🥃 Haig
Haig is a historic blended Scotch whisky brand from the Haig family, linked to the Cameronbridge grain distillery: Haig Gold Label and Dimple. Owned by Diageo.
Haig is one of the oldest names in blended Scotch whisky: a brand from the Haig family, tied to the company John Haig & Co and now owned by Diageo. Haig Gold Label was once Britain's best-selling whisky and the first spirits brand to sell a million cases. A more refined version, Dimple, also exists.
History. Haig Gold Label appeared at the end of the 19th century and quickly gained a squat, dark brown bottle with a white label. John Haig & Co is linked to the Cameronbridge grain distillery in Fife and was one of the founders of the Distillers Company in 1877. By 1939 Haig had become Britain's best-selling Scotch, and in 1971 it became the first in the world to pass the million-case mark. Sales in Britain fell sharply by the 2000s, and Diageo, owner since 1997, focused on other brands. Dimple first appeared on the market in 1893; in the United States it is sold as Dimple Pinch.
Composition and production. The blend combines malt whiskies, such as Glenkinchie, with grain whisky from Cameronbridge. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, the blend must mature in oak for at least three years and have an ABV of at least 40% (80 proof). In 2014 Diageo also released Haig Club, a single grain Scotch made at the same Cameronbridge distillery.
Range. Haig Gold Label is still sold in many countries, and Dimple is available in a number of markets.
Why this matters to you. Haig Club and the classic Haig Gold Label are different types of Scotch: the first is single grain, the second is blended. Check the type on the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | end of the 19th century — Haig Gold Label; Dimple — 1893 (according to Whiskypedia) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | grain whisky from Cameronbridge and malt whiskies |
| Distillation method | grain — column still (Cameronbridge); malts — copper pot stills |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak under the law |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV under the law |
How it connects to Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Images and sayings
- 🥃 Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Chivas Regal, 🥃 Cutty Sark, 🥃 Black Dog, 🥃 Black Dog, 🥃 Glen Garioch, 🥃 Glen Garioch, 🥃 Old Pulteney, 🥃 Old Pulteney
Frequently asked questions
Does a UK label have to say Scotch, and what does it guarantee?
Only whisky made in Scotland under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 may be sold as Scotch: oak maturation of at least three years and a minimum of 40% ABV.
Is the Haig Club bottle the same whisky as the classic blend?
No: the classic bottle is a blend, while the newer release from 2014 is a single grain Scotch from one distillery.
Why was Haig once Britain's best-selling Scotch?
According to Whiskypedia it held that position by 1939. Sales in Britain fell sharply by the 2000s, and Diageo, owner since 1997, focused on other brands.
How is strength shown on a Haig bottle in the UK compared with the US?
British bottles show ABV, while American ones often add proof as well. Scotch must be at least forty percent ABV by law, which is eighty proof.
Why does a Haig bottle look so different from other blends?
The classic blend has a squat, dark brown bottle with a white label, while the more refined version has a distinctive triangular bottle.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
Similar
🥃 Black & White · 🥃 Vat 69 · 🥃 Bell's · 🥃 Linkwood · 🥃 Benrinnes · 🥃 Glenkinchie
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Haig (Gold Label, million cases 1971, best-selling 1939, Diageo, owners)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): John Haig & Company (Cameronbridge, DCL 1877, brands)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Dimple (1893, Dimple Pinch)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)