Dewars is the fifth most sold blend in the world and the undisputed leader in the US. For the period from 1886, when he received gold at an exhibition in Edinburgh, and until 2016 inclusive, the brand was awarded six dozen medals, only gold and silver. This is the undisputed record of Scotch whiskey. And when the British Queen in 1966 decided to establish an award for the best drinks exported by the UK (The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement), Dewar’s was awarded the first, and then he received this award 7 more times.
Historical reference. It all started in 1828, when John Dewar, who had barely reached the age of majority, left his father’s farm and went to Perth in search of work, where he got a job as a salesman in a liquor store. After 9 years, thirty-year-old John became his uncle’s partner in the alcohol business and, until 1846, acquired capital to open his own business.
Dewar built a small factory on the outskirts of Perth with workshops where he worked on the creation of blends, and cellars in which he stored spirits. Two important decisions that favorably distinguish it from competitors contributed to the success of the enterprise:
- the staff included the position of a traveling salesman who was engaged in the supply and promotion of whiskey throughout the country;
- John Dewar was the first to sell blends in glass bottles, instead of the usual kegs, and left his own signature on the label.
In 1879, his eldest son John became the owner’s partner. A year later, the father died, leaving the reins of government to his son. In 1884, the younger brother joined his older brother, twenty-year-old Thomas, who soon became famous as a brilliant advertiser.
In 1885, Thomas Dewar moved to London and began a campaign to bring heirloom scotch to the British market. And he did it so successfully that already in 1886 Dewar’s received silver at the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art (International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art in Edinburgh). And in 1887 he opened an office in London, where until that moment whiskey was not popular.
In 1892, Thomas Dewar went on a two-year journey around the world, the purpose of which was to popularize the signature drink. As a result, the company has 32 agents in different parts of the world, and the turnover has grown 10 times. By the end of the journey, Dewar’s had become the official scotch supplier to the royal courts of Britain, Sweden and Spain, selling a million gallons of whiskey annually.
A year after completing his trip around the world, Thomas opened an office in the States and bought a car there, becoming the third British motorist after the Prince of Wales and the owner of the tea giant Lipton. By that time, the company’s fortune was estimated at 100 thousand pounds sterling.
All this time, the elder brother, John Dewar, was directly involved in the production of the drink and the affairs of the company. But in 1929 he died, and a year later Thomas Dewar also died. They left to their heirs about five million pounds and an enterprise that annually brings in a million.
Today, John Dewar and Sons is part of the alcohol concern Bacardi & Company Ltd.
Advertising campaigns
Thomas Dewar, in his first year of work, used street performers who, for a moderate fee, entered drinking establishments in London and demanded Dewars whiskey, and when they did not get what they wanted, they burst into an angry tirade and left. After several such performances, the owners remembered the brand, and when Thomas came with an offer, they willingly bought a drink.
At the three-day strong alcohol exhibition in Birmingham, at first no one approached the stands of the then unknown drink. On the second day, Thomas Dewar hired a street musician in a kilt and bagpipes, whose playing drew a crowd of curious people around. As a result, it was possible to organize not only general fun, but also the success of scotch tape. And the image of Highlander, a Scottish highlander with a traditional folk instrument, has become a symbol of the company.
Before his trip around the world, Thomas Dewar sent a barrel of Dewars scotch to the American president, who had no idea of the existence of such a brand, much less of the upcoming gift. The news of the package quickly spread, American publications vying with each other accused the president of betraying his native bourbon, thereby advertising a new product for the US market for free.
In 1898, the Edison Company decided to advertise their services and create the world’s first motion picture advertising. How Thomas Dewar found out about this is unknown. But one day, on the roof of a high-rise building in Herald Square in the American capital, dancing men appeared and the images of a Dewar’s keg and a piper replaced them. So Edison made the first film advertisement for the drink, which became a worldwide event.
In 1911, under the direction of Thomas Dewar, a huge – 80 feet high, light structure depicting a piper was built on the London embankment. A special mechanism provided the illusion of movement – the piper seemed to sway to the beat of the music. The effect of the advertisement was enormous. The day after the installation of the light figure, its image appeared on the front page of all European publications, and sales of the drink increased dramatically.
Types of whiskey Duars
Dewar’s White Label (40%). The blend contains more than 40 malt spirits from all regions of Scotland. The base is also John Dewar & Sons’ Aberfeldy single malt with heather flavor. The blend is light, golden, with the aroma of slightly smoky heather. The taste is sweetish-spicy, the aftertaste is warm, of medium duration. They drink scotch clean and in all conventional combinations – with ice, tonic, cola.
Dewars 12 Years Old (40%). The blend changed its name in 2011 from Dewar’s Special Reserve. On the label you can see 14 medals that scotch was awarded. In production, the double matured technology was used (double exposure): alcohols already aged for at least 12 years are mixed in a blend, which is then aged for about a year. There is a marriage, or “marriage” of spirits. Twelve-year-old Duars is almost cognac in color with a complex aroma, in which notes of blossoming linden and heather smoke are felt. The taste is multifaceted, vanilla-honey with hints of dried fruit. Experts recommend drinking Scotch clean.
Dewars 18 Years Old (40%). Blend of amber-golden color, with sweet aromas of vanilla, caramel and almonds. Dry taste with a nutty tinge and tones of vanilla and chocolate. In addition to the medals that are visible on the label, the scotch has the title of “Best of the Best” according to Whiskey Magazine. Drink it clean.
Dewar’s Signature 21 Years Old (43%). Created in 2004 by Tom Aitken, experts call the blend Aberfeldy’s masterpiece. This amber-colored blend pleasantly smells of honey, raisins and vanilla. Soft taste with hints of honey, almonds and cinnamon leaves a warm aftertaste with subtle notes of heather. On the label – an elegant stroke of John Dewar, each bottle – with a personal number. Scotch is produced in a limited edition.
