28th April, 2014 by Melita Kiely

Bacardi has expanded its Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky brand with the launch of an 18-year-old global travel retail exclusive.

The new release joins the existing travel retail Aberfeldy variants, which comprises a 12-year-old and 21-year-old.

Rose gold in colour, the 18-year-old is described as a medium to full-bodied single malt, with citrus zest, honey and sweetness “akin to Moroccan cake”.

“Bacardi has an amazing opportunity with single malts. Our distilleries produce sublime whiskies,” said Mike Birch, managing director of Bacardi global travel retail.

“Single malts are enjoying a massive surge in popularity right now as collectors and connoisseurs seek out the new and the rare. We’re leveraging that power with a strong innovation pipeline for the category, gathering pace to craft a range of superb travel retail exclusives.

“Building on our success in white spirits, we are equally ambitious as a major player in the whisky category and our recent launches are testament to the energy and drive we’ll be injecting. We’re confident the Aberfeldy range is set for success.”

The Aberfeldy range has undergone a bottle and package redesign to “reflect the hand-crafted nature” of Aberfeldy Single Malt.

Gold lettering represents the birthplace of John Dewar and the whisky’s water source, the Pitilie Burn, a source of sedimentary gold.

The bottle itself displays the Royal Warrant, which has been held by John Dewar & Sons since 1893, the only Scotch whisky distiller to continuously hold a Royal Warrant since the reign of Queen Victoria.

Birch describes the Aberfeldy range as a key component in Bacardi’s strategic drive to create category differentiation, with an immediate pipeline of exclusive innovation and activations in brown and white spirits.

“Of course it’s not just about whisky. With our leading share in rum, vodka and gin we will also premiumise those categories with Travel Retail exclusive innovations,” added Birch.

“We’re nimble and flexible enough to act quickly and our door is open to any retailer with the shared vision and ambition to partner on innovation that sets this unique channel apart and creates a trajectory for sustainable growth.”