Director's Special has recorded a 98.2 per cent growth during the five-year period, according to a data compiled by Drinks International in its recent edition of Millionaire Club.

The list of millionaire spirit brands cuts across whiskies, both scotch and non-scotch, brandies, vodkas, cognac, liqueurs, gins, rums, bitters and other spirits.

Director's Special has outpaced a large number of globally-popular spirit brands in growth volumes, which include Gilby's Gin, Southern Comfort Liqueur and scotch whiskies like Passport, Teachers and VAT 69.

The brand has also been reckoned as the fourth-largest amongst the world's top-selling whiskies, other than scotch, during 1997. In the overall top spirit brand sales, the SWC brand has moved up from 32nd rank in 1996 to 27th in 1997 preceded by Chivas Regal ofSeagram and Johnie Walker Black Label (Diageo) at 25th and 26th.

A company press release quotes senior vice-president Philip AB Sargunar as saying: "Growth rate achieved by Director's Special in the international markets is attributed to the quality and consistency of our brands at affordable prices when compared to the scotch brands in the middle category."

The growth assumes significance in view of the fact that Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) is not well accepted in international markets. The primary reason being that IMFL is molasses-based and not grain-based as is the norm internationally.

Director's Special has established itself as a major brand in the Middle East and south-east Asia. Shaw Wallace exported 1.8 lakh cases of Director's Special in 1997-98, accounting for 74 per cent of the company's total IMFL exports. Shaw Wallace had re-launched Director's Special last year for the first time since its launch in 1978.