A Scotch whisky which has become one of the best-selling in global travel retail is continuing its growth with the release of Madeira cask single malts.
Aberfeldy Madeira Casks, was initially launched with Heinemann in stores worldwide.
Dedicated marketing campaigns ran at Amsterdam Schiphol in September and at Frankfurt Terminal 2 in December along with multiple gondola placements through Heinemann stores.
Aberfeldy has moved from 20th largest Single Malt in 2012 to being the 12th largest in 2017 .
They say they are maintaining an ongoing commitment to age statements at a time when many are disappearing from labels, and Aberfeldy is continuing to release liquid with guaranteed age statements – a key purchase motivation in travel retail and a driver of category growth.
Expertly hand crafted by Aberfeldy’s malt master, Stephanie Macleod, the distillery known for its Golden Dram has launched a 16-year-old and 21-year-old Aberfeldy, finished in the finest Madeira casks.
Spending up to 12 months in the ex-wine casks before bottling, the extra maturation period in this combination of casks creates the perfect balance of flavour between Aberfeldy’s honeyed richness with the sweet notes of Madeira wine.
Stephanie said: ‘Aberfeldy is a both an approachable yet complex dram, it has those similar sweet rich notes that Madeira wine is famously known for. By using Madeira casks I’m able to further develop the layers of flavour present in Aberfeldy’s honeyed-rich characters, resulting in a whisky with extra spiciness – the perfect complement to the Golden Dram.’
Two types of Madeira casks were sourced to finish both the 16 and 21-year-old expressions; ex-Malvasia Malmsey – the most famous and also the richest, sweetest style and ex-Bual – dark in colour, with medium-rich texture. These flavourful casks impart classic Madeira notes of caramel, peaches, orange peel and burnt sugar. Maturing Aberfeldy in this combination of Madeira wine casks elevates the maturing malt, heightening the level of complexity and adding the typical honeyed richness of distillery’s house style.
Mike Birch, managing director and vice president – global travel retail and commercial development, Bacardi said: ‘Aberfeldy is a stunning single malt for the global travel retail market, its credibility with shoppers reinforced by multiple awards for its sublime quality.
‘It’s the epitome of a perfect “Discovery Malt”, with its Golden Dram and Pitilie Burn heritage and commitment to age statements, which add massive appeal to new whisky drinkers from emerging markets and millennials.
‘Its growth trajectory is simply amazing. According to IWSR 2017, it is the fastest growing single malt in the top 15 over the last five years and the ninth highest-selling single Malt in Asia Pacific.
‘Those are extraordinary credentials, especially considering it was first launched in Global Travel just four years ago. This new Madeira finish is an exciting addition to our Exceptional Cask Series and we are delighted to have it exclusively in global travel retail, which adds further differentiation to the channel as a distinct whisky market.’
Gebr. Heinemann director purchasing LTCF Rüdiger Stelkens added: ‘Our whisky shoppers often seek out global travel exclusives and they are big fans of Aberfeldy,
‘We know they will respond positively to accessing this special edition Aberfeldy Madeira Cask finish in our stores along with the rest of the Aberfeldy range.’
The newly released Aberfeldy Madeira Casks, bottled at 40% ABV, join the existing portfolio of single malts as global travel retail exclusives. They are priced at $110 for the 16-year-old and $195 for the 21-year-old.
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