Glenrothes rolls out vintage release

Berry Bros & Rudd Scotch whisky brand Glenrothes introduced its 1995 vintage on the opening day of Vinexpo yesterday and the company was keen to stress the points of difference vintage whiskys offer over age statement releases.

Speaking to the drinks business during a tasting of the ’95, BBR sales development director Mike Harrison said: “Vintage is all about maturity rather than age.

“Vintages can also be much more personal for the consumer. For example, you might feel an extra connection to a whisky from the year of your wedding, or the year your child was born.

“These are very emotional, personal moments and they can add an extra dimension to the drinker’s connection with the whisky.”

His comments echo those of Glenrothes brand heritage director Ronnie Cox, who previously told db: “Age statements mean nothing to the regular consumer, it’s better to have vintages.

The company has just finished a “highly successful” Glenrothes campaign in the Daily Telegraph entitled “Vintage Moments”, which asked people to pick their favourite year for a vintage whisky based on their own personal experiences.

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina footballer Ossie Ardiles gave his backing to the campaign, naming 1978 as his favourite vintage year due to the fact it was the year he won the World Cup with his country, while newsreader Angela Rippon chose 1995 as it was the year she first sat in front of an auto-cue.

BBR believe that other brands will soon recognise the different proposition of vintage whiskies.

Harrison added: “Already we have seen Highland Park release a vintage whisky in the duty-free channel and no doubt others will also do the same soon, but we were the first.”

Glenrothes is enjoying a period of exceptional growth and Harrison does not see it slowing down any time soon.

“Last year we exceeded our targets for growth and this will continue,” he said. “As long as people trust the product, they will continue to buy it.

“Naturally we saw a slight dip in fortunes with the economic crash, but over the past couple of years we have seen nothing but growth.

The 1995 vintage has been released in order to fill the gap left by the soon-to-run-out 1994 stock, while the other recent release, 1988, has plugged the gap between the now-extinct 1987 and 1989 vintages.

Meanwhile BBR is also reaping the rewards of its relaunch of Kings Ginger, which is undergoing a major renaissance, particularly in the UK.

“The relaunch and renewed focus on Kings Ginger resulted in sales doubling in the UK last year,” he said.

“People are much more aware of the product now. It used to be something of a secret among the hunting set but now a much wider audience is waking up to it.”

Though the spirit traditionally enjoys its healthiest sales period in the winter months, warmer climate markets such as Israel, southern US states and Asia are now showing significant growth.

“Our aim is to take Kings Ginger to a lot more tasting events over the coming year in order to drive consistent sales throughout the entire year,” Harrison added.

Alan Lodge, 20.06.2011