 | |
| Type | Indian whisky |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Spirits Ltd (USL) |
| Country of origin | India |
| Alcohol by volume | 42.8% |
| Related products | |
Director's Special, commonly referred to by its abbreviation DSP, is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL). It is molasses based. Shaw Wallace won a legal battle in US courts against the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) to sell the product as "whisky". [1]
DSP was originally manufactured by Shaw Wallace. [2]
United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of the United Breweries Group (UB Group), acquired Shaw Wallace in July 2005. [3] On 1 April 2008, Shaw Wallace was merged with USL and DSP officially became a USL brand. [4] In April 2008, the UB Group appointed London-based design firm Claessens International to create new packaging. [5] [6]
DSP Black, expanded to Director's Special Black, is an extension of the Director's Special brand into the deluxe whisky segment [7] of the Indian market. It was launched in 1988 by Shaw Wallace. [8]
The following table shows the annual sales of Director's Special and DSP Black:
| Year | Sales (in million cases) | |
|---|---|---|
| DSP | DSP Black | |
| 2001-02 | 3 [2] | |
| 2006 [9] | 3.8 | 0.9 |
| 2007 [9] | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| 2008 [9] | 4 | 1.8 |
| 2009 [9] | 4.4 | 2 |
| 2010 [9] | 4.5 | 2.9 |
| 2011 [9] | 4.5 | 2.9 |
| 2012 [10] | 4.3 | 2.9 |
United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL), also called UB Group, is the Indian subsidiary of Heineken N.V.. It is headquartered in UB City, Bangalore, Karnataka. Its core business includes beverages and investments in various sectors. The company markets beer under the Kingfisher brand, and owns various other brands of alcoholic beverages. United Breweries is India's largest producer of beer.
Shaw Wallace & Company Limited, abbreviated to SWC, is an Indian liquor manufacturer headquartered in the Wallace House in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was established in 1886 by Robert Gordon Shaw and Charles William Wallace. It was involved in the production and sales of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). The two biggest brands of SWC were Royal Challenge whisky and Director's Special whisky.
Whyte & MackayLtd is a company producing alcoholic beverages based in Glasgow, Scotland. The company is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in Southeast Asia.
White Mischief is a brand of Indian vodka and brandy manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. United Spirits Ltd, the spirits division of Diageo, claims a market share of 46%, making it the largest selling vodka in India.
As of 2006 most distilled spirits labelled as "whisky" in India were a form of Indian-made foreign liquor, commonly blends based on neutral spirits that are distilled from fermented molasses with only a small portion consisting of traditional malt whisky, usually about 10 to 12 percent. Outside India, such a drink would more likely be labelled a rum. According to the Scotch Whisky Association's 2013 annual report, unlike in the European Union (EU), "there is no compulsory definition of whisky in India, and the Indian voluntary standard does not require whisky to be distilled from cereals or to be matured. Very little Indian 'whisky' qualifies as whisky in the EU owing to the use of molasses or neutral alcohol, limited maturation and the use of flavourings. Such spirits are, of course, considerably cheaper to produce than genuine whisky." Such molasses-based blends made up 90 percent of the spirits consumed as "whisky" in India in 2004, although whisky wholly distilled from malt and other grains, was also manufactured and sold. By 2004 shortages of wheat had been overcome and India was one of the largest producers. Amrut, the first single malt whisky produced in India, was launched in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004. After expanding in Europe it was launched in India in 2010.
Bagpiper is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It was launched in October 1976. Bagpiper is sold in a square bottle with black and gold packaging design. The company describes the whisky's flavour as "a light malty aroma and a hint of a smooth woody character, owing to the use of malt spirits specifically matured in pre-identified American oak casks". It is similar to a blended whisky flavored with pot still malt whisky, but the neutral spirits used as base are distilled from molasses instead of grain.
Royal Stag, also known as Seagram's Royal Stag, is an Indian whisky launched in 1995. It is available in many countries across the world in various pack sizes. It is Pernod Ricard's best selling brand by volume. It is a blend of grain spirits and imported Scotch malts. It is commonly available in 1 L, 750 mL, 375 mL and 180 mL bottles and also available in 90 mL and 60 mL bottles. The brand is named after a species of deer famous for its antlers, that is also featured in its logo. It is produced in several company-owned as well as bottler-owned distilleries. It was the first whisky brand launched in India that did not use any artificial flavours.
Blenders Pride launched in 1995. It is a Rum brand of Indian whisky, owned by Pernod Ricard. It is a blend of Indian grain spirits and imported Scotch malt.
Antiquity is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It was launched in 1992 and is available in two variants – Antiquity Blue and Antiquity Rare.
Signature, also known as McDowell's Signature, is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It was launched in 1994. Signature is a blend of imported Scotch whisky and locally produced products. Signature is sold in octagonal bottles which were designed by London-based design firm Claessens International, who also designed the packaging of the bottle. It is available in two variants – Signature Rare Aged and Signature Premier Grain.
Royal Challenge, commonly referred to by the abbreviation RC, is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It was launched in the early 1980s. According to Binod K. Maitin, a United Breweries technician who oversees all the liquor blends for the company, Royal Challenge is a grain flavored whisky, blended with Scotch malts and Indian malts. In an article for The Wall Street Journal, reporter Eric Felton states that, "About 12% of the blend comes from real malt whiskies: some of it made in India, some actual Scotch. The rest of the mix is a neutral spirit distilled from molasses. That means that, strictly speaking, Royal Challenge, like most Indian "whisky", is actually a rum flavored to pass as whisky." The manufacturer has refused to state the percentage of Scotch whisky used in the blend. In the United States, Royal Challenge is referred to as "spirit whisky". Besides India, Royal Challenge is sold in several other countries including the Middle East and the United States.
Black Dog is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Indian beverage company United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo.
Imperial Blue, abbreviated to IB and also known as Seagram's Imperial Blue, is a brand of Indian whisky, owned by Pernod Ricard, and launched in 1997. It is a blend of Indian grain spirits with imported Scotch malts. It is commonly available in 750ml, 375ml and 180ml bottles, and also available in 90ml bottles.
United Spirits Limited, abbreviated to USL, is an Indian alcoholic beverages company, and the world's second-largest spirits company by volume. It is a subsidiary of Diageo, and headquartered at UB Tower in Bangalore, Karnataka. USL exports its products to over 37 countries.
Radico Khaitan Ltd. (RKL), formerly Rampur Distillery & Chemical Company Ltd., is an Indian company that manufactures industrial alcohol, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), country liquor and fertilizers. It is the fourth largest Indian liquor company. Radico brands are sold in more than 85 countries, including USA, Canada, South America, Africa, Europe, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
McDowell's No.1 is an Indian brand of spirits manufactured by United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It is USL's flagship brand and the largest umbrella spirits brand in the world, comprising three categories – whisky, brandy and rum. The brand also has bottled water and soda. The brand began with the launch of McDowell's No.1 Brandy in 1963–64. The brand's slogan is No1 Yaari Ka No1 Spirit.
Peter Scot is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by Khoday India Limited (KIL), and launched in May 1968. It is a flagship brand of the company and is manufactured at their Bangalore facility. In Khoday Distilleries Limited vs. The Scotch Whisky Association and Others, Peter Warren, an employee of Khoday, told the Supreme Court of India that the brand name Peter Scot was made up using his father's first name, "Peter", and his nationality, "Scot". Another factor in choosing the name was due to the British explorer, Captain Scott, and his son Peter Scott. Although the name "Scott" is spelt with two t's, it is phonetically the same as the word Scot. The brand's main competitors are Pernod Ricard's Blenders Pride and United Spirits Limited's Royal Challenge.
Officer's Choice, commonly known as OC, is an Indian whisky brand which is owned by Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD), formerly BDA. It is considered to be one of the largest spirit brands in the world. In 2015 Officer's Choice overtook Smirnoff vodka to become the world's largest selling spirit brand. In calendar year 2014, the brand sold 28.4 million cases, higher than any other spirit brand in the world. Compared to the other Indian whiskies which are mainly made from molasses, OC is made from grain.
Bhadrakali is a locality in Uttarpara Kotrung Municipality of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
Allied Blenders & Distillers is an Indian-made foreign liquor company, headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is a major distributor of whiskey, rum, vodka, brandy and other spirits, and exports to 22 countries around the world.
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