UK (SCOTLAND). Independent company The Scotch Embassy has tied up with charitable institution St Andrews Links Trust to launch the Old Course Clubhouse 12 year old single malt whisky.
The Trust preserves and manages the famous golf courses of St Andrews in Scotland. The Old Course St Andrews is the most celebrated course in the world and is arguably the sport’s most widely-recognised icon.
The Scotch Embassy holds the exclusive worldwide licence for Old Course Clubhouse Malt, joining a select band of companies given the unique privilege to use the term “The Old Course”. Royalties from sales go to the preservation of the course.
Unusually, the premium-priced malt has been matured in a cask that previously held wine made from the fruity Chenin Blanc grape, giving the spirit a soft, floral character with a hint of sweetness.
The 70cl bottle is presented in a distinctive gift canister, featuring famous holes of the Old Course, including the infamous Road Hole (17th), The Tom Morris (18th) and the Bobby Jones (10th). Aimed at the gift market, it has a recommended UK domestic retail price of £32 (US$50). The UK distributor is Cheviot wine agencies. It is being launched into duty free in coming months.
St Andrews Links director Peter Mason told The Moodie Report: “People associate St Andrews with integrity so it is important that any product bearing the name has integrity, which this one has. While revenue is important to us, making sure our reputation is not damaged is more important. The more we can licence high quality products, the more we can drive out cheap and nasty items that try [unofficially] to cash in on our name.
In reverse gear: The Moodie Report publisher Martin Moodie (left) with Scotland on Sunday drinks columnist Martin Isark
Note: The whisky was launched at a trade and press gathering where invitees got a rare invitation not only to play the Old Course but to play it in reverse order (golfers start on the 1st tee but play to the 17th green, then play from the 18th tee to the 16th green, and continue round the course in a clockwise direction). This ideally suited The Moodie Report’s publisher who has been playing backward golf for years, though never before on purpose.
For details contact Anne Erdal at the Scotch Embassy by e-mail at sales@scotchembassy.com
