Scotland faces short whiskey supply

EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 28 (UPI) -- Industry officials say an explosion of Scotch whiskey fans in the Far East is straining the ability of Scotland to produce enough of the coveted brown liquor.

Soaring demand from places such as China and Singapore is showing no signs of slowing down, unnamed industry players told The Times of London Saturday, noting that whiskey sales to the two countries rose from $90 million in 2003 to nearly $600 million last year, The situation is putting pressure on Scotland to produce more whiskey.

Industry sources told the newspaper it's trying to respond with a new push for investment in production plants, but there's a problem, they say: Getting supply levels right is tricky because too much supply can quickly produce a glut on the market.

"Some journalists tell me we will soon be producing too much, others too little, so we have probably got it about right," David Williamson, an industry spokesman, said.