UK. St James Distillery is introducing Orbis Aged World Whiskey, created to fill a gap in the premium whisk(e)y category, at the TFWA World Exhibition next month (Stand number: L&L sas, Green Village M71).
Orbis Aged World Whiskey is the first in a planned portfolio of brands from St James Distillery which is designed with the traveller in mind and exclusively available in travel retail.
A global blend of aged whiskeys selected by its Master Blender from Scotland, Ireland, America, Canada and Japan, Orbis is a small batch whiskey with each bottle individually hand numbered.
St James Distillery Marketing Director Janet Murphy said: “The experienced team behind St James Distillery felt there was a gap in the market for premium spirits brands created with the traveller in mind and available exclusively to them through travel retail outlets. Exclusivity and premium go hand in hand in travel retail but, in addition to that, the traveller needs to be engaged with a product that is different to anything else in the market place.
“A world blend has never been launched before. Orbis offers something unique for the travelling consumer in a category where demand for niche brands is growing. Because it’s different, it will not only appeal to existing whiskey lovers but also attract new drinkers,” she continued. “What’s more, with its elegant gift tube, Orbis is ideal for the gifting market.”
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Orbis Aged World Whiskey is a global blend of aged whiskeys from Scotland, Ireland, America, Canada and Japan |
Murphy added that the inspiration behind Orbis is the concept of “˜no boundaries’. “In developing Orbis, the brand has not been limited by geography, history or convention; our Master Blender has travelled the world in search of the finest whiskeys – in some cases aged 15 or 16 years, although Orbis is not about an aged statement. The result is a product which is unique for the travelling consumer who has a global outlook, is confident, cosmopolitan, broad-minded and – like Orbis – not restricted by boundaries,” she said.
“Our main target consumer is the male international business traveller who likes to indulge, is stylish and savvy and enjoys the benefits of globalisation in their cosmopolitan lifestyle.”
The bottle and gift tube design is presented in black and gold packaging. Explanatory text is in English as well as Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Hindi to appeal to the target Asian market.
In creating the blend, Murphy said the company aims to appeal to a wide consumer group. “It is not aimed solely at the whiskey connoisseur or targeted against the single malt, but rather is aimed at the travelling consumer who wishes to extend his drinks cabinet portfolio with a blend that can be enjoyed alone or with friends – straight or mixed.”
Well rounded, with a light copper colour, the taste is described as generous and complex with an abundance of rich fruit cake, subtle vanilla and coconut influences.
Priced at US$58 (£38) for a 70cl bottle to compete against traditional 17-18yo blended whiskies, Orbis has already gained listings with Seafrance and Viking Line – but the company sees Asia as its main target market.
“The market shows volume increases across duty free/travel retail in blended Scotch in India, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, and other whiskies such as American, Canadian and Irish all show positive growth. Orbis is perfect for this growing demand,” added Murphy.
Listings have already been secured with Bangkok Airways for the airport at Koh Samui and JTO for Jeju Island. “We’ve also just received our first order from King Power Thailand for Bangkok Airport, which we’re really thrilled about,” she said.
For St James Distillery, Orbis is just the first in a portfolio of brands which are exclusive to travel retail. “Our ambition is to capitalise on gaps in the market that meet consumer needs for luxury whilst offering something different. We’re committed to keeping brands exclusive to travel retail and meeting the aspirations of the travelling consumer.”
Orbis is distributed in Asia Pacific through L&L sas and in Europe via World of Patria.
For trade enquiries, contact Janet Murphy, St James Distillery Ltd; tel: +44 (0) 20 7977 1860, fax:+44 (0) 20 7488 9764, or e-mail: janet@stjamesdistillery.com.
For Asia Pacific sales, e-mail L&L at v.lee@letl.fr.
For Europe sales, e-mail World of Patria: kevin@worldofpatria.com.
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