William Grant & Sons has employed the ‘Solera’ process of maturation for a Global Travel Retail-exclusive line from single malt Scotch whisky flagship Glenfiddich.
‘The Perpetual Collection’ will be available worldwide in the sales channel, starting in Europe this month before a wider release in October. The series represents “Glenfiddich’s biggest launch in GTR in the last decade”, according to the brand owner.
The range comprises:
- Vat 1 – 40% ABV, SRP in the UK of GBP47 (US$57) per 1-litre bottle – matured in ex-Bourbon and -red wine casks
- Vat 2 – 43% ABV, GBP57 per 1-litre bottle – Double matured in oak and ex-Sherry casks
- Vat 3 – 50.2% ABV, GBP62 per 700ml bottle – Aged for 15 years in European oak ex-Sherry and -Bourbon casks, and
- Vat 4 – 47.8% ABV, GBP90 per 700ml bottle – Aged for 18 years in ex-Oloroso Sherry and -Bourbon casks
The Solera process is best described as ‘fractional blending’, whereby a portion of liquid – in this instance, half of the vat – is removed periodically for bottling before new liquid is added.
The packaging for the series includes “generative art created by a code”, according to William Grant. The company will support the release with ‘pop-up’ retail spaces at selected airports.
According to figures released by the Scotch Whisky Association earlier this year, Scotch exports increased by 19% in value terms in 2021, hitting GBP4.51bn (then-US$5.48bn).
Retail is detail, especially in Global Travel Retail – Consumer Intel
