William Grant & Sons in September launched its latest innovation for Glenfiddich, Grand Cru, an exclusive single malt scotch that’s been matured for 23 years and finished in rare French cuvée oak casks.
Glenfiddich Grand Clu will have two exclusive variants for Global Travel Retail that will be supported by sensorial engagement and digital activation in-store that exemplify a new “luxury’” direction for William Grant & Sons.
Grand Cru is the only Glenfiddich Single Malt to be finished in French cuvée casks that once contained liquid that goes on to become some of the world’s “most extraordinary sparkling wines.”
The rich whisky, already intense in flavor thanks to long maturation in American and European oak casks at the Glenfiddich Distillery, is further bolstered with extra intensity from rare French cuvée casks, says the company.
Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, commented: “Breaking category conventions once more, this unusual collaboration presented an exciting opportunity to create a spirit that further elevated our unique Glenfiddich style. We experimented with the maturation time and hand-selected the right balance of 23 year old Glenfiddich casks out of our unique collection of old age malts. The further influence from the oak of the French cuvée casks added an extra layer of complexity thanks to the liquid they once held. Marrying the best of both worlds, the final liquid presents an exceptional finesse and is a special tribute to each cuvée cask the malts were finished in.”
The black glass bottle with its gold Grand Cru print and golden closure are presented in an black box featuring a sparkling golden firework design.
In recognition of travel retail’s importance – and the regional strength of Asia Pacific, WG&S partnered with DFS and CAG for a one-month travel retail exclusive launch of Grand Cru at Changi Airport, Singapore, on September 5.
Alongside Changi, the global campaign includes activations beginning in October across key International airport locations including Hong Kong, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Tokyo, Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Delhi, Dubai, London, Paris, Edinburgh and New York.
To create a point of difference for travelers, a 75cl 43% abv exclusive variant has been created for DFS, while a 70cl 43% abv exclusive variant will be available with WG&S’ other GTR partners.
Comments WG&S GTR Managing Director Ed Cottrell: “In Global Travel Retail we are continually striving to keep the offer innovative, fresh, exciting and qualitative. Grand Cru presents a superb opportunity for us and our retail partners to tap into the $100+ luxury spirits segment with a Single Malt. Its link to premium French sparkling wines helps us to create a compelling story that will appeal to and recruit a new generation of premium spirits drinkers into the category.
“By offering exclusive variants for GTR we continue to meet our customer’s needs for ‘differentiation’ to domestic markets. The higher strength 43% abv, compared to the 40% abv on the domestic market, creates a slightly different offering and enables a price point that better suits the channel.
“But where the industry will see a difference is with the activational support which is unlike anything done before by William Grant & Sons. We’ve taken cues from the fashion and beauty industry to develop concepts that combine an amazing sensorial experience for consumers with interactive features that exude luxury and create a true sense of celebration and occasion in keeping with the DNA of Grand Cru.
“We will be working closely with our retail partners throughout the last quarter to bring this to life through experiential and interactive video and feature walls, destination bars and pop-up stores, and whisky fair participation, with our plans for Changi beyond anything that has ever been done before.”
