Scotch whisky has long been one the country’s biggest exports, but the reach of its global appeal has arguably never been so important.

While the UK has endured a cost of living crisis that has put disposable incomes under intense pressure on these shores in the last 18 months, Scotland’s national drink has been sustained by its ability to sell into multiple global markets.

The importance of such international breadth was emphasised today by Caspar MacRae, the new chief executive and president of The Glenmorangie Company, in an exclusive interview with The Herald.

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Mr MacRae, the distiller’s former marketing boss who succeeded Thomas Moradpour in the top job in July, was certainly not dismissing the effects of the UK’s inflation crisis, which has been compounded by the rapid rise of interest rates in recent months. And he emphasised the importance of the distiller being “sensitive to changing consumer demands” in the current circumstances.

But while consumers in the UK are feeling the pressure, he said the breadth of Scotch whisky’s presence around the world effectively means there have been plenty of other markets to pick up the slack. Not only that, but in many parts of the world the demand for whisky is very much on the up.

“I think everyone is feeling the pinch at little bit," Mr MacRae said. “Of course, it varies in markets around the world. The economy in Asia, for example, is still very vibrant. The economy in India is still very vibrant. It is impacting in different parts of the world to different degrees.”

He added: "When you work in single malt Scotch whisky it is one of the most widely diversified categories in the world in terms of markets where it is sold."

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Of course, Glenmorangie is not the only major Scotch whisky player to be benefiting from this global reach. It is clear, too, from the results of giants such as Diageo and Pernod Ricard and the likes of the Artisanal Spirits Company, which has been opening subsidiaries for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in markets such as Taiwan. The Society is also continuing to add new members around the world.

These may not be great times for the UK consumer, but there are plenty of whisky drinkers in other countries who have the wherewithal to continue buying the best “water of life” Scotland has to offer.