Halewood Wines & Spirits is “challenging the norms” of Scotch whisky with the global travel retail launch of a new single malt from its John Crabbie & Co brand.
Crabbie’s Yardhead has been specifically made for mixing, and is aimed at the growing sector of young spirits drinkers “who want to do more with whisky than just sip it”, the brand said.
The single malt was launched in London yesterday evening (23 July) at music venue and pub The Macbeth, with The Moodie Davitt Report the sole travel retail media in attendance.
“Today’s younger consumer wants to try something different and it has to be approachable,” said Halewood Managing Director, Global Travel Retail Simon Roffe during an interview at the launch event. “I only get excited if a product is relevant to the duty free channel and offers something different that you will not find every day.”
That is certainly the case with Crabbie’s Yardhead, he noted, with John Crabbie & Co Managing Director David Brown a passionate driving force behind the brand.
“This is our first non-age statement release and we wanted to break a few rules. Whisky actually mixes really well, so it is about time we celebrated that,” Brown told The Moodie Davitt Report. “And this is the first time a single malt has been used to do that, which we believe offers a premium alternative and a different taste profile.”
Brown added: “We want to encourage consumers to look at single malt differently, and for bar staff to use their skills to develop new ways of using single malt in long drinks and in cocktails.”
The Crabbie name has been associated with Scotch whisky for over 200 years, Brown explained, with John Crabbie & Co having been established in 1801 in Leith, Edinburgh. Founder John Crabbie is recognised as one of the pioneers of the whisky industry.
Crabbie’s success was based on changing the way whisky was produced and consumed, blending whiskies together to improve their taste profile, Brown noted. “The name became synonymous with quality and consistency and the company was always pushing boundaries.”
Although the family lineage eventually died out and the company lay dormant until it was acquired by Halewood, the desire to push boundaries has been maintained in Crabbie’s Yardhead and the brand’s range of age statement whiskies. These include the lightly peated 12-year old from the Scottish Islands and the Crabbie 8yo, 25yo and 40yo Highland Single Malts from Speyside.
In May 2018 John Crabbie & Co opened its own distillery – the first new single malt distillery in Edinburgh for 100 years – at the Chain Pier. A new larger home is under construction nearby in Leith and production will start later this year.
“We already do a range of fantastic sipping age statement whiskies, and now we are trying to do what John Crabbie did by pushing boundaries still further,” said Brown. “We like to think we are a broad church, and are inclusive. I am in the last few years of my career and I want more and more people to drink whisky.
“With its aggressive price point and the quality of the liquid, Crabbie’s Yardhead will be able to bring people into whisky.”
The new release, which is already available domestically across UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s stores, is also launching at a time when “all the growth in the whisky category is coming from non-age statement whiskies”, according to Brown.
There has also been a recent rise in popularity of American whiskey with younger consumers, which is largely drunk with a mixer over ice. Both Brown and Roffe said the combination of these factors made it a good time for the new launch.
Crabbie’s Yardhead and the Crabbie 12-year old Single Malt Island Whisky will form the backbone of the Crabbie offer in global duty free and travel retail, Halewood noted.
Aged in ex-bourbon casks, Crabbie’s Yardhead will be launched exclusively in travel retail in one litre bottles at a recommended price of around €35 (US$39), with an ABV of 40%.
“Crabbie’s Yardhead breaks the mould for single malts. It is unpretentious and laid back, a profile which is designed to appeal to the next generation of consumers and to those who may enjoy brown spirits already but have not yet found their way to whisky,” said Roffe.
“We believe it covers all the bases of what travel retail operators are looking for: it is a lovely liquid, has a great price point and has great packaging.”
Halewood will unveil both Yardhead and Crabbie 12-year old Single Malt Island Whisky at the TFWA World Exhibition in October, both at its stand in the Green Village and on its yacht in Harbour Village. “The Crabbie whisky range will be a perfect addition to our growing portfolio of craft spirits such as Whitley Neill Gin and Dead Man’s Fingers rums which are already making waves in the travel retail channel,” Roffe concluded.
