The Singleton of Glen Ord launched in Australian in 2011 with the 12 year old expression, a single malt meant to shake up the image of whisky drinkers.
“We aim to be disruptive,” says Sven Almenning owner of Eau-de-Vie Bar as he explains to media the strategy behind the launch of The Singleton 12 year old back in 2011. The aim is to be rid of old perceptions that define single malt and bring in a new generation of drinkers into it. And you are the people who are going to make it happen.”
“What is exciting,” he adds, “is what it’s meant to do for single malts in Australia”.
Glen Ord Distillery was established in 1838 in the highland region of Scotland, in the Black Isle area north of Inverness. Out of the nine distilleries that once existed there, Glen Ord is the remaining one and uses traditional techniques of long fermentation and slow distillation. They malt their own barley at the distillery and have an adjacent malting house to produce for a few other of Diageo’s distilleries.
Interestingly, The Singleton range has three different single malts for three different markets, each is named after the distilleries where they are made: “The Singleton of Glendullan” for the USA, “The Singleton of Dufftown” for Europe and “The Singleton of Glen Ord” for Asia and Australia.
The Singleton’s flask-shaped bottle of the whisky is designed to stand out on the shelf. Modelled on a late 19th century quart bottle, the glass has a bluish tint which is also the style of glass used in that century.
Laura Hay, Whisky Ambassador, guides the intimate group through the tastings. The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 year old is a slightly different style of single malt which is attributed to the use of sherry casks. It has nutty characters and honey notes, with a dried fruit and dark chocolate influence. The whisky is light and fragrant yet has some complexity. The longer finish is one that you would not come to expect from a 12 year old whisky.
Compared to the 12 year old whisky, The Singleton of Glen Ord 15 year old is much more closed on the nose with marked citrus notes. Dry with a little spice, the absence of honey notes is noted and it has a clean and longer finish – an easily quaffable single malt.
The Singleton of Glen Ord 18 year old is nutty on the nose, with honey, hazelnut and dried apple notes; a heavy bodied whisky with a very long finish.
The Singleton 12 year old is primed to break free from the traditional image and rules that define single malts, Sven Almenning explains. The advertising will be young and energetic, taking the whisky into places where it’s not expected to be. Whether it is at a festival or an expo for a tasting, through unpretentious marketing, the aim is to attract a new generation of drinkers into the world of single malt whisky.
This article was originally published on August 17, 2011 on our sister website Gourmantic.
