Pernod Ricard-owned Scotch whisky brand Royal Salute last night unveiled an ultra-prestige limited-edition collection to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The Royal Salute Platinum Jubilee Edition is a colourful tribute to Her Majesty and was inspired by the monarch’s brightly-coloured brooches. The release underlines the deep-rooted historical link between Royal Salute and the British monarchy.
Of just 147 bottles available, 38 will be launched in global travel retail this month. They will be available in London Heathrow, Dubai International, Singapore Changi, Haikou Meilan International, Sanya Phoenix International, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Incheon International, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Ben Gurion and Sydney airports.
The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Editor and Digital Marketing Manager Hannah Tan-Gillies was on location at the Tower of London to celebrate the limited release. The spectacular event began with a private tour of the Tower of London, followed by a private viewing of the Crown Jewels.
Afterwards, guests, who included VIPs from Royal Salute, Heathrow Airport, Gebr. Heinemann and Pernod Ricard alongside international media, were ushered into a vaulted room to enjoy canapés and special cocktails made with Royal Salute.
A sit down dinner in one of the halls at the Tower of London was the highlight of the evening. Here, Royal Salute, Ballantine’s & Chivas Brothers Global Marketing Director Mathieu Deslandes welcomed the crowd by sharing the story behind Royal Salute’s connection with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
He said: “It’s been such a long time since we were able to bring people together and create wonderful experiences. When I think about Royal Salute, this is what we are all about. I’m so happy we are once again able to share an enchanting moment with you all.
“Royal Salute was created in 1953 as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day. This is a big story for a brand to have on its shoulders. Since then, we’ve always been inspired by the Queen and by everything she does. It was very natural for us to launch this ultra-rare limited edition to celebrate this special moment with Her Majesty.”
During the dinner, the 13th Duke of Argyll Torquil Campbell also raised a glass in honour of the Queen. Campbell has been working with Royal Salute for over 20 years and was the first to offer Her Majesty an unnumbered bottle of the Royal Salute Golden Jubilee expression during her Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The Royal Salute Platinum Jubilee Edition combines heritage and modernity, inspired by the symbolism of The Queen’s colourful brooches throughout the years. Royal Salute took inspiration from seven vibrant brooches from Her Majesty’s personal collection, whose designs were engraved on seven rare decanters and cases.
The expression is a complex blend, finished for over two years in Tawny Port casks.
Tawny Port was served during a Coronation Banquet in 1953 and the expression features some rare high-aged whiskies from no fewer than seven silent stills. The stills have been lost to time, underlining the rarity of the remaining whisky. On the palate, the Royal Salute Platinum Jubilee expression offers red apple notes from the Inverleven Distillery, blackcurrant from Lochside and rich toffee flavours from Caperdonich.
Each individually numbered decanter has been hand-blown with Dartington crystal. The box features seven embossed lines, symbolising the seven decades of Her Majesty’s reign.
At the event, guests sampled the new expression, becoming among the first in the world to do so.
Commenting on the limited expression, Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop said: “For this momentous occasion I wanted to create a blend that captured Royal Salute’s unique heritage, while honouring the Queen’s seven decades of reign. We have expertly achieved this by using incredibly rare whisky from no fewer than seven stills to represent her time on the throne.
“It is an honour to have had a role to play in this piece of history; a task that has allowed us to release a prestigious whisky that also acts as a precious collector’s item for whisky lovers to cherish.”
Royal Salute has partnered with London-based jewellers Bentley + Skinner to create a special brooch to honour the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The striking piece is crafted with 18carat yellow gold and platinum set with 70 diamonds. It is accompanied by a single crystal decanter of Royal Salute Platinum Jubilee Edition and a wooden box, decorated with the brooch’s design.
The one-of-a-kind set, alongside a set of all seven decanters from the line, will be auctioned via Christie’s on 8 June with all proceeds benefitting The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. The bottle was revealed during the evening by Hyslop.
“The ultra-prestige limited edition is the perfect piece of Jubilee memorabilia for travel retail shoppers – whether as a collector’s item to invest in to mark the historical moment or a souvenir to be generously shared with friends and family,” commented Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Vice President of Marketing Liya Zhang.
“As global travel picks back up, duty free basket sizes and value are increasing, reflective of shoppers’ desire to pick up premium products as part of their travel experience. We’re so pleased to be able to bring this momentous news release to global travellers.”
The Royal Salute Platinum Jubilee Edition will be released in June 2022 and will be available for purchase at selected specialist retailers with a US$20,000 RRP.
