, Scotch and Japanese whisky management techniques. The 2025 Collection features everything from the innovative aging experiments taking place at Buffalo Trace Distillery, to the exceptional cask program used to age the Tomintoul, and the time-honored art of Japanese distilling, blending, and maturation. 'One Collection is released a year, each vastly different from the last. 'It's never the same categories and will never be the same quantities,' says Rebecca Jago, Director of Brand Experience and daughter of Tom Jago 'This year's Collection includes three really remarkable spirits. They're all very different and they are all really sublime.' Read on to learn more about the 2025 Collection. Only 508 bottles are available with a suggested retail price of $10,500 The Last Drop 27 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery As one of the oldest bourbons yet to be released, this special creation features three of Buffalo Trace's oldest barrels – distilled in 1995, 1996 and 1997. These barrels were hand selected and then married together by Mayville and Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. The resulting whiskey showcases the depth and character that can only come from decades of careful aging under expert supervision at the distillery's state-of-the-art maturation facility, Warehouse P. It consists of a bright bronze-gold liquid that catches in the light, with aromas of seasoned oak, cherry, and medjool dates. Baking spices and dark fruit notes intertwine with an emerging peppery rye influence that adds a layer of complexity. Perfectly aged, the finish is long and satisfying. The dried fruits and caramel are lengthened by the tingling oak spice, producing a smooth and warming sipping whiskey. Only 430 are available with a suggested price of $6,950 The Last Drop 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch from the Tomintoul Distillery The sister cask to The Last Drop Release No. 36, which debuted in the 2024 Collection as the brand's oldest single malt release to date, this rich, ultra-aged single malt is comprised of three casks of single malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-sherry butts and refill sherry hogheads, all distilled in April 1969. To preserve the character and quality of the whisky, these casks were married together and placed into an ex-Matusalem Sherry butt to finish for an additional two years before bottling, bringing a multi-faceted flavor profile to the liquid. With a deep amber-tinged appearance there's a bit of dusky pink that reflects its extended aging. It smells rich like red fruits and has soft notes of ripe peaches, enhanced by toasted almonds and warm toffee. Tasting like juicy stone fruits and warm baking spices, underpinned by a grassy dryness and liquorice sweetness. The spirit opens up with the exotic flair of a pineapple upside down cake and rich caramel. It's a smooth, deeply satisfying spirit with a complex sweet, yet spicy, finish. Only 319 bottles available with a suggested retail price of $5,500 The Last Drop 22 Year Old Japanese Blended Malt Whisky Though Hanyu Distillery has been closed for nearly 25 years, it's still known for its elusive whisky. This rare bottling encapsulates the artistry of Japanese distilling. Featuring malt whiskies distilled and laid for maturation in the year 2000 (the year Hanyu ceased operations) this release features a special marriage of 100% Japanese whiskies derived from two casks, both made from the coveted Mizunara oak. Known for its porous, temperamental nature, Mizunara imparts a distinctive flavor profile with floral, herbal and nutty characteristics. This rich deep gold whisky smells immediately like sandalwood, warming nutmeg and all-spice with further green wood earthiness leads to vanilla and marzipan notes. Taste a sip for surprising flavors of tropical fruits such as banana and coconut combined with red berries that create a silky smooth mouthfeel, while spiced incense and wood briefly return briefly to create a perfectly-balanced and not overly sweet liquid. 'It gives me great pride, as custodian of the brand's legacy, to see the tradition of curating remarkable spirits continue with these three exceptional whiskies,' says Jago. 'My father and James would undoubtedly be proud of how The Last Drop has flourished, and I look forward to sharing this collection with our friends and customers." Every bottle from The Last Drop 2025 Collection is wax-sealed and individually numbered, and packaged in a bespoke bottle suspended in an oak frame, held within a signature green case. Each case also includes a 50ml miniature bottle, a pocket-sized tasting book, and an engraved stopper cork. The Last Drop 2025 Collection is now available in limited quantities and can be found at high-end retailers, restaurants, and bars.
