Bacardi Global Travel Retail has launched the Aultmore Cask Finish Collection of single malt whiskies as a travel retail exclusive line. The collection is currently available in Europe and IMEA, with a launch in Asia Pacific later this year. It was introduced to partners at the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition last month.
Comprised of four expressions (aged 12, 18, 21 and 25 years), the Aultmore Cask Finish Collection is an evolution of the existing range, with each expression featuring a different cask finish and also available in a smaller, more sustainable, gift-friendly 50cl bottle.
Suggested retail prices are: 12 Year: US$58, 18 Year: US$170, 21 Year: US$250, 25 Year: US$500 (all 50cl)
Each variant has a different cask type and finish chosen to enhance Aultmore's light, herbal and grassy character.
The four whiskies in the Aultmore Cask Finish Collection are primarily made in refill hogsheads and casks: the 12-year-old is then finished in second-fill Oloroso sherry casks, which Bacardi says give it soft, creamy toffee notes, while the 18-year-old is finished in second-fill Madeira wine casks, which give it “exotic fruit notes and a hint of dry spice.”
The 21 Year Old is finished in second-fill Calvados brandy casks and offers aromas of apple and toasted almond, while the 25 Year Old, the oldest in the range, is finished in rich first-fill Oloroso sherry casks, offering “intense tropical notes, beeswax and spice”.
All four whiskies are bottled at 46% ABV, are non-chill filtered and have no caramel colouring. The company explained the change to the smaller 50cl bottle size as “more gift-friendly and portable, perfect for collection sets and also opens the door to greater travel retail distribution.”
The new collection also features recyclable secondary packaging, and a new tin seal on the top of the bottle means that all packaging in the Aultmore range is plastic-free, in line with Bacardi’s global sustainability efforts.
“Aultmore typically keeps things minimal, focusing on showcasing its spirit and wood,” says Malt Master Stephanie McLeod, “This collection takes a different approach, showcasing Aultmore in a contrasting light while still highlighting the distillery's individuality.”
Leila Stansfield, managing director of Bacardi Global Travel Retail, added: “With its unique cask finish, the Aultmore Cask Finish Collection represents a very special opportunity for whisky lovers looking to discover something new while traveling. Available exclusively through travel retail, it also comes in a smaller, more gift-friendly format, making it even more appealing.”
A recent survey by travel retail research consultancy m1nd-set found that nine in 10 travellers are likely to buy duty free exclusive spirits for themselves or as a gift, with over half of travellers citing “unique spirits” such as cask finishing as the most important aspect of travel retail exclusive spirits.
As mentioned above, the range was introduced to the industry at TFWA Asia Pacific alongside the new Dewar's Double Double Stone Toasted, another key launch this year for the brand owner.
Dewar's Double Double Stone Toasted is a discovery pack containing two flavours that was first launched to market last month in collaboration with China Duty Free Group. The discovery pack will be available in other travel retail outlets across Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East and the Americas from June (RRP $440).
Bacardi Global Travel Retail Advocacy Manager Leila Stansfield, AMEA Igor Pacci and Marketing Director Darragh Ryan introduced Dewar's Double Double Stone Toasted and Aultmore ranges to media guests at a special event in Singapore on May 13th.
Stansfield said: “Our strategy is all about how we inspire and delight consumers, whether they know our brand or are visiting us for the first time. Today, it's not enough to have a good product on the shelf – you have to create an experience around it.”
“Within that strategy, we talk about super strengthening our brands and disrupting the future. We have identified two categories that are critical to our future success: whisky and tequila, the fastest growing categories in travel retail.
“To excite and delight travellers, we need to give them a reason to visit our stores and offer them something they can't get anywhere else, which is why these new innovations, launching exclusively in travel retail, are a key part of our plans.”
Aultmore tasting notes (courtesy of Bacardi):
Aultmore Cask Finish Collection 12 Year 2and Fill Oloroso Finish: pictureAn elegant, floral fragrance with notes of summer fruits, soft, creamy toffee and a hint of cinnamon.
Aultmore Cask Finish Collection 18 Year 2and Fil Madeira Finish: Flavors of freshly cut grass, sun-ripened red cherries and finally orange peel and dried spices.
Aultmore Cask Finish Collection 21 Year 2and Finish: Filled with Calvados Fragrant aromas of blooming apple orchards, almonds and delicate oak.
Aultmore Cask Finish Collection 21 Year Old 1st Fill Oloroso Finish: Fresh fig, sultanas and dried tropical fruits combine with hints of beeswax and cinnamon spice for a complex and balanced flavour.
