William Grant & Sons reports record year in travel retail and focuses on exclusive lines for 2013

William Grant & Sons (WGS) arrives at the Duty Free Show of the Americas this year (booth xxx) with yet another record year in travel retail reported for 2012. All core brands – including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Grant’s, Tullamore Dew and Hendrick’s Gin grew by value, with volume sales significantly above expectations.

The travel retail result reflected global success for the company with highlights including:

• Glenfiddich becoming the first ever single malt Scotch Whisky to sell more than 1 million cases in a single year (IWSR).

• Grant’s Blended Scotch moving ahead of J&B to become the world’s 3^rd largest blended Scotch by both value and volume (IWSR).
• William Grant & Sons named IWSC Distiller of the Year for a record breaking fifth successive year.
• Hendrick’s Gin cementing its position as the world’s leading super premium gin.
• Opening of the new Tullamore DEW Visitor Centre –with large investment planned for new distillery.

At this year’s Orlando show, WGS will be focussing on exclusive editions for travel retail, seen as essential in customer engagement within the airport environment.

THE BALVENIE. The focus for The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the launch of the Travel Retail exclusive ‘Triple Cask’ range, comprising 12 year old, 16 year old and 25 year old variants.

Created exclusively for Travel Retail, the Triple Cask range offers expressions of The Balvenie that has matured in the three most traditional types of cask – first-fill bourbon, refill bourbon and sherry; all in a large wooden vessel known as a marrying tun. These new marriages of The Balvenie are made to precise recipes refined over time by David Stewart to ensure each captures the distillery’s distinctive rich, smooth and honeyed style.

The three age expressions in the range all offer something unique: The Triple Cask 12 year old is elegantly sweet and spicy, with a mellow taste of dried fruits, vanilla and cinnamon; the Triple Cask 16 year old delivers a rich vanilla sweetness alongside hints of toffee and gentle oak; and the Triple Cask 25 year old is deep, rich and complex, with silky oak and spice and an exceptionally long and warming finish.

Reflecting on the release of The Balvenie Triple Cask range, Malt Master David Stewart said: ‘The Balvenie is known for its rich, luxuriously smooth and honeyed character, so I had those flavours very much in mind when creating these whiskies. I nosed several hundred casks for each expression in the range, making sure we captured and brought together those special Balvenie traits that our drinkers know and enjoy.’

The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 7 Available during the first quarter of 2013, exclusively to travel retail, The Balvenie Tun 1401 is another unique creation from Malt Master David Stewart. After transferring specially selected casks from across the ages, including some of the distillery’s rarest treasures to a small marrying tun, the liquid is left to rest for several months prior to bottling to produce a single malt that enhances its already precious parts. The Balvenie Tun 1401 takes its name from the traditional oak marrying tun in which the aged whisky is married.

GLENFIDDICH. One of the big success stories for 2011 and 2012 has been the launch of the travel retail exclusive 19 Year Old Glenfiddich Age of Discovery. Such has been the reception that, following the introduction of a second version, William Grant & Sons is adding a third version in 2013. Again exclusive to the channel, and designed to become a gifting range, Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Red Wine Cask Finish will also be a 19 Year Old, in this case celebrating Darwin’s voyage of discovery on board The HMS Beagle in 1831 that sailed from Plymouth in England. Charles Darwin, a young gentleman naturalist on board the ship – was recruited by Robert Fitzroy, ship’s Captain, to record the natural history and geology that they were to encounter in their travels.

Age of Discovery Red Wine Cask Finish is an extraordinarily rich Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, finished in oak casks previously used to produce the smooth, complex wines of South America.   Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes combine with the oak to deliver exceptional smoothness complimented by warm spicy notes - sweet berry flavours lend a velvety sweetness.

Brian Kinsman, the Glenfiddich Malt Master and only the Sixth in our history, has personally selected the single malt Scotch whiskies used to create this exclusive Glenfiddich Age of Discovery. Age of Discovery Red Wine Cask Finish will be available to global travel retail in the first quarter of 2013 and joins Age of Discovery Madeira Cask and Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask Reserve.

125^th Anniversary Edition To mark 125 years of pioneering spirit at the Glenfiddich Distillery, William Grant and Sons has launched the new Glenfiddich 125^th Anniversary Edition gift pack. Being launched exclusively for travel retail, the Glenfiddich 125^th Anniversary Edition is a limited edition single malt Scotch whisky created by William Grant’s Malt Master, Brian Kinsman. It is available in a very attractive gift tin, presented with a beautiful copper stopper, a certificate of authenticity & leaflet on the product.

HENDRICK’S GIN. Outstanding growth for the world’s leading super premium gin continues in travel retail thanks to a program of high profile theatrical promotions and activities that highlight the unique manufacturing process and taste of Hendrick’s. The Barber Chair concept (launched at last year’s Duty Free Show of the Americas), was introduced into other key markets in GTR and has caused a stir wherever it has run.

Following the success of the travel retail exclusive Tea Time Martini gift pack, WGS is launching a new ‘Teatime Pack’ for 2013 in Orlando.

This delightfully peculiar cucumber and rose petal infused gin has staked its claim as one of the industry’s most premium quality gin libations by taking silver at the world’s leading spirits competition, the 2012International Spirits Challenge (ISC).

TULLAMORE DEW. In an increasingly competitive Irish whiskey market, Tullamore DEW has maintained its momentum. Significant progress has been made on key strategic brand initiatives: the development and launch globally of the new brand positioning, development and initial roll out of the global communication platform ‘Irish True’, the upgrade of the Tullamore DEW Original packaging design, and the ongoing development of a new brand home with the takeover of the Tullamore DEW Visitor Centre. The Irish True communication platform, a key vehicle for differentiation, is currently being rolled out throughout GTR in the Americas in 2013.

GRANT’S. For Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky – now the world’s number three brand in retail value according to IWSR - the focus continues to be premiumisation of the brand with the continued roll out of the global travel retail exclusive 25 Year Old, the premium 12 Year Old, and various cask finishes which highlight the depth and quality of the brand. To support the complete range of Grant’s whiskies, William Grant & Sons continues to install a new range of wall bays at key airports across the globe and creating theatre in store with a series of high profile sampling activities.

SAILOR JERRY continues to enjoy growth with distribution limited to locations where listings are supported by strong domestic on- and off-trade presence. Both are supported by impactful and entertaining promotions and sampling activity. Las year’s Flash art tattoo concept activation that went live in March in JFK is currently being launched throughout GTR in 2013.

Innovation brands such as Milagro, Reyka, Hudson and Monkey Shoulder. WGS is steadily increasing the number of brands offered apart from whisk(e)y . The launch and roll out of these brands is controlled starting in 2013.

Press enquiries: Rowena Holland, Essential Communications. 

Email: row@essentialcommunications.org

Notes to Editors

• William Grant & Sons is an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by the fifth generation of his family. The Company distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite Single Malt Glenfiddich, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie Single Malts and the world’s oldest family blend, Grant’s, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick’s Gin, voted the ‘World’s Best Gin’ by the Wall Street Journal.

• According to recent IWSR results, Grant’s is now the world’s number three in retail value. The move onto podium reaffirms Grant’s’ credentials as a key player on the world whisky stage. Over the last five years, Grant’s has consistently grown ahead of the category, achieving in 2010 worldwide sales of 4.8 million cases and retail value of over $1bn.
• Visit www.williamgrant.com for more information on the Company and its brands