News 299
Virtual Whisky News From Glen Scotia Distillery
Glen Scotia Releases Exclusive Dunnage Tasting Box Following Success of Virtual Festival
The Glen Scotia virtual festival has been heralded a huge success, after attracting over 8,000 visitors from all around the world.
Following the cancellation of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020 which had been scheduled to run from 19-21 May 2020, the Glen Scotia Distillery announced it would bring its programme of events online for the first time at www.glenscotia.com/festival.
As part of the programme the distiller made its famous dunnage whisky tasting, which for many is the pinnacle of their Campbeltown Malt Festival experience, available for those outside the distillery for the very first time.
The theme for 2020 is The Casks of Campbeltown, featuring whiskies matured in casks from the town, and investigating the influencer they have on the modern Campbeltown style.
Only 200 dunnage tasting packs have been released in the UK, each containing five 25 ml samples along with password access to a specially created tasting video hosted by Iain McAlister. A further 1800 tasting boxes will be distributed to markets around the world.
In the UK, the Glen Scotia Dunnage Tasting Box is available to order from Dram Team priced at £55.99 (including postage).
The five samples will include:
- Glen Scotia Victoriana, 54.2% abv
- Cask 810, 2005 First Fill bourbon 60.1% abv
- Cask 486, 2002 Refill Sherry Hogshead 48.8% abv
- Cask 2/359, 2009 First Fill Bordeaux Red Wine 57.1% abv
- Cask 6/413, 2005 First Fill Tawny Port Hogshead 57.4% abv
Iain McAlister, Master Distiller at Glen Scotia, said: “We’ve been absolutely thrilled by the response we had to the Glen Scotia Virtual Malts Festival. We saw over 8,000 people join us from all over the world including Europe, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia – wildly exceeding our expectations!
“We’re now considering making some elements of the festival permanently ‘virtual’ going forward. We know Campbeltown isn’t the easiest place in the world to get to so this will be a great way to allow our global whisky fans the chance to be a part of the celebrations in future years.
“The dunnage tasting is one of my favourite events in the Campbeltown Malts Festival schedule and we’re excited to be able to provide those who had hoped to join us in person, and perhaps quite a few who usually wouldn’t have had the chance, the opportunity to take part in our special dunnage tasting.”
Chris Borrow, Founder, DramTeam added “I could not be more thrilled to be working with the fantastic team from Glen Scotia to put together this incredible dunnage tasting set. Some friends and I had the privilege of being utterly spoilt by Iain McAlister on our first ever visit to Campbeltown, when he very generously hosted us for a Glen Scotia dunnage warehouse tasting. To this day, the best tasting experience of my life – and one that I am very excited to put in a box for other people to enjoy. This is legitimately the best whisky-tasting-by-post we’ve ever done!”
Campbeltown was known as the whisky capital of the world during the Victorian era and was home to over 30 working distilleries. The annual Campbeltown Malts Festival is a celebration of Scotland’s fifth and smallest malt producing region and its whisky making heritage. This year’s event was set to take place from 19-21 May, however in line with Covid-19 government guidance, the festival has been cancelled for the first time since it launched in 2009.
Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia reflects centuries of craftsmanship and experience associated with the region and its award-winning whiskies are renowned for their distinctive maritime influence and Campbeltown character. For those who missed out on the festival this year many of the tastings and tours are still available to watch www.glenscotia.com/festival.
Issued by BIG Partnership on behalf of Glen Scotia.
Raise a Glass and Celebrate World Whisky Day 2020
Celebrate World Whisky Day With These Exquisite Expressions From Around The Globe
World Whisky Day (16th May 2020) is just around the corner, and the question of which whisky to celebrate with remains a question on everybody’s lips.
There are few things more perfect than a fine whisky; patiently matured and rich with flavour, taking the drinker on an unforgettable taste journey.
Bringing together the finest ingredients and flavours, here is a selection of stand-out whiskies perfect to raise a Dram with for World Whisky Day, including classics from The Macallan, Maker’s Mark, The House of Suntory, and more.
Bowmore 15 Year Old
Bowmore is Islay’s oldest distillery, and home to the world’s oldest whisky maturation warehouse, the No. 1 Vaults.
Matured first in bourbon barrels then Oloroso casks, there’s no finer example of a sherry cask finish than Bowmore 15 Year Old. The final three years spent in Oloroso sherry casks give Bowmore 15 Year Old the rich, deep colour and robust warming finish.
RRP: £60
Available to purchase from The Whisky Exchange and Amazon
The Macallan Estate
The Macallan Estate, created by Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess, is a tribute to The Macallan’s heritage and home.
It is an extremely special new single malt containing rare spirit from a proportion of the barley grown at Easter Elchies estate, which is distilled just once a year over the course of a single week. The liquid delivers a subtle hint of citrus which balances the traditional sherried richness, resulting in a complex single malt with an extraordinarily long finish.
RRP: £195
Stockists: The Whisky Shop and The Whisky Exchange
Highland Park 16 Year Old Twisted Tattoo
In collaboration with Danish tattoo artist and modern-day Viking Soul, Colin Dale, Highland Park 16 Year Old Twisted Tattoo’s bold design celebrates the tattoo as a mark of both standing apart and being part of a tribe – just like Highland Park.
The expression’s exquisite tasting notes include the likes of sweet vanilla, sun-ripened peaches, and full-bodied red wine, finished with a light peat smoke.
RRP: £80
Stockists: Master of Malt and The Whisky Shop
Laphroaig Lore
By maturing the liquid in small batches in five unique casks, Laphroaig has created a liquid that is rich, complex, varied and above all, storied.
Laphroaig Lore uses different aged liquids ranging from 7 to 21 years, which allows the richest possible flavour. As the name suggests, this offering from Laphroaig is inspired by the knowledge and traditions passed down from generation to generation of its distillery managers, blenders and craftsmen.
RRP: £80
Stockists: Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange
Maker’s 46
The first bourbon in Maker’s Mark’s wood-finishing series, Maker’s 46 was created by Bill Samuels, J., to amplify the flavours he loves most in Maker’s Mark.
The innovative wood-stave-finishing process starts with fully matured Maker’s Mark at cask strength, after which 10 seared virgin French oak staves are inserted into the barrel. The liquid is then finished for nine weeks in a limewood cellar, resulting in a bolder and more complex flavour, but without the bitterness typical of longer-aged whiskies.
RRP: £40
Stockists: Amazon and Master of Malt
Toki
Meaning ‘time’ in Japanese, Toki brings together old and new – the House of Suntory’s proud heritage and its innovative spirit.
A blended Japanese whisky that is both ground-breaking and timeless, the finish is subtly sweet and spicy with a hint of vanilla oak, white pepper and ginger.
RRP: £35
Stockists: Tesco and Master of Malt
For more information on expressions from Edrington-Beam Suntory, please contact ebs-consumer@hopeandglorypr.com
Christmas Sales Reveal The Famous Grouse is No.1
The Famous Grouse Overtakes Jack Daniel’s to Become Britain’s No.1 Whisky by Value
Sales topped £71m over Christmas
Value grew +2.6% compared to the year previous
No.1 whisky in the No.1 spirits category with total whisky sales larger than both gin and vodka at £393m
The Famous Grouse enjoyed an outstanding Christmas in the UK off-trade, with sales topping £71m – making it the number one whisky in the UK.*
The whisk(e)y category in total was valued at £393 million, larger than both vodka and gin making The Famous Grouse the number one whisky in the number one category this Christmas.*
While The Famous Grouse has a long-standing streak as the UK’s favourite whisky, the brand has returned to No.1 Whisk(e)y by value this Christmas. The Scotch blend reports +2.6% value growth over the festive period compared to the previous year, in turn, overtaking Jack Daniel’s. The US whiskey had held the top spot in 2018 but saw value drop -9.3%.
The news comes despite the wider blended Scotch category continuing to struggle, with value down -4.1% over Christmas.
Mark Riley, managing director, at Edrington-Beam Suntory UK says: “The Famous Grouse for years has been the UK’s favourite whisky and driving force behind the blended Scotch category, so we are delighted to have reclaimed our number one spot in the UK’s largest spirits category.
“It’s fantastic to see a Scotch back in the top spot, particularly for The Famous Grouse, where success has been driven by our strong equity, premiumisation and increased demand for smaller bottle sizes.”
Source: Nielsen ScanTrack, Off-Trade Total Coverage, 12wks To 04.01.2020.
Loch Lomond Group Reveals Travel Retail Expansion
Independent Distiller, Loch Lomond Group Reveals the Creation of Two New Roles
Kelvin Ng has been appointed to the Hong Kong-based position of Regional Director Asia Travel Retail, while the group is also recruiting for a GTR Commercial and Trade Marketing Executive to be based in its Scottish head office at Loch Lomond Distillery.
In the role of Regional Director Asia Travel Retail, effective from February 2020, Kelvin will be responsible for expanding Loch Lomond Group’s travel retail presence across the Asia-Pacific region, which has experienced significant growth in the single malt Scotch whisky category in recent years. He will be working with Loch Lomond Group’s GTR partners, distributors and customers in the region.
Kelvin will bring a wealth of experience in the international spirits business to the role, having worked in senior GTR and domestic roles for Halewood Wines & Spirits, MG Cellars and William Grant & Sons, amongst others, for over 25 years.
Based in Alexandria, Scotland, the successful GTR Commercial and Trade Marketing Executive candidate will have responsibility for developing customer relationships and driving forward implementation of the global brand strategy through the channel, as well as supporting the new product development pipeline.
André de Almeida, Managing Director, Global Travel Retail at Loch Lomond Group, said: “The GTR channel is a fundamental part of Loch Lomond Group’s growth strategy and the creation of these two new roles highlights our continued investment in this area. The strengthening of our team will significantly support our GTR operations worldwide and will help to facilitate further expansion into the channel on a global scale.”
Kelvin Ng, Regional Director, Asia Travel Retail at Loch Lomond Group, said: “I am very pleased to be appointed to this newly created role for Loch Lomond Group. I am looking forward to helping to offer a more diverse range of single malt Scotch whiskies to consumers travelling across Asia and to expanding the company’s footprint within the region.”
Loch Lomond Group has become more prominent in Asia in recent years and Kelvin Ng’s appointment marks the next phase in the group’s continued investment to strengthen its position in the growing market.
In 2018, Loch Lomond Whiskies entered a prestigious, five-year partnership with The R&A to become The Spirit of The Open which showcases the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies on a global scale.
In 2019, Loch Lomond Group expanded its GTR operations into China Duty Free, which saw a number of expressions from its premium Loch Lomond Whiskies and Glen Scotia ranges being made available in Shanghai and Beijing International Airports amongst others. In the same year the company also established new Chinese headquarters, Loch Lomond China, to facilitate expansion of its brands within the country and development of the single malt Scotch whisky market in the wider Asia-Pacific region.
To further enhance awareness among Asian customers, Loch Lomond Group will attend the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference 2020 – one of the largest travel retail events in the region – in Singapore this May.
Loch Lomond Group’s bespoke Loch Lomond Whiskies GTR range first went on sale in Glasgow Airport’s World Duty Free World of Whiskies store in February 2017, followed by the launch of the independent distiller’s Glen Scotia GTR range exactly one year later. In September 2018 the group introduced Littlemill Single Malt Scotch whisky from Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery to the channel.
For further information, visit www.lochlomondgroup.com
NEW EXPRESSION FROM AUCHENTOSHAN®
AUCHENTOSHAN® ANNOUNCES NEW SAUVIGNON BLANC EXPRESSION
The Amazon Exclusive Will Target Urban Drinkers With a Brand-new Addition to the Single Malt Category That’s ‘Better Shared’
Monday 11th November – Auchentoshan®, the urban malt inspired by the city of Glasgow, has today announced the launch of Auchentoshan Sauvignon Blanc, a new special edition whisky available exclusively on Amazon.
Available to purchase on 15th November (pre-order here), Auchentoshan Sauvignon Blanc is a unique combination of two worlds – the smooth triple distilled taste of Auchentoshan and the unique flavour of Sauvignon blanc casks that gives a fresh, vibrant take on Auchentoshan, setting out to reflect the ever-changing needs of the urban millennial.
The brand new urban malt is matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Sauvignon Blanc Barrique casks, which gives it a distinct, smooth and high-quality taste. Distilled at 47% ABV, the result is a unique single malt that’s ‘best served chilled’ allowing the fresh flavours of citrus and apple to excite the pallete.
The release of Auchentoshan Sauvignon Blanc follows the recent announcement of the brand’s vibrant new look packaging and brand positioning, aiming to reach a new generation of whisky drinker who are looking for a smooth and exciting whisky to be enjoyed together with friends.
Eileen Livingston, Senior Director of Scotch Whisky for Beam Suntory, comments: “Auchentoshan Sauvignon Blanc is a unique innovation that disrupts the category and provides consumers with a drinking experience out of the norm. This enables us to connect with urban millennials who are looking to sample new expressions and shared experiences.”
Ron Welsh, Master Blender for Auchentoshan, says: “We set out to create a never-seen-before whisky on the market. Auchentoshan Sauvignon Blanc was crafted to be enjoyed chilled, allowing us to innovate on the key occasions when the product is shared.”
Auchentoshan Sauvignon Blanc tasting notes are included below:
Ex-Bourbon barrel matured, followed by Sauvignon Blanc Barrique finish
47.0%
Pale Gold
NOSE
Subtle citric notes of white grapefruit with light sweetness of white peaches and green apple, light perfume of eglantine, honeysuckle, Scotch broom and Jasmine.
TASTE
Lightly peppery with zesty notes, green grapes, light acacia honey and lemon curd, vanilla sweetness, lychees and honeydew melon, but also dried grass and hay notes.
FINISH
The finish is hot and peppery with lingering notes of custard apple with a salty mouthfeel.
The limited edition whisky will be available as an e-commerce exclusive on Amazon from 15th November.
