Scotch exports to US shoot up 60% in 10 years

Scotch whisky exports to the US grew 60% from 2004 to 2014 and the industry is now worth more than US$2 billion in supplier sales.

The figures were revealed by Scotland’s food and drink secretary Richard Lochhead, who attended an event last week alongside leaders of trade bodies the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (Discus) and the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

Lochhead revealed that the best-selling single malt exported to the US last year was The Glenlivet 12 Year Old, followed by The Macallan 12 Year Old and The Glenlivet 15 Year Old, which sold 2.4m, 1.4m and 1m cases respectively.

Over the past 10 years, the three most popular blended Scotch whisky labels exported to the US were Dewars White Label, Johnnie Walker Black Label, and Johnnie Walker Red Label.

“America is a key, and important, growth market for a range of our products and it’s great to see that our whisky exports are going from strength to strength,” said Lochhead.

“Scotch Whisky is so popular that we export a bottle a bottle every 40 seconds and I’ve definitely been impressed by the enthusiasm for our fine malts in the US.”

The US is the biggest market for Scotch whisky by value, and the second largest by volume, second to France. In 2014, the industry exported more than 118m cases to the US, the equivalent of £750m, however annual exports declined in both volume and value.

“In the US market, Scotch is worth over US$2bn in supplier sales, which translates to around $6 billion in retail sales,” Peter Cressy said. “Americans have become extremely discerning Scotch consumers, with the most expensive products experiencing the fastest growth.”

The SWA’s David Frost added: “Consumers in the USA are seeking out quality with Single Malts and premium blends doing especially well. We are confident demand for Scotch in the USA will grow in the years to come.”