StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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37 StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q March/April 2014 traditional and indigenous Scottish ingredients. The Highlander's range unique expressions will infuse Dewar's Blended Scotch whisky with natural fl avors, the company says. Up until Edrington pur- chased Cutty Sark in 2010, the brand was seeing a slow and steady decline in the U.S. "Since the acquisition, it's been an exciting time as we seek to reinvigorate the brand, highlight its distinc- tive personality and taste profi le to a new generation of Scotch fans," brand manager Quady said. To do so, they have two releases leading the charge. At the end of 2013, Cutty Sark unveiled a new edition that recognizes the brand's start during Prohibition. With a nationwide rollout in 2014, Cutty Sark Prohibition Edi- tion pays homage to the spirits styles consumed in the 1920s as well as the whisky packaging prevalent during the era with its cork seal and black opaque bottle. Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition is bottled at 50% ABV and re- tails for $29.99. The other release is Cutty Sark's Tam O'Shanter Blended Scotch Whisky, a limited-edition expression. "It is a new variant of the award-winning Cutty Sark 25-Year- Old, but with a distinctly darker, wilder side and a full- bodied, boisterous and sweet fl avor," Quady explained. Jim Beam expects to debut a couple of new releases from Laphroaig beginning this summer. Laphroaig's annual bottling of Cairdeas will be introduced at the Islay whisky fes- tival, while late sum- mer/early fall will bring the latest Cask Strength expression. Laphroaig continues to benefi t from the ongoing interest in peated malt and the strong growth seen in within the single malt segment. William Grant & Sons' Glenfi ddich saw double-digit grow with a 11.9% increase in U.S. sales. "Innovation in a traditional category is a tricky thing," Nash said. But the company does it anyway, most recently with some limited-edition launches. Glenfi ddich launched the Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask Reserve, a product aged 19 years in American oak casks once used to age bourbon. The 40% ABV whisky has a suggested retail price of $149.99. Glenfi ddich also released Cask of Dreams, the exclusive product—only 6,660 bottles priced at $99 were available—that came from a 2012 campaign that encouraged Americans to share their life goals with a chance of turning them into reality. While entries were written on the cask, the win- ners were featured on the bottle's packaging. The company's other key single malt, The Balvenie, topped that with its own 12.7% increase. "It was a very strong year for The Balvenie last year," Nash said. In Octo- ber 2013, The Balvenie introduced a limited supply of Tun 1401, Batch 9, a follow-up to the successful U.S. launches of "Batch 3" and "Batch 6." This rare batch included spirits sourced from 11 traditional whisky casks and three sherry butts all of varying ages, and all specially selected by Malt Master David Stewart. Hand-bottled at The Balvenie Dis- tillery in Speyside with a 49.3% ABV, The Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 9's suggested retail price is $250. Moving forward, William Grant & Sons expects more limited editions in the year ahead. "We fi nd, certainly 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 Leading Foreign Bottled Scotch Leading Single Malt Leading US Bottled Scotch Share (%) of Scotch Shelf 2013 Share (%) of Scotch Shelf 2012 Share (%) of Scotch Shelf 2011 Source: Shelftrac™ - The Beverage Information Group's in store distribution and merchandising study. For more information visit www.albevresearch.com We can see that the three-year trend, from 2011- 2013, is that leading single malt Scotch brands increased their retail shelf presence relative to leading blended Scotch brands. Beam debuted Laphroaig 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch late last year, and has two new expres- sions on the way for the summer. Glenfi ddich recently launched the Age of Discovery Bour- bon Cask Reserve, a product aged 19 years in American oak casks once used to age bourbon. Scotch Share of Retail Shelf