Who Are The Whisky Exchange?
The Whisky Exchange (TWE) has come a long way from its humble beginnings to becoming the internet's number-one choice for spirits, with an internationally respected reputation forged from their expertise and encyclopedic knowledge of the new, old, rare and everything in between.
As our first online listing following the launch of Hattiers back in 2017, TWE has a special place in our hearts and we are thrilled to have been chosen from their vast selection of over 500 rums to be featured on their homepage for the duration of April following the huge success of B Corp month.
A Brief History
The Whisky Exchange is a family business founded in 1999. Founders Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh have spent their whole lives in retailing, having grown up helping out at their parents' wine and spirits merchant 'The Nest' in Hanwell – a family business that started out in the drinks trade in 1973, and was named 'Off-Licence of the Year' in 1992. By the mid 1990s Sukhinder, the elder of the brothers, was already in possession of a very large collection of whisky, having started collecting miniatures in the mid 1980s and progressing to full-size bottles a few years later.
When their parents decided to retire in 1999, the brothers took the difficult decision to sell the family business and founded The Whisky Exchange. Operating from a trading estate tucked away on the outskirts of Hanwell, The Whisky Exchange was exactly as the name suggests - an online portal where whisky fans can buy, sell or swap the bottles listed.
With supplier relationships that had been built up over decades at The Nest, the range of new products and other spirits such as cognac, rum and tequila available from the TWE website kept growing and growing. But the company's real point of difference was, and remains, its enormous collection of old, rare or discontinued bottles of whisky, amassed from years of patient collecting. The sources for these bottles can range from long-term clients that wish to dispose of their personal collections to speculative calls or walk-in customers who have found or inherited a dusty old bottle in a relative’s cellar or attic. When these people do internet searches on their discovery, or call auction houses to try and ascertain the value of their bottles, they are usually referred to TWE and Sukhinder, whose knowledge of older bottlings is unmatched.
Recent History
The past few years have been a period of rapid expansion for The Whisky Exchange. In 2006 TWE relaunched the web site and moved their warehousing and office premises from their original home in Hanwell to a much larger facility in Park Royal. This enabled the company to expand their office staff and further improve their service and online presence. The move was a great success, providing a platform for the company's continued growth and expansion. The results have been remarkable, with TWE consolidating their position as the world’s biggest and best specialist online whisky retailer, performing well ahead of expectations despite the economic turbulence of the past few years. In September last year the exponential growth of TWE was validated as French conglomerate Pernod-Ricard acquired Speciality Drinks, the parent company of TWE, which has more than doubled in size in the last five years with Dawn Davies at the helm of spirits buying.
Dawn Davies MW
Our relationship with Dawn began at our launch. Somewhat of a rarity for a small and unknown rum brand to achieve a listing with one of the UK's largest wholesale and retail businesses. Our founder Philip remembers with pride being asked "How did you do it? Dawn is the busiest woman in the industry, paired with one of the finest palates!". The answer is simple, Dawn values exceptional balanced liquids, blended by brands with credibility. Thankfully Hattiers Rum fit the brief and in June 2021 we were once again honoured when Resolute was showcased in their top ten rums list.
Have You Bought A Bottle Of Hattiers From The Whisky Exchange Recently, Or In The Past?
Reviews matter. We would love for you to take a few minutes to post a review of the rum that you enjoyed and continue to enjoy. We know that Hattiers is utterly brilliant, as do you, so share this with the world so that others can revel in an exquisite bottle of Hattiers too! Simply click on the rum that you would like to review, scroll down and submit a review. To say thank you we will pop your name in a hat to win a bottle of your choice, send a screenshot of your review to hello@hattiers.com for your chance to win. Each review counts as another entry so go wild!