SINGAPORE. Edrington Global Travel Retail (GTR) recently showcased the latest innovations from its portfolio of spirits brands via an immersive experience at the Raffles Hotel. The company welcomed 170 guests, including media and customers from over 40 different retailers, to the special showcase which took place during the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition (8-11 May).
The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan-Gillies was on location for the special event. Edrington GTR took over the entire third floor of the Raffles Hotel Suite wing to offer guests a luxury setting in which to discover its latest launches. Brands featured included The Macallan, Highland Park, The Glenrothes, The Famous Grouse, Brugal and Naked Malt.
The 1,375 sq m space brought each of the brands to life through immersive brand rooms, tastings and experiential elements. At the beginning of the experience, guests were treated to special Edrington brand cocktails at a bar which featured striking visuals from The Macallan’s travel retail-exclusive Quest Collection.
The Macallan
One of the key draws was the reveal of The Macallan Colour Collection, a new global travel retail-exclusive range of whiskies set to launch in September.
As reported, The Macallan Colour Collection underscores the distillery’s commitment to natural colour through the use of sherry seasoning. It is made up of five age statement single malt Scotch whiskies.
Deepening in colour with age, the range spans the hues of the whisky spectrum to showcase the natural tones derived from maturation in The Macallan’s sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
Natural colour and sherry seasoning are among The Macallan’s Six Pillars, which have been the foundation stones of The Macallan since 1824.
In The Macallan branded suite, Edrington Global Travel Retail showcased the brand’s Home Collection – The Distillery, The Red Collection, The Macallan M Collection, M Decanter, M Black and M Copper lines.
The Home Collection – The Distillery is the first edition in a new annual series that is inspired by the natural landscapes of The Macallan Estate. The M Collection celebrates the Six Pillars ethos of the distillery, while The Red Collection comprises a selection of high-aged whiskies that underline the brand’s tradition and craftsmanship.
Folio 7, the seventh release from The Macallan Archival Series and The Macallan Horizon were also on display. The Macallan Horizon is the first limited-edition single malt whisky created in collaboration with Bentley Motors.
Highland Park
Orkney-based distillery Highland Park showcased several limited-edition and exclusive bottlings, brought to life by vibrant visuals which illustrated each expression’s tasting notes.
The Highland Park 54 Year Old was a key highlight. As reported, the whisky was originally laid down in 1968. In 2008, Gordon Motion combined four refill butts and six refill hogsheads and refilled them into first-fill European sherry butts. 14 years of maturation in ex-sherry casks has imparted an additional deep, rich, natural colour and wonderful intensity to the whisky which was bottled at 54 years of age.
The expression represents the pinnacle of Highland Park’s super-prestige range and retails for £39,000 (US$47,000) per bottle. Only 225 bottles have been produced in celebration of the distillery’s 225th anniversary this year.
Other lines featured included the Lotte Duty Free Singapore-exclusive Highland Park Single Cask #2576 and other age statements such as the Highland Park 21 Year Old, 25 Year Old, 30 Year Old and 40 Year Old expressions.
The Glenrothes
The Glenrothes highlighted its ongoing premiumisation drive and showcased two rare expressions, The Glenrothes 40 Year Old and 42 Year Old. The latter is made from hand-selected casks that have matured for over four decades in The Glenrothes Estate. It is the first of its age to be released by the distillery with only 1,134 bottles available globally.
Naked Malt
Edrington highlighted Naked Malt’s playful visual identity and its cocktail-driven recipe with as strong focus on the Naked Malt 1 litre format. The expression was showcased with a wealth of props and visuals that amplified its creative mixology credentials.
The Famous Grouse and Brugal
Scotch whisky brand The Famous Grouse exhibited four products alongside a new premium expression called, The Famous One. The whisky was matured partially in sherry American oak casks blending its sherry cask expertise and signature honey flavours.
Rum brand Brugal exhibited Brugal 1888, Andrés Brugal and Colección Visionara. 1888 pays homage to the year that the rum distillery was founded. The liquid was double matured in hand-selected ex-bourbon American oak casks and first-filled Spanish sherry seasoned oak casks.
Andrés Brugal was expertly crafted by a fifth generation Maestra and is the first release to blend two double-aged reserves with first fill single casks. Only 460 bottles have been produced globally.
Colección Visionara is an exclusive limited release made with handpicked Dominican ingredients that are toasted in fine casks.
Edrington Regional Managing Director Global Travel Retail Jeremy Speirs commented: “Partnership is one of the cornerstones of our business in travel retail, so we value hugely the opportunity to meet in-person to discuss ways to strengthen our collaboration, drive growth and look ahead at the wealth of innovations coming from our brand teams. Doing this within a stunning experiential space at the Raffles Hotel helped bring to life the luxury credentials of our portfolio, and elevated the experience we were able to offer our partners.” ✈
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining. Please email Kristyn@MoodieDavittReport.com to subscribe.
The company also hosts The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference & Awards, which will take place on 12-13 September in Bangkok, Thailand after a four-year COVID-driven absence. Notably, FAB’s remit has been extended this year to feature wider airport hospitality services, including hotels and lounges.
For all partnership, speaker, content and other enquiries please contact Jeannie Wong, The Moodie Davitt Report Asia Bureau Chief and Head of Marketing & Events at Jeannie@MoodieDavittReport.com
