SCOTTISH LEADER AND I SEE A DIFFERENT YOU TO INSPIRE AFRO-POSITIVITY

Popular whisky brand Scottish Leader, together with the dynamic I See A Different You creative collective, is setting out to bring South Africans an Afro-optimistic new perspective. They will be looking for, interpreting and expressing the unique beauty and dynamism of the country; and inspiring others to do the same.

Born and bred in Soweto, the internationally acclaimed I See A Different You duo, featuring Innocent Mukheli and Vuyo Mpantsha, shot to fame through their photographic blog launched in 2011. Their movement was born from a pure love in the very place they are from. The friends wanted to show a different Soweto – their Soweto – to the world, simultaneously retelling and reframing the township story in an optimistic and creative light to alter negative, contrived and outdated perceptions.

The success of their blog made way for a broader focus beyond Soweto and their own personal stories, to showcase the South African experience and its striking diversity in their signature style.

“The I See A Different You philosophy beautifully mirrors the Scottish Leader ethos of viewing things from a new perspective to discover richer possibilities. It therefore made sense for us to team up and intensify the expression of a shared narrative, while at the same time promoting the three seductively sweet, smooth, rich and smoky Scottish Leader variants that sell in South Africa, including Original, Signature and 12-year-old,” says Meryll Stocks Roos, marketing spokesperson for Scottish Leader in South Africa.

I See A Different You’s Mukheli agrees. “In essence, both brands stand for positive change. Only when you look at the world differently can you bring about positive and meaningful change. Together with Scottish Leader, we are working on encouraging South Africans to believe in their potential and power to transform their lives and in so doing, make a difference that transcends them as individuals.”

Scottish Leader and I See A Different You collaboration, conceived and produced in association with FCB Cape Town, will be rolled out in various phases, starting in early February with an out-of-home billboard campaign.

“I See A Different You is not only adding their authentic voice to our campaign, but also participating in creating visual assets and networking opportunities for the Scottish Leader brand, that reflect our shared Afro-positive narrative,” says Paul Carstens, FCB Cape Town’ creative director.

“The choice of locations for the campaign visuals had to be distinctive, as well as capture the reality, vibrancy and essence of township lifestyle, as can be seen in the scenes reflecting a typical game of pool, a Spaza shop, the distinctive roofs of Kliptown in Soweto, and the Alexandra township, amongst others.”

Carstens also said that Scottish Leader’s three blended whiskies available in South Africa – Original, Signature and 12-year-old – are visually represented via their distinct label colour accent; red, teal and blue respectively; with each photo shoot location echoing one of these.

Stocks Roos explained that in addition to the outdoor advertising campaign, South Africans could look forward to a host of related brand activities this year, including launch parties, an innovative digital photography drive, as well as regular social networking events. She said that more would be revealed in due course.

Visit www.scottishleader.co.za and www.iseeadifferentyou.com for more information on the two brands.

Follow and engage with Scottish Leader on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ScottishLeaderSouthAfrica), Twitter (www.twitter.com/ScottishLeader) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/ScottishLeaderWhisky).

Join the conversation using:

@ScottishLeader

@ISeeADifferentYou

#ISeeANewPerspective

#NewPerspective

Notes:

Scottish Leader is an award-winning, internationally respected, blended Scotch whisky sold in around 30 countries, crafted by a single, dedicated team with nearly 400 years’ combined experience.  The blending team is spearheaded by female lead blender, Dr Kirstie McCallum, who offers a wealth of experience, as well as a forward-thinking, dynamic outlook.

The price of Scottish Leader ranges from R180 to R220 and R320 for the Original, Signature, and 12-year-old whiskies respectively.

Rare whisky market smashes £25M as global demand soars

The UK’s rare whisky auction market has exceeded £25M in a single year for the first time as global demand for liquid gold soars.

The findings are part of the 2017 annual report published today by whisky analyst, broker and investment experts Rare Whisky 101.

According to the report, both the volume and value of rare Scotch whisky sold at auction increased by record amounts. The £ value of collectable bottles of Single Malt Scotch whisky sold at auction in the UK rose by a staggering 76.33% to a record £25.06m (2016 £14.21m). The number of bottles of Single Malt Scotch whisky sold at auction in the UK increased by 42.47% to 83,713 (2016 58,758).

The most expensive bottle to sell at auction in the UK was a bottle of 62 year old Dalmore (one of 12 originally released) for £95,000.

RW101’s leading index for rare whisky, the Apex 1000 Index, which tracks the best performing 1000 bottles of rare whisky, closed the year up 27.51%, once again outperforming the Liv-Ex Fine Wine 100 (5.28%), FTSE 100 (7.63%), Brent Crude (17.78%) and Gold (13.59%).

December alone saw 8,848 bottles of Scotch sold at auction in the UK, a record month and a large part of the 25,123 bottles sold through the final quarter of 2017. Just four years ago in 2013, a total of 20,211 bottles were sold throughout the full year. From a value perspective, December saw £3.148m sold, slightly ahead of 2012’s full year sales value of £2.911m.

At the end of 2016, ten distilleries had seen a single bottle sell at auction in the UK for more than £10,000. One year on and that number has grown to fourteen.

Andy Simpson, director and co-founder of Rare Whisky 101 said: “We were fully expecting to break £20 million for the first time. However, £25 million shows the level of pure demand in the market at the moment. The volume of bottles on the open market is at record highs, but demand for the right bottles, for now at least, continues to excess these record levels of supply.”

Commenting on the global thirst for liquid gold, co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, David Robertson said: “We are experiencing increasing demand from almost all parts of the globe. South East Asia remains a key factor for the market, but is by no means the exclusive driver. Demand from the domestic market, central Europe and further afield is higher than we’ve ever seen.

“From a rare whisky perspective, approaching on the horizon are the dynamic economies and the burgeoning middle classes of mainland China and India; neither have got to the starting blocks yet, let alone begun to try and win the rare whisky acquisition race. When, and indeed, if they do, we’re expecting demand to hit levels unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”

On the rare whisky auction market’s future prospects, Simpson continued: “As a category, Scotch is appealing to more and more buyers, and the pinnacle product, single malt, is becoming ever more popular with connoisseurs, collectors and investors. Older spirit is still very challenging to come by in the cask and is commanding ever higher prices. We don’t see that changing.

“In certain parts of the world, collecting and investing is still very much in its infancy, but wealthy status buyers are targeting high value bottles and consuming them as they were always intended. This is, in turn pushing prices north, with rarities increasing in price with almost every single subsequent sale.

“The growing importance, almost dominance, of the UK’s auction market, which is the largest in the world, will continue to be underpinned by the rapidly increasing number of rare whisky retailers running auctions in parallel to their traditional retail business. The rare-whisky acquisition landscape has changed forever as the consumer, rather than the retailer, now decides what price they will pay for a bottle of rare and collectable whisky.

“We’ve talked about rare whisky being in an almost perfect storm of diminishing stocks (through consumption) and skyrocketing demand. That situation looks like continuing as the bulls remain in control of the market.”

About Rare Whisky 101
Andy Simpson and David Robertson launched Rare Whisky 101 in 2014 with the aim of offering a whisky valuation service, brokerage and consultancy for whisky connoisseurs, collectors and investors. Having tracked every bottle sold at UK auctions over the past 12 years, the business now offers the world’s first, only and most comprehensive online single malt Scotch & Japanese whisky dataset covering some 276,000 price records over 33,000 different bottle types. In the last 12 months, RW101 have brokered around 20,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe in addition to trading in aged casks from iconic distilleries such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Springbank, Mortlach, Talisker, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Highland Park.

FORTY CREEK TURNS TO FANS TO CHOOSE 2018 LIMITED EDITION BLEND IN FIRST-EVER SOCIAL RELEASE

CANADIAN WHISKY BRAND USES SOCIAL INTIATIVE TO SEARCH COAST-TO-COAST FOR FOUR CANADIANS TO CAST THEIR VOTE

TORONTO, ON – Award-winning whisky brand, Forty Creek, is once again putting flavour first as it seeks input from Canadian taste buds across the country to determine their next limited edition release. In a contest like no other, fans will have the chance to win an exclusive VIP tasting at Forty Creek’s distillery in Grimsby, Ontario where they’ll cast their vote for the first-ever limited edition social release.

Forty Creek is known for coming “from a good place”; a concept that was introduced last year through the brand’s foray into television advertising. While the TV spots shone a spotlight on Grimsby and the individuals who have been essential in making Forty Creek the success it is today, this new social media initiative aims to take that concept one step further by inviting fans to represent their good place and choose a whisky that is for all Canadians.

Starting February 9, 2018 Canadian whisky fans are encouraged to visit Forty Creek’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FortyCreekWhisky) and comment on why Forty Creek is their whisky of choice for the chance to make Forty Creek history. Four fans from across Canada (excluding Quebec) will be chosen at random and invited to the Forty Creek distillery to sample and vote on a selection of blends that have the potential to be the 2018 Limited Edition. The choice will be in their hands as the blend with the most votes will be crowned the winner. Contest closes March 4, 2018.

“From the very beginning Forty Creek has been a whisky that puts its customers first,” says John Andersen, Senior Brand Manager, North American Whiskies. “While Forty Creek is incredibly proud of our Grimsby roots, we know that there are many other places in Canada worthy of celebration. Knowing that, we wanted to give Canadians from coast-to-coast a chance to represent the tastes of their respective regions and choose, what will ultimately be, a great whisky for Canadians, chosen by Canadians.”

The winning blend will be announced and available for reservation prior to Forty Creek’s annual Whisky Weekend in September.  Whisky Weekend is Forty Creek’s annual celebration all things Canadian and Forty Creek, with tours, tastings, seminars, and the official launch of the annual limited edition release.

About Campari Group:

Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., together with its affiliates (‘Campari Group’), is a major player in the global beverage sector, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. The Group’s portfolio includes over 50 premium and super premium brands. Internationally-renowned brands include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, Cinzano, Grand Marnier, SKYY Vodka and Wild Turkey. In 2014, The Group acquired Forty Creek Distillery Ltd., a Canadian spirits company with a portfolio of brands including whisky, vodka, brandy, rum and liqueurs. Internationally-recognized for its superior taste and quality, the multi-award winning Forty Creek Whisky serves as both the fastest growing brand in its category across North America and Canada’s first successfully launched whisky brand in over 70 years. Headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, Campari owns 18 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 20 countries. The Group employs around 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: http://www.camparigroup.com. Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

TRIO OF DESIGNERS BRING SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION

TO JAMESON’S ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY BOTTLE 

Jameson Irish whiskey, which is produced by Irish Distillers in Midleton Distillery, has kicked off St. Patrick’s Day 2018 with its seventh annual limited-edition bottle design. For the first time in its history, Jameson has collaborated with a group of artists, representing the bravery, unity and opportunities that are possible when friends come together.

Irish illustrator Claudine O’Sullivan led the design process, recruiting two close friends from different creative fields to form a collective to curate the label. British designer, Alex Mellon, and Irish photographer Leonn Ward joined O’Sullivan, with the result being a design that celebrates the openness and spirit of friendship that Ireland is renowned for.

The 2018 collectable bottle is inspired by the Fianna; Irish mythological warriors known for valuing loyalty and bravery – the foundation of every strong friendship. Claudine’s soaring eagle, drawn by hand, represents the unity felt by the silhouette of three friends on a night out – shot against Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge by Leonn. The three friends on the label are depicted rallying around banners and symbols representing Irish tribes of past and present, drawn by Alex, and are set to inspire whiskey drinkers around the world to come together and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Jameson.

A limited edition for March 2018, each bottle is equipped with a near field communication (NFC) chip which allows consumers to access content on www.jamesonwhiskey.com

where they can find out more about the artists and the story behind their design. The limited edition bottle will be available in 35 countries, including Ireland, Japan and Australia, from February 2018.

Lead designer in the project, Claudine O’Sullivan, commented: “Over the past 18 months, Leonn, Alex and I have come together from our different disciplines with the same vision – to create a clean, fresh and impactful design that brings the spirit of the Fianna and Ireland’s history of embellishment in storytelling to life. On a personal note, it has been a dream come true to work with Jameson.  My family lives on historic Jameson land both in Dublin and in Cork, so the whiskey has been in my life since before I can remember. Sláinte!”

Simon Fay, International Marketing Director at Irish Distillers, added: “Dublin has long been a city of artists, adventurers and friends, so for Jameson’s 2018 limited edition bottle we collaborated with three artists with different creative backgrounds to celebrate true friendship. St. Patrick’s Day is Jameson’s second Christmas and is synonymous with great friends getting together, so we are confident that our new seasonal release will encourage modern day adventurers to enjoy Jameson together during their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.”

Notes 

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines and producer of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey, experiencing 28 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 6.5m cases in 2017. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 71 of those experiencing double- or triple-digit growth.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €250m to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin. 

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 9, 010 million in 2016/17. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,500 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 86 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. www.pernod-ricard.com

DALMORE LEGENDARY OUTPERFORMS AT BONHAMS WHISKY SALE

Top Lots: Dalmore Eos-59 year old (right) sold for HK$918,750 and Dalmore Selene-58 year old (left) sold for HK$673,750 at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Hong Kong

Hong Kong – Bonhams Whisky Sale on Friday 2 February in Hong Kong achieved a total sale of HK$13,107,500 with close to 94% sold by lot and 96.5% sold by value of the 358 lots. All top lots sold for two or three times their estimates, indicating a positive sign for market demand among private collectors in Hong Kong and Asia.

The Whisky sale led with the two exceptional bottles from the Dalmore Legendary Release, a limited edition showcasing the depth and quality of the celebrated distillery’s aged stock and supervised under the skills of its Master Distiller, Richard Paterson, one of the most influential characters in the industry. With only 20 bottles ever released, the Dalmore Eos-59 year old, sold for HK$918,750 against an estimate at HK$220,000 – $280,000; while the Dalmore Selene-58 year old, of which only 30 bottles were ever released, sold for HK$673,750 from an estimate of HK$200,000 – $260,000.

During the sale, Bonhams previewed two rare vintage Macallan – The 60 Years Old 1926 (Peter Blake Label) and The 60 Years Old 1926 (Adami Label), which will feature in the next Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky sale on 18 May in Hong Kong. Both belong to the dozen bottles ever produced and specially designed by the renowned British artist Sir Peter Blake and Valerio Adami respectively. These magnificent whiskies are elegantly presented in boxes styled as spirit saves, and have been unseen to public’s eyes since their auctions over 3 decades ago in the 1980s. Bonhams Head of Fine Wine and Whisky in Hong Kong, Daniel Lam, added: “These bottles are incredibly rare and whiskies of this caliber stand in themselves as works of art inside out.”

Other top results from the Whisky sale featured a number of Karuizawa and Macallan decanters, including:

• Macallan Millennium Decanter sold HK$428,750 (estimate HK$200,000-250,000)
• Karuizawa-1964-#3603 sold for HK$306,250 (estimate HK$180,000-240,000)
• Macallan Fine & Rare-1950-52 year old sold for HK$269,500 (estimate HK$190,000-240,000)
• Macallan Select Reserve-1946-52 year old sold for HK$147,000 (estimate HK$100,000-140,000)
• Karuizawa-1981-1984-Cocktail Series (4 bottles) sold for HK$147,000 (estimate HK$120,000-160,000)
• Macallan Red Ribbon-1940 sold for HK$122,500 (estimate HK$60,000-80,000)
• Glen Grant-1949-67 year old sold for  HK$122,500 (estimate HK$60,000-80,000)

About Bonhams 

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

The Singleton whisky launches ‘Forgotten Drop Series’

The Singleton Glendullan 40 Year Old is the first release from the distillery’s Forgotten Drop Series, which will include limited edition whiskies drawn from reserves uncovered by The Singleton’s Master of Malts Maureen Robinson.

“The Singleton Forgotten Drop Series is an exciting collection to curate. We have been exploring the deepest corners of our warehouse to find hidden treasures that, due to the stocks, we could never release widely. The amount of time these liquids spent maturing in this type of cask makes it so precious. It’s whisky for whisky lovers and The Singleton Glendullan 40 Year Old is a stunning liquid to launch with.”

Maureen Robinson
Master of Malts for The Singleton

Glen Scotia soars into UK airports with World Duty Free 

Independent Campbeltown distillery Glen Scotia is taking off for the first time at airports across the UK in partnership with leading travel retailer, World Duty Free.

Two Global Travel Retail (GTR) exclusive expressions that showcase the distinctive heritage and craftsmanship championed at the distillery – Glen Scotia 1832 Campbeltown and Glen Scotia 16 Year Old – will be available in the travel retailer’s specialist World of Whiskies stores from this month.

The Glen Scotia distillery, which has a history dating back to 1832, is located in Campbeltown, one of Scotland’s five Scotch whisky producing regions. In the Victorian age Campbeltown was known as the ‘whisky capital of the world’ and was home to more than 30 distilleries. Today Glen Scotia is one of just three surviving local distilleries and is the only representative from the region in World Duty Free’s stores which are located in 22 airports across the UK.

Glen Scotia 1832 Campbeltown is a unique single malt whisky with a balanced peated character, while Glen Scotia 16 Year Old is a single malt whisky delivering the true Campbeltown character with hints of vanilla oak, interwoven with notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits. The expressions incorporate new one litre bottles and premium packaging underlining the quality and provenance of the products.

The partnership with World Duty Free follows the release of a limited edition 26-year-old Glen Scotia Single Cask exclusively at Edinburgh Airport last year. Parent company, Loch Lomond Group has also achieved successful sales for its Loch Lomond GTR Scotch whisky range in the  World of Whiskies stores.

André de Almeida, managing director of Global Travel Retail at Loch Lomond Group, said: “We’re very excited to be introducing Glen Scotia in partnership with World Duty Free. The Glen Scotia 1832 Campbeltown whisky alongside the classic Glen Scotia 16 Year Old single malt, will provide a true taste of the distillery’s distinctive and authentic character.

“The launch forms part of our ambitious worldwide roll-out of our GTR range and marks a significant milestone for Glen Scotia, as it’s the first time the brand will be available in airports right across the UK.”

Kathryn Kindness, Commercial Category Manager from World Duty Free, said: “The launch of Glen Scotia is very exciting for us as it now ensures a Campbeltown Single Malt offering in each of our UK World of Whiskies stores so all of our consumers will have the opportunity to discover a region not previously represented.”

For further information, visit www.glenscotia.com

Notes 

 RRP:

• Glen Scotia 1832 Campbeltown £52
• Glen Scotia 16 Year Old £75

About Glen Scotia:

• Independent distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832.
• Glen Scotia is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown.
• Glen Scotia was named Best Campbeltown Distillery of the Year at the 2017 Berlin International Spirits Competition. 

www.glenscotia.com

@glenscotiamalts