The Famous Grouse 3
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.
THE FAMOUS GROUSE LAUNCHES…
NEW RANGE OF EVERYDAY PREMIUM WHISKIES
The Famous Grouse, the no 1 Blended Whisky in the UK, has today announced the launch of the Cask Series, a new range of ‘everyday premium’ whiskies.
Offering a new take on the iconic flavour of The Famous Grouse, the Cask Series aims to offer lovers of blended whisky an affordable way to enjoy new whisky styles which incorporates flavours imparted from specially selected oak casks.
Developed by The Famous Grouse’s Master Blender, Kirsteen Campbell, the Cask Series celebrates wood quality and the impact this has on whisky. The first in the series to be released is the Bourbon Cask, which will be followed by a number of whiskies aged in different cask types.
The Famous Grouse Bourbon Cask will feature all of the characteristic rounded and smooth flavours synonymous with the classic taste of the Famous Grouse and will be launching as an exclusive in Tesco on the 10th April 2018. RRP £19.
Available nationwide in over 600 stores, this unique edition will kick off the series with a premium liquid which has been blended using a high proportion of whisky matured in American Oak and first fill bourbon casks. As a result, the greater depth of caramel and vanilla flavours offers discerning drinkers an incredibly versatile whisky that is perfect enjoyed neat, with a dash of water or with ginger ale.
Kirsteen Campbell, Master Blender of The Famous Grouse, says: “The casks we use to mature the whisky are such an integral part of bringing the product to life. Each cask is unique and each brings something different to the spirit. For The Famous Grouse, we place such a lot of importance on the quality of our wood that we wanted to develop a range to really highlight and celebrate all that this adds to the whisky. The Cask Series is designed to showcase how different types of oak cask can influence flavour, delivering a range of wonderful flavours to appeal to a wide range of consumers.”
Chris Anderson, Head of Brands at Edrington-Beam Suntory Distribution UK Ltd, says: “The Famous Grouse is the biggest blended whisky brand in the UK and the launch of The Famous Grouse Cask Series allows us to offer drinkers a way to enjoy all the classic smooth, balanced flavours of The Famous Grouse with a twist. We know that our drinkers enjoy spending a little more to treat themselves to something special and the Cask Series offers a great way to enjoy an everyday reward for lovers of blended whisky.”
For further information visit @TheFamousGrouseUK on Facebook
THE FAMOUS GROUSE RELEASE LIMITED EDITION COMMONWEALTH GAMES WHISKY FOR GLASGOW 2014
As the official whisky provider to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, The Famous Grouse has released a limited-edition single malt to mark its sponsorship of this momentous sporting event.
This special bottling will see the release of just 1,800 bottles of Glenturret 1986 Cask Strength single malt whisky, making this a true collector’s edition.
The Glenturret single malt is one of the core ingredients of Scotland’s favourite whisky and is made at Glenturret Distillery, the home of The Famous Grouse Experience. Commenting on why he handpicked this particular single malt whisky Gordon Motion, the Master Blender, said:
“We are extremely proud to be the Official Whisky of Glasgow 2014 and wanted to mark this momentous occasion with what we do best – whisky.
When deliberating what to release it became apparent that Glenturret 1986 was the ideal choice and very timely. Glenturret is not only integral to The Famous Grouse blend but this particular batch was laid down to age in oak casks 28 years ago, the very year when the Commonwealth Games last visited the home of Scotch whisky.
This exceptional whisky gives off notes of fresh mango and passion fruit to nose with sweet honeycomb and ripe melon to taste.
So why not, pour a dram, raise a toast to Glasgow 2014 and be part of something famous.”
This deluxe 28 year old single malt whisky will be presented in a bespoke gift box that tells the story behind the whisky and its connection to the Commonwealth Games and will be available from high-end specialist retailers priced at £150 (RRP).
The whisky brand’s sponsorship of the Commonwealth Games builds on their strong sporting links, working with the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) as their official whisky partner for over 24 years. More recently it announced its sister brand, Ginger Grouse, as the Official Pint Partner of endurance race, Tough Mudder.
The Famous Grouse limited edition Commonwealth Games whisky is available from mid-July. Like us on Facebook to find out stockists facebook/thefamousgrouseuk. It is also available to purchase from www.thefamousgrouse.com.
The Famous Grouse (www.thefamousgrouse.com)
• The Famous Grouse is the no. 1 whisky in Scotland and no. 4 standard blended whisky worldwide (IWSR data 2012).
• The Famous Grouse has been the best selling whisky in Scotland since 1980.
• The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries.
• Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand.
• The brand became so popular that on August 12th 1905 it was renamed The Famous Grouse.
• The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland.(www.thefamousgrouse.com/experience)
For further information, interviews or photography re: The Famous Grouse please contact: Mhairi De Luca / Ruth Minto, The BIG Partnership Tel: 0131 557 5252 / Email: Mhairi.deluca@bigpartnership.co.uk / ruth.minto@bigpartnership.co.uk
