Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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The Sophisticated Spirit www.beveragedynamics.com March/April 2014 • Beverage Dynamics 53 Radics explains. "It's that the brands that are at the higher price tiers, those brands that are true craft and have true connections with the retailers and true connections with consumers, those are the brands that people are seeking and those are the brands that are growing." LINE EXTENSIONS In October 2013, the Diageo single malt Talisker expanded its brand in the U.S. by introducing Talisker Storm. Talisker Storm became a permanent addition to the portfolio and was presented as more intense and smoky to balance the warm sweetness that's Talisker's signature trait. And unlike many other single malts, Talisker Storm does not have an age statement. Before April 2013, Johnnie Walker Double Black wasn't available stateside. But after a successful re-release of the lim- ited edition, Double Black became a permanent addition to the Johnnie Walker U.S. lineup. "The response to Johnnie Walker Double Black in the U.S. market has been overwhelmingly posi- tive," Radics said. The innovative blend keeps with Black Label's character while amplifying and intensifying its fl avors. REVAMPED NOT RECYCLED "This has been a huge year for Johnnie Walker," Radics con- tinued. "We shook up our base portfolio. We've essentially said we're exiting the Green Label and Gold Label 18 Year business, and we've introduced a new Platinum Label 18 and a Gold Label Reserve in a limited-edition bottle." Platinum was inspired by John Walker & Sons rich history, hearkening back to the Walker family custom of crafting exclu- sive blends for private gatherings. Available since its August 2013 launch, the Platinum Label has a suggested retail price of $110. "We saw more opportunity to create different propositions than what we had in Green Label and Gold Label 18," Radics said. "What we created wasn't the new Green is this and the new Gold is that." As if the Platinum launch wasn't enough, Johnnie Walker followed it up with the October launch of Gold Label Reserve, a product that represents top-notch blending and introduces a new fl avor to the Johnnie Walker brand. The limited edition comes in a festive refl ective gold bottle that retails for $87. "Gold Label Reserve provides consumers with a unique fl avor for high energy celebrations that may not have been traditionally looked at as Scotch whisky occasions," Radics explained. Although single malts might be driving the Scotch category's growth, Johnnie Walker fi nds itself in a unique position as a blend with super-premium offerings. The Johnnie Walker brand is able to act more like a luxury spirit. "We're fortunate and unfortu- nate that I have Johnnie Walker and Buchanan's as some of my lead blended Scotch and those two brands because they are true brands and have true connections with consumers, they kind of transcend the blended Scotch segment so that's very positive for us," he said. Through its innovation, Radics explains that Diageo is able to meet the call for new offerings as new consumers enter the category and the regulars look for new items to check out. COLLECTION SELECTION Glenmorangie's Private Edition, the brand's exclusive collection of unique and rare single malts, introduced its fi fth release in January. The labels in the Private Edition serve as a testament to the brand's commitment to innovation and excellence. Glenmo- rangie Companta, the newest expression, pairs Glenmorangie with renowned French wines as the spirit matures in Grand Cru wine casks from Clos de Tart in Burgundy. The limited release has a suggested retail price of $99 and Diageo recently released Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18 and a Gold Label Reserve in a limited-edi- tion bottle. Last year's release of Johnnie Walker Double Black has seen signifi cant success. Talisker expanded its brand in the U.S. by introducing Talisker Storm, a more intense and smoky tasting single malt. With a wide portfolio of expressions, The Glenlivet remains the top-selling single malt Scotch brand in the U.S.