christmas Suntory’s Hibiki Taisetsu cocktail.
A whisky for all seasons
JAPANESE drinks giant Suntory is encouraging whisky fans to warm themselves over the winter months with two cocktail serves.
The Hibiki Taisetsu, or ‘big snow’, mixes Hibiki 17 year old blended whisky with Umeshu plum sake, chocolate bitters, orange zest and hot water. The ingredients are stirred with
green tea, before being strained into a warm balloon glass. The Yamazaki Toji, meanwhile, combines Yamazaki 12 year old single malt whisky with Mandarine Napoleon, absinthe, brown sugar, a vanilla pod, cin- namon, cloves, star anise and orange peel. Half of the whisky and the rest of the ingredients are set on fi re for 15 seconds, while the rest of the whisky is heated in a balloon glass. Once both liquids are added together the fl ame is then extinguished.
It’s high fi ve for Kilchoman
KILCHOMAN, the fi rst distillery to be built on Islay for more than 120 years, has released its fi rst fi ve year old whisky. The Kilchoman 2006 Vintage whisky has been matured from 80% fi rst fi ll and 20% refi ll bour- bon barrels and then reduced to 46% ABV. It is available as a limited edition release, priced at £49 per bottle.
“This is another milestone for Kilchoman, the additional two years of maturation has given the 2006 vintage an extra dimension and depth of charac- ter,” said Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman Distillery.
The whisky is described as hav- ing a peaty aroma, with notes of soft cooked fruits and Christmas cake, and a sweet taste with fl avours of cloves, butterscotch and soft citrus. Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, producing 100,000 litres annually.
32 - SLTN - November 24, 2011
Dreaming of a black Christmas
Snow Grouse ready for festive bow as blend bids to make most of season T
HE Famous Grouse hopes its Black Grouse expression will take off this winter by putting it centre stage in its advertising this Christmas. Maxxium UK, which distributes the brand for owner the Edrington Group, has announced that Black Grouse, a special blend of Grouse containing Islay malt, will appear in its own TV ad next month as part of wider marketing activity for the Famous Grouse brand. The new ad will hit screens on December 5 carrying the strapline ‘a touch of brilliance’ and a twist on the established Famous Grouse theme tune.
Christmas 2011 also marks the fi rst festive season for Famous Grouse whiskies The Snow Grouse and The Naked Grouse, which were both introduced in the summer. The Snow Grouse is a blended grain whisky specially created to be served straight from the freezer, while The Naked Grouse is a blend of two single malt whiskies: Highland Park and The Macallan. Over the festive season The Snow Grouse will be packaged with neck hangers that provide consumers and bartenders with guidance on how to serve the whisky, as well as information on the grouse bird itself. Maxxium is also distributing limited edition gift cartons for fl agship whisky The Famous Grouse: 250,000 packs have been distributed to cash and carries and multiple grocers. “The new carton has been developed to refl ect The Famous Grouse’s
Maxxium UK is stepping up festive marketing activity for Famous Grouse and Teacher’s.
premium quality and to command increased standout for the brand on shelf,” said Chris Anderson of Maxxium UK.
This Christmas also sees the launch of The Ginger Grouse pre-mix cans. The 250ml can (ABV 6%) contains a mix of Famous Grouse and ginger beer. The new fl avour joins established pre- mix can Famous Grouse and Cola. Maxxium has also introduced a festive gift carton for another of its whisky blends, Teacher’s. The 70cl
carton will be available over the festive season, priced £12.49, and will also be distributed in price- marked packs. “Teacher’s is one of the only blends to be in a gift carton this Christmas, which will provide an enhanced on-shelf presence, and appeal to consumers looking for a premium and authentic blend this festive season,” said Peter Sandstrom, marketing director at Maxxium UK.
Bell’s bigging up the blends
DIAGEO is bidding to boost its Bell’s blended whisky brand with a new television advertising campaign. The new ad, appearing now,
promotes the benefi ts of blending quality whiskies, and Diageo claims it should raise interest in the blended whisky category as a whole. “Our research has shown that
Bell’s consumers are young at heart, socially active people who are open to new experiences and want their whisky to be a reliable, quality drink,”
said Oakley Walters, brand manager for Bell’s. “We have always known that Arthur
Bell’s blend is perfectly harmonious and smooth so our challenge was to communicate this to our consumers in a way that would appeal to their vibrant personalities and consumer requirements.”
The campaign launched earlier this month and will run until the end of December, with a particular focus on the Scottish market.
The new Bell’s ad from Diageo.
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