11th July, 2014 by Amy Hopkins

Scotch brands should “not be absent” from the flavoured spirits trend, but it is important to “maintain balance” between heritage and innovation, says the CEO of Chivas Brothers.

Speaking to The Spirits Business this week, Laurent Lacassagne, CEO of Pernod Ricard’s gin and whisky arm, said that while flavoured “Scotch” is a controversial category, producers have a part of play in the trend.

“I think the Scotch category shouldn’t be absent from this innovation trend,” he said. “Though Scotch has a rich heritage, so it’s important to find the right balance between innovation and being true to its roots and history.”

A number of Scotch labels have released a flavoured variant, including Bacardi’s Dewar’s Highlander Honey, Diageo’s J&B Urban Honey, and Chivas Brother’s Ballantine’s Brasil.

Since guidelines by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and EU law state no other ingredients except caramel colouring and water can be added to Scotch whisky, a number of these brands do not market their flavoured products as Scotch, and instead label them as a “flavoured spirit drink”.

Ballantine’s Brasil – a blend of Ballantine’s with lime flavouring – is one such brand and is currently being rolled out across Latin America and Africa.

Of the variant, Lacassagne said: “Flavour innovation sits very well with Ballantine’s in the premium and super-premium category. It allowed us to open our brand to more consumers.

“Other brands do not innovate with flavour, but they do innovate in line with their personalities. It would not be suitable for every Scotch brand to release a flavoured variant, but Brasil is in line with Ballantine’s personality.”

Last month, a group of analysts advised Scotch producers to embrace flavoured whisky in order to retain interest from consumers and compete with international brands.

In particular, analysts warned producers operating at the lower end of the price spectrum to part take in flavour innovation.

“Flavoured whiskies have emerged as a trend, and I think it’s good for Scotch to participate in this and recruit new consumers,” said Lacassagne.

“When you do not innovate, you go back, so we are always seeking to do this. Consumers are being more innovative in their choices and we want to be part of this movement.”