Paris CDG February 18th 2016 Passengers travelling through Buy Paris Duty Free at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport today stepped back in time to the roaring 1920s as they experienced a taste of Parisian elegance with the launch of William Grant & Sons’ travel retail-exclusive House of Hazelwood blended Scotch Whisky.
Inspired by the Grant family luminary Janet Sheed Roberts (1901–2012), whose lifetime residence Hazelwood House gave rise to the name of this new expression, this elegant and vibrant range of the finest blended Scotch whiskies was presented to travellers in an innovative way, combining multi-sensorial nosing, tasting and gift-wrapping. As the spirit of Janet Sheed Roberts inspired five generations of the WG family since, so the House of Hazelwood spirit is expressed through the great Art Deco cities that influenced the world in her heyday – including Paris.
Says Andre de Almeida, William Grant & Sons Regional Travel Retail Director Europe: “Partnering with Lagardère Travel Retail to launch House of Hazelwood at Paris Charles de Gaulle was an obvious choice, given the connection between the art deco movement and this great city. Indeed, House of Hazelwood 18 Year Old – which we are particularly featuring here – is inspired by the elegance of Paris in the 1920s, a theme that we are aiming to recreate with this very special launch activation. William Grant & Sons now enjoys a leading position within the travel retail sector for exclusive and unique whiskies and House of Hazelwood is another example of how we never stop looking at new ways to bring out the best that our distilleries have to offer.”
Using the backdrop of a cleverly designed Cargo Bike, featuring a dia-cut Paris skyline housed within a 1920’s style frame, passengers are greeted by a formally dressed waiter with accompanying Hazelwood embroidered serving towel and silver tray, who guides each individual through the experience of nosing and tasting the House of Hazelwood range. Fragrance cards, infused with the sweet smell of these unique blends, are handed out as an innovative and experiential way for consumers to enjoy the different notes of the whiskies.
To complete the experience, gift-wrapping of House of Hazelwood purchases is offered at the till areas.
The activation, which runs until mid-March, is another example of William Grant & Sons commitment to bringing brands to life in global travel retail. Adds Lagardère Travel Retail EVP Purchasing Duty Free Global Sabine Fagan: “We are seeing continued growth for the premium blended Scotch whisky category, as it bridges the gap between regular blended Scotch drinkers and pure malt connoisseurs. Consumers are increasingly looking for new and different experiences and our hope is that by offering such an exclusive range as House of Hazelwood we will set the retail bar here at Paris CDG at a higher level.”
The launch would not be complete without the presence of the creator of the House of Hazelwood range, Master Blender Brian Kinsman. “My ambition was to create a range of whiskies that would pay tribute to the extraordinary Janet Sheed Roberts and House of Hazelwood is based on whiskies from the two distilleries closest to her heart: Kininvie and Girvan, as well as the Grant family’s private collection. I am exceptionally pleased with the result – not only the individual whiskies themselves but also the way that they have been bottled and packaged to tell each individual story. Seeing House of Hazelwood available for the first time to the public here at Paris CDG is a wonderful feeling and I am proud to be part of it.”
House of Hazelwood is composed of three exquisite expressions, each blended to perfection, with its own inimitable story to tell. All inspired by the 1920s, the most distinguished is the 25 year old expression (inspired by the inventive artistry of Shanghai) followed by two other variants, House of Hazelwood 21 year old (inspired by the sultry beauty of Mumbai), and House of Hazelwood 18 year old (inspired by the classic elegance of Paris).
The packaging design is similarly inspired by these cities, focussing on the creation of a distinctive visual leitmotif associated with the luminosity of each city.
House of Hazelwood is available exclusively in Global Travel Retail until September 2016. It will then launch in a few select markets around the world. House of Hazelwood has an ABV of 40% and suggested retail price of £115 for 25 year old, £75 for 21 year old and £50 for 18 year old.
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Notes to Editor:
About House of Hazelwood
House of Hazelwood, an elegant and vivacious new blended Scotch whisky inspired by family luminary Janet Sheed Roberts (1901 to 2012) and expressed through the spirit of the great Art Deco cities that influenced the world in her heyday. During her rich and vibrant life, Janet Sheed Roberts lived in Hazelwood House, a house close to the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. It was from Hazelwood House that she revelled in learning and progress, spending considerable time after her studies travelling the world, attending shows, parties and company ceremonies. In fact, inside Hazelwood House you can still find the beautiful art deco artefacts, pictures and stories from those days.
House of Hazelwood 25 Year Old
House of Hazelwood 25 Year Old was inspired by the classic elegance of Shanghai, a city that stood at the centre of Cathay elegance in the 1920s. This release represents the Master Blenders’ most prized expression. Each rare single malt earned its place in Kinsman’s final selection, and the blend was then married in American oak, allowing sufficient time for the complex and diverse flavours to infuse and mellow. The resultant majestic whisky is unique, rare and very special.
Tasting notes
Nose: Caramelized brown sugar leads, accompanied by vanilla, maple, soft spice and hints of fresh sawn wood. Citrus notes and orange blossom linger in the background.
Taste: An elegant combination of vibrant spice and vanilla sweetness on the palate. A long dry finish from the new oak.
Key Notes: Caramelized sugar and soft spice.
House of Hazelwood 21 Year Old
House of Hazelwood 21 Year Old is inspired by the sultry beauty of Mumbai in the 1920s. This release represents a bolder, somewhat spicier and more robust whisky balanced to perfection by the ageing of some of its malts for 21 years in sherry casks made of European oak.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Dried fruits and spice dominate, alongside a sticky sweetness reminiscent of rich fruit cake. A splash of water alters the balance and adds complexity with a subtle hint of tobacco leaf.
Taste: Cinnamon, cloves and woody spice, with a dry finish. Water accentuates the sherry cask influence, bringing out the sweet oiliness of treacle, dates and polished leather.
Key Notes: Spice, molasses and resin.
House of Hazelwood 18 Year Old
House of Hazelwood 18 Year Old is inspired by the classic elegance of Paris in the 1920s. This release reveals an elegant and classic whisky, perhaps the purest expression of Kininvie and Girvan spirits in the range, and married in tuns of Portuguese oak.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Vibrant vanilla sweetness dominates the nose. Delicate oak adds complexity.
Taste: Creamy toffee enhanced by soft oak undertones. A long and elegant finish. Approachable, yet refined by age.
Key Notes: Vanilla, creamy toffee, soft oak.
About Janet Sheed Roberts
Janet Sheed Roberts possessed a fine mind, known for her strength of character, passion and determination. Across the 1920ss she lived a vibrant life, witnessed the heyday of Scotch whisky and lived the golden age of theatre, fashion and design.
Janet Sheed Roberts revelled in learning and progress; she was awarded a Master of Arts and continued with a degree in law — being one of only two women in her graduating year.
She spent considerable time after her studies travelling the world. She could recount stories of seeing the first aeroplane and the stagecoach ride from Geneva to Lausanne and remember the tunes played on the fiddle during a halt to water the horses. After she married, she continued her adventures with her husband Eric, meeting distributors and customers, and attending functions and award ceremonies. Her travels knew no bounds, and even her Australia trip featured on the itinerary with 12 stops, including one or two on remote islands in the middle of the ocean.
Janet Sheed Roberts’ passion for adventure did not end there. She also had a great love for the arts and fashion. She saw all the legendary actors and actresses of the time in the best shows – including Greta Garbo. She developed an extraordinary taste for shoes and handbags, with her favourite being Ferragamo. Indeed, she always travelled with her “campaigners” – a pristine pair of Ferragamo lace-up walking shoes with a fashionable heel.
In fact, it was a trip to a casino in Monaco that her elegant string of pearls broke, dropping all the fine pearls to the ground. Like a scene out of a Hollywood movie, all the men stopped in their tracks, got down to their knees and help Janet Sheed Roberts find all her pearls.
About William Grant & Sons
House of Hazelwood is made by William Grant & Sons, Ltd. an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® along with iconic premium spirits brands Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Drambuie and Milagro® Tequila.
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