Black Dog (whisky) explained

Black Dog Scotch Whisky
Type:	Scotch whisky
Abv:	42.8%
Manufacturer:	United Spirits Ltd (USL) (Diageo)
Origin:	Scotland (bottled in India)
Introduced:	1883
Colour:	Amber^[1]
Website:	unitedspirits.in/scotch-brands.aspx

Black Dog is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Indian beverage company United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo.

The Black Dog was first blended and bottled in Scotland in 1883 by James MacKinlay but since 1992 is bottled and marketed in India. The whiskies used in the blend come from Scotland.^[2]

In 2013, Black Dog was reported to be the world's fastest growing Scotch whisky by volume, according to International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR).^[3]

Black Dog is bottled in Parmori District Nasik in Maharashtra,^[4] by importing the undiluted spirits from Scotland, a strategy that avoids the import duties imposed on liquor imports to India that are bottled prior to import.^{[5] [6]} (Import duties may be as high as 150% for liquor bottled prior to import, but only about 30% when bottled in India.).

The brand's main competitors in India outside of the United Spirits family are 100 Pipers Blended Scotch owned by Pernod Ricard and an expression from the Teachers' family, Teacher's 50, a premium 12-year-old Scotch whisky, blended and matured in Scotland but bottled in India starting August 1997 to celebrate India's 50 years of independence,^[7] owned by Beam Suntory.^[8]

History

The Black Dog brand was first blended and bottled in Scotland in 1883 by James MacKinlay, a second-generation blender of the Leith-based family of Scotland^[9] to meet an order placed by Herbert Musgrave Phipson, owner of Phipson & Co. Wine Merchants from Bombay (now Mumbai), India.^{[10] [11]} He was assisted in this task by Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952), a 19-year-old British employee of Phipson- who was responsible for dispatching the consignment back to India- arriving in 1884. The brand was named Millard Black Dog and legend has it that he named it after his favourite salmon fishing fly, known as the Black Dog.^[12] There is no proof or evidence to this effect, or that Millard, a 19-year-old employee of Herbert Phipson had a brand of Scotch Whisky named after him.^[13]

McDowell & Co (now known as USL) and United Distillers formed United Distillers India Limited in 1992, creating India's first joint venture in the alcoholic beverages industry.^[14] It began bottling operations in Nashik to produce Black Dog for the Indian market.^[15]

In April 2004, it was reported in the media that USL (then named McDowell & Co) was planning to sell Black Dog in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.^[16] Black Dog had been sold in Pakistan during the British Raj, prior to the Partition of India.^[17] In October the same year, it was reported that McDowell & Co was negotiating with a company in Pakistan to manufacture Black Dog. According to Vijay Rekhi, then managing director of McDowell & Co, and then President of the UB Group's spirits division, "It will only be a small set-up as just three per cent of the Pakistani population is permitted alcohol consumption. But we are looking at the opportunity as we are trying to widen our footprints in the SAARC region." Rekhi also stated that bottling was already underway in Sri Lanka and the company was looking to expand to Bangladesh, Malaysia and Myanmar.^{[18] [19]} Even that small percentage (mainly tourists, expatriates, Parsees, Christians and non-Muslims), is discouraged from consuming alcohol during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Consumption of liquor by Muslims was banned by the Bhutto Govt in Pakistan in the mid-70s. ^[20]

2006, McDowell & Co Limited, Herbertsons Limited, Triumph Distillers and Vintners Private Limited, Baramati Grape Industries India Limited, Shaw Wallace Distilleries Limited and four other companies are merged to form United Spirits Limited.^[21]

Blends

Black Dog is available in five variations:

• Black Dog Black Reserve – Earlier known as Black Dog Centenary, it is an eight-year-old Scotch whisky. It was launched in New Delhi in September 2006.^[22]
• Black Dog Gold Reserve Aged 12 Years – Earlier known as Black Dog Deluxe.^[23] It was the first variant of Black Dog.
• Black Dog Quintessence Aged 21 Years – This version includes 25 single malts and grain whiskies, primarily from the Speyside Valley in Scotland. It is a limited edition of which only 3,540 bottles have been produced.^[24] The blend was rated gold at The Internationaler Spirituosen Wettbewerb 2013.^[25]
• Black Dog Reserve Aged 18 Years – This is a blend of aged malt and grain whiskies, aged for a minimum of 18 years in oak casks. It was launched in April 2011.^[26] It received the Gold Best in Class Award in the Scotch Whisky – Deluxe Blend – Aged 18 Years category at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2011,^[27] and was rated gold at the Internationaler Spirituosen Wettbewerb 2013.
• Black Dog Millard’s Private Reserve 14YO – A blend of 14-year-old single malts, with new citrus flavours, hints of vanilla and lightly toasted oak, reportedly with the addition of single malts from Linkwood distillery as well as the two additional years of maturation adding to its distinctive aromas and taste. ^[28]

Timeline

Year	Events
1883	Black Dog Scotch Whisky founded in Scotland
1992	Black Dog started to be bottled and marketed in India
1995	Black Dog Aged 12 years incorporates a new packaging design
2006
2010	Black Dog Reserve Aged 18 Years Blended Scotch Whisky is launched
2011	Gold Best in Class Award in the Scotch Whisky Deluxe Blend – 18-year-old category at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2011
2012	Black Dog Quintessence Aged 21 Years Blended Scotch Whisky is launched
2013
2021	Black Dog Millard’s Private Reserve 14YO is launched

Accolades

The Black Dog range of Scotch Whiskies have won gold medals at several spirits competitions including The Monde Selection in 2006 and the World Spirits Awards in 2011 for the Black Dog Aged 12 Years and the Monde Selection, World Spirits Awards, and the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2011 for the Black Dog Aged 18 Years. The Black Dog Reserve Aged 18 Years and the Black Dog Quintessence Aged 21 Years also won gold at Internationaler Spirituosen Wettbewerb 2013.

Marketing

USL has used jazz events as a platform to promote Black Dog in India.^[29] A Black Dog "Jazz Incident" was held in Mumbai on 22 February 2008.^[30] A concert featuring The Curtis King Band, was part of "The Black Dog Jazz Series", a series of jazz concerts in India. The band also performed at Black Dog "Jazz Incident" held in Gurgaon, Haryana on 28 February 2008.^[31]

In 2008, as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of Black Dog, the company held a 10-city concert tour by Stephen Kabakos, beginning in Delhi on 8 May. The concert also included shows in Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Mysore, Bangalore, Goa and Pune.^[32] The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi threw a celebration dinner to celebrate Black Dog's 130th anniversary in 2013.^[33]

In popular culture

• In the 1988 Bollywood film Shahenshah, Amrish Puri, playing a don named JK, orders Black Dog whisky while watching a female dancer perform an "item number". The noted villain Prem Chopra asks him why he favours the brand, to which he replies "Jab bhi mein gori haseeno ko dekhta hoon, mere dil me kale kutte bhaukne lagte hain. Tab mein Black Dog whisky peeta hoon." (When I see fair-skinned beauties, black dogs bark in my heart. And then I drink Black Dog whisky.)^[34]
• The origin of the name Black Dog is referenced in the 2006 novel A Twisted Cue by Rohit Handa. The novel's main character Mulkally, likes perpetuating colonial myths and stories, one of which concerned the origin of the label Black Dog. Mulkally claims that the whisky was specially blended and bottled for the Bengal Club in Calcutta – hence "Kala Kutta" (Black Dog in Hindi) for Calcutta. However, Mulkally knows that Black Dog was actually named after a salmon fly.^[35]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Scotch whisky - Black Dog, Dalmore, Jura, Whyte & Mackay . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002717/http://unitedspirits.in/scotch-brands.aspx?val=usl . 4 March 2016 . 21 July 2013 . Unitedspirits.in.
2. Web site: 5 January 2008 . United Spirits unveils limited edition of Black Dog . 21 July 2013 . Indiantelevision.com.
3. News: Dhamija . Anshul . Black Dog is world's fastest growing scotch . Times of India . 13 November 2013.
4. News: United Spirits begins bottling of Scotch whisky in India . The Economic Times . 7 January 2009.
5. Web site: Unnikrishnan . C.H. . 2 June 2008 . UB Group to launch local version of Whyte and Mackay . 21 July 2013 . Livemint.
6. Web site: 11 May 2008 . USL uses Black Dog to expand scotch biz . 21 July 2013 . Financialexpress.com. News: Allied Domecq eyes 20% growth in India . . 24 April 2004 . 21 July 2013.
7. Web site: Our Whisky . Teacher's Whisky.
8. Web site: Top 10 imported scotch whiskies under Rs. 2000 .
9. Web site: 22 November 2012 . Book Extract: Shackleton's Whisky Chapter 3 - Malt Maturing . NBR . 20 February 2017 . 21 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170221005948/https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/book-extract-shackletons-whisky-chapter-3-malt-maturing-ca-132719 . dead .
10. Web site: Edward Phipson. 11 November 2021. 27 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170227233725/http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/documents/Evacustes/PHIPSON%20Edward%20A%20(Family).htm. dead.
11. Web site: RootsWeb: INDIA-L Re: Bombay Firm. 27 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170227232821/http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/1999-05/0927403064. 27 February 2017.
12. News: 4 July 2013 . Scottish bites and vintage sips . . dead . 21 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130728053158/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-04/food-festivals/40370233_1_scotland-sandeep-arora-hotel . 28 July 2013.
13. Web site: 10 February 2017 . .
14. Web site: Group Information - History of McDowell . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131206135034/http://theubgroup.com/group_information.aspx . 6 December 2013 . 15 October 2013 . theubgroup.com.
15. Web site: Balfour . Frederik . 10 April 1995 . Alcohol Catches on in India . New York Times.
16. News: Sehgal . Arshdeep . 15 June 2004 . Mallya raises a toast for Samjhauta . Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com . TNN . 21 July 2013.
17. News: 9 April 2004 . Indian brand Black Dog whisky in Sri Lanka, Pakistan . Daily Mirror . dead . 21 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012052428/http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2004/04/09/ft/15.asp . 12 October 2013.
18. News: 11 October 2004 . McDowell plans foray into Pakistan . . 21 July 2013.
19. Web site: 11 October 2004 . McDowell plans foray into Pakistan . 21 July 2013 . Inhome.rediff.com.
20. Web site: 27 January 2011 . Guide To Drinking and Buying Alcohol in Pakistan . 17 February 2023 . matadornetwork.com.
21. April 2011 . UB Group supplement with April 2011 issue . dead . Ambrosia . https://web.archive.org/web/20181003020055/http://www.ambrosiaindia.com/2011/april/ub-groups.pdf . 3 October 2018 . 27 July 2013.
22. Web site: Black Dog and the new Triple Gold Reserve. 20 February 2017. 21 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010513/http://www.niravthakker.com/2014/05/black-dog-and-new-triple-gold-reserve.html. dead.
23. Web site: 20 August 2012 . USL launches "Black Dog" 21 Year Old . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012022928/http://www.sommelierindia.com/blog/2012/08/usl_launches_black_dog_21_year.html . 12 October 2013 . 21 July 2013 . Sommelierindia.com.
24. Web site: 20 August 2012 . USL launches "Black Dog" 21 Year Old . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012022928/http://www.sommelierindia.com/blog/2012/08/usl_launches_black_dog_21_year.html . 12 October 2013 . 12 October 2013 . Sommelier India Wine Magazine.
25. Web site: ISW Gewinner 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012035837/https://www.meiningers-weinsuche.com/de/isw-gewinner-2013 . 12 October 2013 . 10 October 2013.
26. Web site: 20 April 2011 . Luxury Scotch hits a new high with The Black Dog 18 Year Old . https://web.archive.org/web/20110426040219/http://www.indiaprline.com/2011/04/20/luxury-scotch-hits-a-new-high-with-the-black-dog-18-year-old/ . 26 April 2011 . 21 July 2013 . Indiaprline.com.
27. Web site: 2011 Results - IWSC.NET . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012015851/http://www.iwsc.net/search2010/wine . 12 October 2013 . 10 October 2013.
28. Web site: 24 November 2021. Diageo India adds Black Dog Millard's Private Reserve 14YO to the shelves . 17 February 2023 . traveldine.com .
29. News: 26 April 2010 . USL aiming for growth in premium space . . 21 July 2013.
30. Web site: 22 February 2008 . Black Dog 'Jazz Incident' present Curtis King in Mumbai . 21 July 2013 . Radioandmusic.com.
31. Web site: 28 February 2008 . Black Dog 'Jazz Incident' presents Curtis King in Gurgaon . 21 July 2013 . afaqs! . 12 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012013222/http://www.afaqs.com/news/company_briefs/index.html?id=30715_Black+Dog+%27Jazz+Incident%27+presents+Curtis+King+in+Gurgaon . dead .
32. Web site: 4 May 2008 . United Spirits plans nation-wide marketing campaign . 21 July 2013 . Hindu.com . 12 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012034256/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200805041862.htm . dead .
33. Web site: Black Dog Easy Evenings . Facebook. (account login required for access)
34. News: Malik . Ashok . 13 January 2005 . Hail Mogambo! . . 21 July 2013.
35. Book: Handa, Rohit . A Twisted Cue . 9 November 2003 . Orient Blackswan . 9788175300491 . Google Books.