Director's Special (whisky)

Director's Special, commonly referred to by its abbreviation DSP, is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL). It is molasses based. Shaw Wallace won a legal battle in US courts against the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) to sell the product as "whisky".[1]

Director's Special
TypeIndian whisky
ManufacturerUnited Spirits Ltd (USL)
Country of origin India
Alcohol by volume 42.8%
Related products

History edit

DSP was originally manufactured by Shaw Wallace.[2]

United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of the United Breweries Group (UB Group), acquired Shaw Wallace in July 2005.[3] On 1 April 2008, Shaw Wallace was merged with USL and DSP officially became a USL brand.[4] In April 2008, the UB Group appointed London-based design firm Claessens International to create new packaging.[5][6]

DSP Black edit

DSP Black, expanded to Director's Special Black, is an extension of the Director's Special brand into the deluxe whisky segment[7] of the Indian market. It was launched in 1988 by Shaw Wallace.[8]

Sales edit

The following table shows the annual sales of Director's Special and DSP Black:

Year Sales (in million cases)
DSP DSP Black
2001-02 3[2]
2006[9] 3.8 0.9
2007[9] 3.7 1.3
2008[9] 4 1.8
2009[9] 4.4 2
2010[9] 4.5 2.9
2011[9] 4.5 2.9
2012[10] 4.3 2.9

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Real whisky- distilled in India from syrup". The Scotsman. 23 June 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b "DSP whisky aims for top slot". Business Line. 23 April 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Radico, Mason, BDA in fray for part of SWC liquor biz ICICI Bank talking to suitors". Business Line. 31 May 2005. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Shaw Wallace board okays merger with USL". The Hindu. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  5. ^ Udit Prasanna Mukherji (26 April 2008). "Mallya to keep brand Shaw Wallace alive". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  6. ^ M Padmakshan (3 August 2002). "Liquor brands going for stylish, sleeker looks". The Economic Times. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  7. ^ "SWC to expand its portfolio, tap low-end market". The Indian Express. 16 November 1998. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  8. ^ "DSP Black". Unitedspirits.in. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "WORLD WHISKIES – Brand Champions 2012". Thespiritsbusiness.com. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Indian Whisky Brand Champions 2013". Thespiritsbusiness.com. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.

External links edit