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While Moët Hennessy USA is best known for its Cognac and Champagne brands, the company also has seen strong progress for its Glenmorangie single malt Scotch whisky brand. Glenmorangie has more than doubled in the U.S. since 2010, rising 7% to 126,000 cases in the 12 months through November, according to Impact Databank. Sister brand Ardbeg, from Islay, has also been on the upswing, moving from 8,000 cases five years ago to 21,000 cases currently.
“There’s more and more competition in single malt, but from a category standpoint, it’s a good sign that everyone is basically doing well,” says Glenmorangie brand director Maxime Balay, contrasting malt’s fortunes with those of blended Scotch, which continues to struggle. “I see the current interest in Bourbon and other whiskies as a long-term opportunity for single malt to draw in new consumers.”
While the core Glenmorangie range continues to advance, led by its 10-year-old Original (around $50), consumers are gravitating to prestige expressions like the 18-year-old, Signet and 25-year-old. Balay notes that the brand’s higher end could probably double in size if allocations allowed. But Glenmorangie Signet, a non-age-stated offering (around $230), is in robust supply, “which makes it our priority now among the higher marques,” he says.
In recent weeks, Glenmorangie unveiled Milsean, the latest offering in its annual Private Edition series. Milsean (Scotch Gaelic for “sweet things”) was matured in ex-Bourbon casks before spending a number of years of extra aging in heavily toasted Portuguese wine casks. The 46% abv entry, of which 1,500 cases are being imported to the U.S., retails at $99 a bottle. Milsean has seen the fastest start of any of Glenmorangie’s annual Private Editions, Balay observes.
Meanwhile, Ardbeg has been benefiting from the vibrant growth in peated malts, with its Uigeadail expression showing particular strength. Later this year Ardbeg will extend at the high end with a $500-$600 whisky that will be among the older expressions to come out of Islay recently, featuring a prominent age statement. “Smoky malts—particularly Islay—are on an extremely positive trend, growing ahead of the single malt category. It’s across the board with Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Talisker, Highland Park and others, and we’re fortunate that Ardbeg is taking a large share of that growth,” says Balay.
A senior executive at Total Wine and More tells SND that the retail chain, which currently comprises 130 stores in 18 states, is making deals on sites in the metro markets of Milwaukee and Louisville, Kentucky along with multiple locations in Tennessee, with official announcements due by mid-year and new stores likely to open by November. It will be Total’s first entry into each of those markets. The executive said that the company expected to have 150 stores open by year-end.
•Absolut vodka has partnered with smart products developer Perfect Company on a new home mixology initiative. Consumers can connect the developer’s “Perfect Drink Smart Scale” via Bluetooth to the Perfect Drink App on their mobile device and access the Absolut pack, which features recipes for the Lemon Drop, Sea Breeze and Espresso Martini, among other cocktails. The scale weighs cocktail ingredient pours in real time, alerting users when to stop pouring and adjusting for over-pours with a rescaling of other ingredients. Additional integrations between The Absolut Company—whose portfolio also includes the Malibu, Kahlúa, Wyborowa, Luksusowa and Our/Vodka brands—and Perfect Company are set to follow.
•San Francisco-based Anchor Distilling Company is introducing The Glenrothes Reserve Collection Tri-Set, a pack featuring all three Glenrothes Reserve whiskies packaged in 100-ml. bottles. Including Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve, Bourbon Cask Reserve and Vintage Reserve (a blend of 10 vintages from the past three decades), the Tri-Set follows the debut of the brand’s Reserve range in full-size bottles last fall. The Glenrothes Reserve Collection Tri-Set carries a suggested retail price of $39.99 and will be distributed across major U.S. markets.
•C. Mondavi & Sons has extended its Divining Rod wine range with a new Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The Divining Rod Pinot Noir will debut nationwide in May, retailing at $19 a 750-ml. The new entry marks The Divining Rod’s first wine from Oregon, joining the brand’s California-sourced Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Divine Red blend.
•Bordeaux-based wines and spirits merchant Stephane Quien Wine & Spirits (SQWS) is debuting Be Bordô, a new line of AOC Bordeaux wines geared toward Millennial consumers. The wines include Le Fruity Red Merlot, Le Deep Red Cabernet Sauvignon and Le Crisp White Sauvignon Blanc ($12), all made at Chateau Merlet by winemaker Pierre Laroche and retailing for $11.99 a bottle. Southern Wine & Spirits will handle the wines, which are launching in the New York market before a wider rollout within Southern’s distribution network. SQWS says it may expand the portfolio in the future with a rosé offering.
•Fort Collins, Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing is rolling out a new spring seasonal offering, Hoppy Blonde. The session blonde ale is brewed with Pale, Caramel 80 and Munich malts and dry-hopped with Mosaic, UK Admiral and Centennial varieties. The 5.75%-abv Hoppy Blonde is available through April. In addition to its seasonal lineup, New Belgium brews 14 year-round offerings such as Fat Tire Amber Ale, Citradelic Tangerine IPA and Ranger IPA, among others. Late last year Reuters reported that employee-owned New Belgium was exploring a potential sale, with the business valued at more than $1 billion.
•Belgium’s Rodenbach Brewery is introducing its latest sour beer, Alexander, to the U.S. market as the first offering in its 2016 Sour Series. The traditional Flanders red style beer is a blend of aged Rodenbach and young ale that is then macerated with sour cherries. Beginning next month, Rodenbach Alexander (5.6% abv) will be available on draft and in 750-ml. bottles. Rodenbach’s beers are imported to the U.S. by Connecticut-based Latis Imports, which also handles Belgian beers Palm Ale, Boon Lambics and Steenbrugge.
•Fairfield, California-based Heretic Brewing Company has expanded its East Coast presence with entry into Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Atlantic Importing of Framingham, Massachusetts will distribute the company’s lineup of craft beers in those markets. Heretic can also be found in California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Its year-round portfolio includes Chocolate Hazelnut Porter, Evil Twin, Evil Cousin, Gramarye, Petit Rouge, Shallow Grave and Torment.
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