N.B. welcomes back whisky

Scotch connoisseurs in New Brunswick may want to raise a toast.

Diageo, the distributor of some of the most popular brands of blendeds and single malts, which pulled several scotches off the provincial market a year ago, plans to bring some of them back.

Nine products will be back on NB Liquor shelves by Nov. 20, the day of the annual New Brunswick Spirits Festival in Fredericton, said NB Liquor spokeswoman Nora Lacey.

The nine products includefive single malts and four blendeds.

"The products haven't actually arrived in New Brunswick yet," said Lacey. "So once they arrive, we'll do final checks on prices and I'll have better indication of pricing close to the release date."

It's not known why Diageo has decided to return to the New Brunswick market after saying it wanted to redirect its products to more profitable markets in Russia, India and China. Requests for an interview were not answered.

Fredericton pub owner pleased

Frank Scott, owner of the Lunar Rogue Pub in Fredericton, and a member of the Fredericton Whisky Tasting Society, believes the world recession may have cooled the market for expensive scotch in those parts of the world.

But the whisky distributor's return couldn't have come at a better time for him, he said.

Scott stocked up on Oban and several other favourites at his pub last year when he learned they would no longer be available in New Brunswick.

"My stocks are dwindling and I'm pleased to say it's going to be nice to have them back so I can re-charge the bar, so to speak."

Diageo announced last November that eight single malt scotches Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Talisker, Cragganmore, Oban, Lagavulin, Brora and Clynelish as well as the blended brands Johnnie Walker, Bell's Extra Special and J& B Rare, would not longer be available in New Brunswick.

Several other jurisdictions across the country, including Nova Scotia and P.E.I., also lost the popular brands.

"We have been forced globally to allocate products to markets where profitability is maximized," the company said in arelease at the time. "This is especially important to delivering our commitments to our shareholders."