New Scotch brand name pays tribute to history

A new whisky brand, Dunadd, has been launched by Willimott House which is working with Hunter Laing & Co in the preparation and supply of the whiskies, with the bottling undertaken in Scotland.

According to Bengamin Agboli, founder of Willimott House, the decision to name the whiskies Dunadd after one of the most important early medieval sites in Britain was because Scotland is where some of the best whiskies in the world are produced and it was time for a whisky to be born using a name that paid tribute to this.

To achieve this goal, he conducted research in Scotland for a year during which, he visited various historical places including the Dunadd ruins. It was during the trip to the Dunadd fort ruins – one of the most famous and archaeologically significant sites in Scotland – that he believed the best brand name would be Dunadd. By tradition Dunadd was the capital of the early Scottish kingdom of Dalriada, founded by King Fergus Mor in about AD 500, and the probable site where the Monarchs were crowned. Pictish stone carvings, mysterious messages in early Gaelic script and the footprints of Dalriadic Kings all deliver visible evidence of its historic beginnings; it was here that the Scottish Nation was born.

So the packaging design for the whiskies, created by Central Design Agency based in Stirling in Scotland, draws on the rich history and the kingdom of Dalriada on Scotland's west coast where the fort of Dunadd stands. The design not only echoes these historical connections but also reflects the quality of the products and the brand.

Dunadd Superior 3 years old as a blend aimed at 18 – 40 year olds looking for a very easy and smooth whisky – 40%abv, RRP €12.90/70cl bottle, €17.90/100cl bottle.

Dunadd 12 years old is described a “very smooth, antique oak and vanilla finished, easy to drink whisky” targeted at whisky drinkers of all ages – 40%abv, RRP €29.90/70cl bottle

Both have already been listed by the Auchan Group of supermarkets in France.

20 January 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor