 |
The blend is described as an “old-school, authentic Scotch” |
Cutty Sark is honouring its “legacy of a rebellious spirit” with the launch of Prohibition Edition, a permanent addition to the whisky brand’s core range. It will be showcased at the IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas next month (Booth 113: Rémy Cointreau).
Released 80 years after the end of the era which it celebrates, Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition has been crafted as a salute to Captain William McCoy, who smuggled Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky into the USA during Prohibition in the 1920s.
The blended Scotch is handcrafted in small batches from top quality grain and single malt whiskies, matured in American oak casks and bottled at 50% abv (100 proof).
According to the Edrington-owned brand, Captain McCoy’s reputation for fairness and dealing only in the “finest, genuine and unadulterated” liquor gave rise to Cutty Sark being referred to as “˜The Real McCoy’.
Cutty Sark Global Brand Controller Jason Craig said: “We spotted an opportunity for expansion through the US on-trade, where whisky chasers were becoming popular again thanks to TV programmes like Mad Men.
“We therefore set about designing a premium edition Scotch whisky to fit this niche. We wanted it to be even smoother than Cutty Sark Blend and have a higher than normal alcohol content – 100% proof rather than the 80% proof of our major competitors. We found the answer in Prohibition Edition – an old-school, authentic Scotch, smooth on the tongue but with a big finish.”
Although Cutty Sark created the new drink for the US market, it says it has already generated interest with consumers on an international scale. “We have high hopes for Cutty Sark Prohibition in travel retail in the Americas and beyond,” added Craig.
The recommended retail price for the Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition 75cl bottle is US$29.99.
