UK. The huge amount of innovation taking place in the whisky industry was highlighted last week when two brands picked up gold medals in the prestigious Wine and Spirit International Design Awards.
Speyside single malt, The Macallan, lifted one of only seven gold medals in the competition, which saw a record entry of more than 300 exciting new designs. An exact copy of what is believed to be the oldest known bottle of Scotch whisky in existence, The Macallan 1841 Replica so impressed judges with its painstaking reproduction of the original it has also been nominated for the Spirit Design of the Year trophy, to be awarded in September at an industry dinner.
And John, Mark and Robbo (JMR), from the Easy Drinking Whisky Company, part-funded by Edrington, also lifted a gold medal at the London event in its fifth year. JMR, the “whisky without waffle” newcomer, was applauded by judges for its fresh take on bottle design.
The Easy Drinking Whisky Company, an entrepreneurial Scottish start-up, is helping to broaden the category’s appeal by launching a new brand with no traditional trappings. With a bottle and “homemade-style” label that echo the cues of fruit drinks, the brand is aimed squarely at the 25-plus age range, according to co-founder David Robertson, a former master distiller at The Macallan. Tastings began in the UK domestic market in October, to capture the “it’s-not-as-bad-as-I-thought” market with three new malt whisky variants: The Rich Spicy One, The Smokey Peaty One and The Smooth Sweeter One.
Others to fare well in the competition – the full results will appear in the next issue of Wine and Spirit International – included the recently-launched Famous Grouse Liqueur. The latest addition to Grouse’s growing stable, launched prior to Christmas (The Moodie Report, 17 November 2003) was awarded a silver medal.
The judging panel, including top design agency executives and leading supermarket wine and spirit buyers, also singled out The Macallan 1876 Replica, launched in October, for a bronze medal. Ben Gordon of Wine and Spirit International said the judges had faced a daunting task to single out the winners. This, he said, reflected the impressive amount of innovation going on in the drinks sector at the moment.
