Suntory Global Spirits has partnered with Holland America Line to launch two special barrels of Knob Creek exclusively with the cruise line, a big step for Suntory’s ambitions for its cruise business.
Drew Foulk, Senior Manager, Dining & Beverage Operations and Innovation for Holland America Line & Seabourn, traveled to the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Kentucky in October, for the first-ever barrel picks (one bourbon, one rye) with members of the Suntory Global Spirits team.
“Not only is this the first barrel selection with the cruise industry, it is the first for Suntory Travel Retail in the Americas,” Nathan Ellingson, Regional Director, Americas, Global Travel Retail, for Suntory Global Spirits.
“We are at the very early stages of our partnership with Holland America, which is what makes this so exciting. Drew’s vision is to make his ships the reference for the bourbon drinker, which is why this makes so much sense for Knob Creek. These two barrels will be available exclusively on all Holland America Line ships and with each barrel yielding fewer than 300 bottles each.
“We are expecting these barrels to reach ships in Q1 of next year, so we still have a few details to work through with the Holland team in terms of how to maximize the impact but should have something fun to share.”
Ellingson says he is excited about this first step with Holland America.
“While the potential is out there to do more barrel picks, the circumstances would need to be similar to this one. What Drew and the Holland America team are doing on-board to lean into the demands of increasingly sophisticated bourbon drinkers made this opportunity really interesting,” he says.
Foulk, along with the experts at the distillery and one travel retail journalist, tried to find the two best barrels for Holland America’s passengers.
“Knob Creek is a big brand, so with the volume of barrels that we have aging, it is essential our team does a pre-selection. When completing this, the team is not looking to match the classic Knob Creek flavor profile so much as highlight a variety of different flavors that emerge in the aging process. With that in mind, they selected four barrels each of bourbon and rye coming from different rick houses, floor locations, and proofs that help ensure each selection offers something truly unique,” says Ellingson.
Telling a story through taste
“After the barrels were presented to Drew, the selection process became very collaborative,” says Ellingson. “The choice of each barrel became a storytelling session with the five participants sharing their tasting experiences to reach a friendly consensus. The selection brought joy to everyone involved that we hope will be shared with each Holland America passenger who has the opportunity to taste them.”
Suntory sees untapped potential in its cruise business and earlier this year hired Steven Mastrodomenico, most recently with Campari, as Senior LATAM and Cruise Lead.
“Our Travel Retail business in the Americas has been a bit of sleeping giant for Suntory. The potential in the region is clear, but until now we did not have the pieces in place to realize that potential. Steven is one of those pieces. We are optimistic that his addition to the team will give us the weight we need to realize our potential in cruise,” says Ellingson.
“We are really trying to build our approach around customer centricity so that we are not only getting closer to the end consumer but helping our partners drive category growth. It is that mindset that is driving our hiring in the region as well as the broader investments we need to make to support our business.”
