Grant's to lead whisky revival

Cask finished whiskies are aiming to shake up the sector

First Drinks Brands is aiming to shake up a sluggish blended scotch market with the introduction of new style of whisky.

Borrowing an idea from the single malt sector, two cask finish whiskies have been launched under the Grant's label. Sherry Cask Reserve spends 18 weeks in sherry barrels at the end of its maturation while Ale Cask Reserve is finished in barrels which once held Caledonian Brewery's Edinburgh Strong Ale.

The newcomers will be priced slightly above premium blend market leaders Bell's and Famous Grouse, but marketing manager Alec Guthrie (pictured)​ is adamant that they should be positioned as Optic brands and not be left among the malts on the back-bar shelf.

He has already clinched a deal with "a major pub group" which he anticipates will give the whiskies 30,000 sampling opportunities in the run-up to Christmas. The launch will also be supported by broadsheet press ads as part of the £750,000 project.

"Blended whisky hasn't changed very much in 20 years," said Mr Guthrie. "With the cask finishes we aim to open up a new area of the marketplace and help whisky fight back against the likes of vodka.

"Because William Grant is an independent company, people expect us to have the freedom and the permission to take risks and innovate."

"We were only going to launch one of the styles, but when we tested them on consumers the response encouraged us to launch both, because of what they could do to enhance the Grant's brand."

First Drinks targeted two consumer groups for the Cask Reserves:

• existing whisky drinkers unexcited by existing brands and defaulting to own-label products
• younger repertoire drinkers who consider themselves individualists.

Mr Guthrie believes women may also be interested in the sweeter sherry finish and expects drinkers to take the whiskies over ice, with water or neat.

It has taken the company 18 months to develop the new brands. The standard William Grant's Family Reserve blend had to be specially adapted so that it would not spoil it the finishing casks. A patent has been applied for the process that was needed to make the ale finish, which also required Caledonian to alter its beer.

The development follows a strong couple of years for the Grant's blend after it came under the First Drinks marketing umbrella.

Mr Guthrie reports that since April 1999 UK volumes have risen by 50 per cent taking the brand to ninth position among all spirits with sales hitting 1,000 cases a day.

Glengoyne is claiming a first for the scotch market with the launch of a 16-year-old malt finished in Scottish oak. Only 5,000 bottles of the limited edition whisky have been made, to be distributed by Gordon & MacPhail. They are expected to retail for around £38 a bottle.