The industry body’s latest numbers, which were released yesterday, reveal more than 807 million bottles of whisky were shipped overseas during the first nine months of 2009, a 1.5% improvement over the same period in 2008 – in spite of the global recession.

At the same time yesterday, Elgin-based niche distiller Whisky Distributors, which trades as Gordon & MacPhail, revealed that one of the biggest drivers behind its recently announced 13% sales increase was Benromach Traditional and other expressions, as the company attempted to innovate its way out of the slump.

Speymalt’s strategy is noteworthy, because it demonstrates how a small distiller can manoeuvre its way through a global downturn.

Michael Urquhart, a director at Speymalt, said: “Being a small, boutique distillery, we look to be flexible and innovative. We were the first to introduce a fully certified organic whisky in the world, for example.”

He also said sales were supported by Benromach Peat Smoke and Benromach Origins, an “innovative series of special bottlings, crafted to highlight how small changes in the art of whisky making can make a difference to the final character of the malt”.

The year also saw the launch of the company’s new Benromach 10 Years Old.

He said: “In the year to February, overall sales dropped 4% - but this is not bad when you consider the financial plight the world was experiencing. But sales of Benromach increased by 13%.

“With the launch of Benromach 10 year old, we are looking to build on this, and indications are very positive.

“As an independent whisky specialist and owner of a small boutique distillery, we are flexible and innovative and are able to react to changes in the market and reap the rewards as consumer spending gets back on track following the depths of recession.” Meanwhile, yesterday’s export figures from the SWA fly in the face of claims that the industry had stumbled into a recession-fuelled crisis after distillers suffered diminished demand from trade customers in the first quarter.

Also, earlier this year, Diageo, the world’s biggest drinks group, unveiled plans to close its Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock and axe jobs at Port Dundas with the combined loss of 900 posts.

At the same time, Chivas Brothers, owned by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard and controls around 20% of the Scotch whisky market, also revealed plans to cut production at several distilleries as whisky sales suffered during the middle of the year.

However, the latest figures from the SWA show that overall global consumption of Scotch whisky did not decrease during the first nine months of the year - and that there is every indication that the increase will continue for the rest of the year.

Gavin Hewitt, the SWA’s chief executive, said: “After a tough first quarter, exports have performed well so far in 2009. We look forward to a good last quarter.

“Distillers have been resilient in the recession, investing for future opportunities and underscoring Scotch whisky’s increasing importance to the domestic economy.

“Scotch Whisky exports – which already represent 20% of Scotland’s manufactured exports – are showing the way in bringing the Scottish economy out of recession.”

Nonetheless, while the SWA figures reveal a rise in the volume of whisky sold, values fell 3.5% on the same period in 2008, reaching £2.1bn - the industry’s second best export performance.

Within the top ten markets, the value of exports to France, South Africa, and Venezuela increased. However, shipment value to the US, Spain and South Korea declined.

The SWA also noted that in spite of weak economic conditions and trade de-stocking, which impacted exports in the first quarter, the industry remained confident as international conditions improve.

The industry body said demand from trade customers had declined earlier in the year because of difficulty obtaining funds from banks amid the credit freeze - but that increases in the second quarter offset that decline.

Nonetheless, the SWA said the UK market continued to struggle with releases from bond down 11%.

In an interview earlier this year, an SWA spokesman said: “We’ve said all along the whisky industry is recession-resistant, not recession-immune – and we stand by that.”