Glenmorganie Leads Growth In Single-Malt Market

From Shanken:

Within a single malt Scotch whisky category that’s soaring in the U.S. market—up nearly 10% last year—Moët Hennessy USA’s (MHUSA) Highland malt Glenmorangie has been among the fastest growers, nearly doubling in volume since 2008. An Impact “Hot Prospect,” Glenmorangie surged 37% to 71,000 cases in the U.S. in 2011 to become the fourth-largest single malt in the market, after Glenlivet, Macallan and Glenfiddich, all of which also posted solid growth. In 2012, says Brian Cox, MHUSA’s vice president, Rising Star Brands, Glenmorangie is growing “considerably above the market average and in line with last year.”

Glenmorangie’s portfolio includes a 10-year-old Original ($40 a 750-ml.); 12-year-old Quinta Ruben (Port wood aged), Lasanta (Sherry wood aged) and Nectar D’Or (Sauternes wood aged), all $50; and ultra-premium 18- and 25-year-olds ($100 and $580 respectively). All levels of the brand are currently thriving, driven by young adult consumers eager to display their discernment and connoisseurship, Cox says. “Brands that can communicate their heritage, authenticity and craft with panache, character and contemporary relevance are capturing this demand. We’re seeing consumers trade up from the 10-year-old Original to our 12-year-old wood finishes,” he adds.

Aiming to keep up the momentum, MHUSA has backed Glenmorangie with its first television ads under the “Unnecessarily Well Made” tagline, as well as a “tightly-focused” print campaign. It also gained ample exposure through its recent deal to become the official whisky of golf’s British Open, which it leveraged further through a series of related promotions.

Meanwhile, Glenmorangie has been busy attempting to meet single malt consumers’ seemingly unquenchable demand for special and limited-edition whiskies. A new “private edition” offering for 2013 will be introduced in January. “The 2012 private edition, Glenmorangie Artein ($80), a 15-year-old aged in ex-Super Tuscan wine casks, sold out of our warehouses last month and will have sold through retail by the end of November,” Cox says. The distillery typically releases between 800 and 1,000 nine-liter cases of each private edition.
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