Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail (GTR) has extended Speyside single malt whisky Aberlour’s permanent range with a 21 Year Old and 25 Year Old single malt. The releases mark the oldest permanent expressions in the Speyside distillery’s portfolio to date.
Both experessions are made with Aberlour’s signature double cask maturation and will be released annually in limited, single-batch quantities.
The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan was on location in Paris for Aberlour’s global launch event yesterday (24 September).
Held at a private townhouse with the theme ‘The Luxury of Craft Meets Time’, the programme brought together whisky and chocolate-making through guided tastings, a paired dinner and a chocolate craft masterclass led by Artisan Chocolatier Hasnaâ Ferreira.
The whiskies are launching in selected airports worldwide from October, including the Aberlour Boutique at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with Ever Rich Duty Free, positioning travel retail as a key channel for the launch.
According to Pernod Ricard GTR, the launch builds on last year’s travel retail-exclusive (TREX) Aberlour trio and the Aberlour 50 Year Old, described as its oldest and rarest expression to date.
The Aberlour 21 Year Old was matured in American oak and sherry oak casks and bottled at 48% ABV. Its tasting notes include cherries, spiced baked apple and toffee on the nose, followed by chocolate and ginger on the palate. It has a recommended retail price of US$270.
The Aberlour 25 Year Old brings together a small number of hand-selected casks, including a first-fill sherry hogshead. Bottled at cask strength without chill filtration, it offers fruit-led aromas and notes of vanilla, ginger and cardamom. Presented in a display box, it has a recommended retail price of US$600.
“The introduction of these 21 and 25 Year Old expressions is a proud milestone for everyone at the distillery,” commented Aberlour Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank.
“Having personally guided the 21 Year Old on its journey from grain to glass, I know first-hand the patience, precision and care required to bring a whisky of this age to life. It is the ultimate reflection of what happens when craft meets time.”
“In many ways, our journey mirrors that of a master chocolatier. Just as crafting exceptional chocolate requires meticulous roasting to unlock deep sensory profiles, bringing a whisky of this age to fruition demands absolute sensory precision and patience.
“By meticulously curating these casks over two decades, we ensure we’ve captured the wood’s influence at its absolute peak, creating the pinnacle of our heritage and the very definition of Speyside luxury.”
During the event, The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan sat down with Aberlour Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank, Pernod Ricard Vice President of Marketing, Specialty Whiskies Aurélie Torre and Pernod Ricard GTR Prestige Brand Director Andrew Bardsley to talk about the new expressions, how they embody themes of time and craftsmanship, and how they are coming to life in travel retail.
The Moodie Davitt Report: Why was this the right time to expand the permanent collection with higher age statements in the 21 Year Old and 25 Year Old?
Graeme Cruickshank (GC): We monitor our maturing stocks closely. The casks selected for these expressions had reached their peak, and we felt it was time to release them. Suitable casks for the 25 Year Old are especially rare.
Both whiskies will be released in small batches annually. We assess the available casks against Aberlour’s quality standards and select those that work best together. The batch size follows from that selection; we do not set a fixed volume in advance. Maturation is a natural process and each cask develops individually, so each annual release will have its own nuances.
Together, the two whiskies demonstrate what Aberlour can offer after more than 20 years of maturation.
Aurélie Torre (AT): They are a natural progression for the range following last year’s 50 Year Old release. They also offer Aberlour’s community a new stage in its journey with the brand. Someone who discovered us through the 12 Year Old can now explore these older expressions.
Andrew Bardsley (AB): From a travel retail perspective, the new whiskies extend the range into a more prestige space. For example, we launched the TREX 13 Year Old and 16 Year Old around 18 months ago and the 21 and 25 Year Old give customers further opportunities to trade up.
You were already working at Aberlour distillery when the spirit for the 21 Year Old was made. What special connection do you have with the 21 Year Old?
GC: We kept records of the filling process and our assessments of the new-make spirit. Looking back at those records, I found the spirit destined for the 21 Year Old had received a particularly high rating. Since then, careful cask selection and regular assessment have helped us judge how it was developing and when it was ready.
The release represents the work of many people, from the distillery team to those responsible for casks, blending and inventory, across more than two decades.
How does the addition of older age statements fit within Pernod Ricard’s wider single malt strategy?
AB: The rapid growth of single malt put pressure on aged stocks across the industry, and for several years we had fewer age-statement whiskies to offer in travel retail. That did not prevent success: Aberlour A’bunadh, which has no age statement, has been one of our strongest products in the channel. The quality of the whisky matters most.
Over the past two years we have been able to bring more aged expressions back. Forecasting demand decades ahead is difficult, so we have also invested in production capacity. Capacity at Aberlour has doubled, which gives us greater confidence in its long-term growth.
Which travel retail markets are priorities for the 21 and 25 Year Old Aberlour releases?
AB: The main travel retail locations for Aberlour are across Asia and Europe. France, the UK and Germany are established markets for Aberlour, while Asia presents a significant opportunity. Taiwan has a long history with Scotch single malt and is an exceptionally mature market for the category.
Singapore and Hong Kong are also priorities, and we have launched the brand in Korea. Recent domestic launches in several of these markets provide a useful base; and our TREX releases add something different for travellers.
AT: Taiwan’s whisky consumers are discerning. Travel retail gives Aberlour, which comes from a small village in Speyside, a window to a much larger audience. The Taipei airport boutique is an important part of that introduction.
GC: The Taiwan boutique brings in elements of the distillery’s heritage and natural setting, including the river. It also featured the Aberlour 50 Year Old. Its prime position in the airport helps us reach people who may be discovering Aberlour for the first time.
What are prestige whisky shoppers looking for, and how do these releases address that demand?
AB: Status still plays a role, but customers increasingly want to know about the whisky they are buying and enjoy drinking it. For gifts, knowing its story gives the buyer something to share with the recipient.
We see growth at entry points into ultra-premium and prestige whisky. Competition is strong, particularly around the 21 Year Old price point, so the product and its story need to make a compelling case even when an ambassador is not present.
How do you communicate the craft and maturation behind these whiskies in the short time available at the airport?
AT: Our story for the 21 and 25 Year Old centres on the meeting of craft and time. We have given markets the background to the releases and visual materials to help retail teams explain why these whiskies were selected for bottling now.
AB: In travel retail, we may have two or three minutes with a customer, which is a valuable opportunity to explain the casks, the distillery and heritage of Aberlour.
We have nearly 800 full-time Brand Ambassadors worldwide, more than 400 of them in Asia. They can give shoppers a few memorable details to take away, whether the purchase is for themselves or a gift. Consumer research also shows that shoppers in many Asian markets are particularly open to that conversation. ✈
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