New "independent"? Maybe not.

You may have heard about Jon, Mark and Robbo's Easy Drinking Whisky Company (JMR), you know the "small" whisky company started by brothers Jon and Mark Geary and David "Robbo" Robertson, that wants to make whisky more accessible to the masses.

Their approach to accessibility is evidenced,in part, by the names that they've selected for their three products: The Rich Spicy One, The Smokey Peaty One and The Smooth Sweeter One.

Really.

And If those product names are accurate descriptors for the product in the bottle, then these guys have done something so insanely simple that it might just work.

But if you are reading this in the US, you haven't been able to buy the stuff. But you soon will.
Though they officially launched in the US in June, it'll be this August before distribution will begin in earnest.
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Let's take a closer look at the company and the product.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have not tried any of their products yet, though I am looking forward to it.

Their website SCREAMS irreverence. It's not your standard scotch whisky site.

Good start.

"What we're seeking to do is exactly what Aussie winemakers have been doing for over a decade: make Scotch whisky more accessible and package it in a more contemporary way."

Sounding even better. 

If you read ScotchBlog regularly (and you should), you know I'm 100% behind making whisky more accessible.

Then I hear that "the company believes leaving any age statement off JMR's bottles further enhances accessibility."

Uh-oh.

As you probably know, the Immature Spirits Act of 1915 (Scotland), requires that scotch whisky MUST be aged at least three years. As you probably also know, in the case of a blend (including a vatted malt), only the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle may be displayed. As a result, bottlers sometimes choose not to display any age on the label - if the youngest whisky in the blend is not at least ten years old. That's fine, it's a common practice, among vatted/ blended whiskies.

But, to declare that you are positioning yourself for new drinkers, and then mislead those same new drinkers by leaving an age declaration off and then spinning the decision to say that it "enhances accessibility," is just not right in my book.

And then some confusion about the product itself.
On their web site, they don't make it clear exactly what is in the bottle. (The best I can make out from the pictures on the web site is "Malt Scotch Whisky" on the label). Not Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Not Vatted, Not Single, Just "Malt Scotch Whisky."

Again, for someone familiar with the oddities of scotch whisky labeling, I have less of an issue with this - but they are specifically marketing to new drinkers.

I'm guessing that the product is a vatted malt. Since they are marketing a vatted malt, we'll classify them as bottlers, since it doesn't appear they are actually producing any whisky. Nothing wrong with this at all, I just like it to be clear.

I'm also a little confused about the funding and distribution model for this upstart independent.

It appears that the company is backed by the Edrington group. In case you are not familiar with the company, they own Highland Park, Famous Grouse, Macallan and Cutty Sark. It's not a secret that David "Robbo" Robertson, was formerly master distiller at the Macallan, but according to an article in today's Sunday Herald (Scotland), apparently one of the Gearys (I'm not sure which one) continues to hold his position of Director of Planning and Research at ...Edrington Group.

How many companies do you know that would allow someone to continue employment when they have publicly launched a company that competes by selling in the same space? None in my experience.

And the US importer for JMR? Remy Cointreau/Amerique. Who also happens to be the US importer for  Highland Park, Famous Grouse, Macallan and Cutty Sark.

What am I getting at?  I am just wondering if maybe JMR is not really a small start-up, but instead a marketing ploy by Edrington to see how the market reacts to such innovative labeling and marketing tactics.

I could be wrong, but until JMR is clear about all of this, it is my nature to be a little incredulous. It is equally possible that these guys are just well connected and have called in a few markers. But that's hard for me to believe based on what I've read.

The product is very likely, very good, given the pedigrees of the involved parties, and since I admittedly haven't tasted it, I'm not equipped nor am I attempting to judge the product.

I am questioning the creation of confusion in the marketplace. It is NOT what the whisky industry needs right now.

I am all for attracting new drinkers, but attracting new drinkers through innovative tactics also needs to include helping new drinkers understand the what whisky is, what it is not, and opening their eyes to the spectrum of available whisky - not to sell a few bottles short term.

Comments

[Harry]

I've tried them as they launched in Canada last fall/winter and have been available through the LCBO since then. I first tried some at The Spirit Of Toronto whisky show last October. They are listed in the catalog as being from Highland Distillers which makes, as you say, Highland Park, Macallan, et al.

I'm told that they aren't even necessarily 100% scotch whisky with some Irish whiskey in The Smooth Sweeter One but they can of course change the recipe at any time to include other whiskies.

They seem quite entry level to me, and are priced accordingly at a level which is cheaper than almost all single malts sold in Ontario. This is in contrast with Compass Box whisky which also sells no-age vattings and blends but which are, at least in Ontario, on par with the price of the single malts they contain! I like John Glaser, he is a nice guy but his whiskies seem too expensive for what they are. They are better than JMR's but not worth more than twice the price, IMO.

Would I buy them? No, but I wouldn't put them in the dog's water bowl if someone poured me one either. They are all quite drinkable, but nothing special, IMO.

[Kevin Erskine]

Oddly enough I received an email just this morning providing me with a breakdown of the recipe for the three JMR whiskies.

I won't release that information here until and unless I get the OK from JMR, but I will verify that there is indeed Irish whiskey in the "Smooth Sweeter One." But you should also note that the label on the "Smooth Sweeter One" declares it to be an Irish Whiskey and a product of Ireland.

Since the SWA does not allow JMR (or anyone else apparently) to list the recipes on their website or bottles, I'm not sure if I can release that info here.

I can relay, that JMR WOULD like people to know what is "in the mix."

[Harry]

Hmm, John Glaser at Compass Box lists what is in each of his malt whiskies and grain whiskies (note that I took off the word blended but left off single). I can see the SWA getting mad if he lists the ages of any but the youngest but listing the distilleries of origin can't be illegal, can it?

[JPRifleman]

I've recently been sent samples of the JM&R whiskys and I'll be kind and just say, they ain't Glaser's. From my impressions JG is a guy who worked for the Diageo Machine and got tired of having to come up with ways to sell your grandparents whisky. So he put HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH WAS and ponied up the dough to create some of the most drinkable(notice I did not say mixable)WHISKYS my side of the Atlantic has seen(Can you believe we once thought Black & White was the drinkers drink?) I for one think he hit the nail on the head, especially for the ELEUTHERA(which I feel bound to mension that I'm 3/4 through a bottle tonight) which I'm glad to tell you that he states the origin & ages of all whiskys that contribute on the CB website as well as liturature that I've seen(even down to shelf talkers that I've see hanging on shelves here in NYC shops).Guess he is making some noise?