Roll out the barrel: Morrison Bowmore and World Duty Free toast Heathrow T5 – 15/11/07
Published: 15/11/07
Source: ©The Moodie Report
By Ben Grant
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“My aim was to find something unlike anything I have ever drunk before. It might not be the traditional Bowmore flavour, but commercially it’s unique,” says World Duty Free Managing Director Mark Riches (pictured right) with his Liquor Buyer Paul Hunnissett
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UK. Morrison Bowmore Distillers is offering a special commemorative cask of Bowmore single malt Islay whisky to celebrate the March 2008 opening of London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. But this is a cask with a difference - it was selected by the distiller and T5 retailer World Duty Free.
The World Duty Free team took the task - and the cask - seriously, visiting Bowmore Distillery on the isle of Islay to select the whisky. Managing Director Mark Riches, Commercial Director Jo O’Connor and Liquor Buyer Paul Hunnisett joined Morrison Bowmore Operations Director Andrew Rankin on the search for the right cask, containing the right malt.
World Duty Free intends to create a series of unique experiences for consumers at T5 – originality is the key, it insists, meaning the retailer is particularly receptive to suppliers who put forward bold ideas.
This concept certainly fitted the bill. Three casks were selected from the Bowmore Distillery cellars, which hold almost 20 million litres of maturing spirit in over 100,000 casks, and put to the test. After an extended period of deliberation – “a horrible choice to have to make,” as Riches put it – the team reached a unanimous decision: barrel number 811, a 1965 first-fill hogshead barrel that will only yield about 55 bottles, at cask strength of 43.5% abv.
While the retail pricepoints have yet to be finalised, Bowmore Chief Executive Mike Keiller estimates that these bottles will each command at least £6,000 – the most expensive retail price the company has ever sought (though a number of rare Bowmore bottlings have commanded over £20,000 at auction).
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The panel of tasters consisted of: (from left) Paul Hunnissett, World Duty Free Liquor Buyer; Andrew Rankin, Morrison Bowmore Operations Director; Jo O’Connor, World Duty Free Commercial Director; Mark Riches, World Duty Free Managing Director
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The choice of Cask 811 may seem unusual at first – the rich tropical flavours are a far cry from the smoky tones for which Bowmore is renowned; it was also by far the lowest yielding of the three casks. These two factors, however, neatly aligned with the quest for a truly original product.
As Riches noted: “My aim was to find something unlike anything I have ever drunk before. It might not be the traditional Bowmore flavour, but commercially it’s unique.” O’Connor agreed, noting with approval that the flavours of Cask 811 were "definitely the most feminine".
The other two barrels contained almost double the volume of spirit, so either one of them would have enabled the partners to sell significantly more bottles. However, according to Hunnisett the minimal inventory is a major selling point. “I made my selection based simply on the whisky that I liked the most – but the rarity is a real commercial bonus, it makes the product even more desirable for our customers,” he said.
With the liquid selected, the next stage in the process is developing packaging befitting of such an exclusive product.
One factor has already been decided: the bottle will be a relatively simple hand-blown decanter, modelled on the characteristic shape of a pot still. This is likely to be placed in a presentational pyramid made of ebony, glass and copper.
The aim, according to Bowmore Brand Director Glenn Moore, was “to make sure that the whisky is the hero”. There’s still some way to go before the two partners agree upon the finished article, but Riches has expressed satisfaction with the broad concept, pointing out that “it looks like a trophy”.
On Bowmore’s keenness to work with World Duty Free on this project, Bowmore Global Sales Director Fergus Hartley said: “They have such a genuine passion for single malt whisky. It’s so obvious when you step into their stores and talk to the people working there. It’s a real pleasure to work with a retailer that has that passion for the product.”
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Unanimous decision: The team chose barrel number 811, a 1965 first-fill hogshead barrel, at cask strength of 43.5% abv
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Riches reported that approximately one in five bottles of liquor sold at World Duty Free is single malt Scotch, amounting to annual sales of more than £20 million. Hartley believes this makes the airport specialist probably the biggest single malt retailer in the world.
For Keiller, the honour of working so closely with the UK’s leading travel retailer goes beyond sales figures alone. “You’ve got to give them credit as one of the pioneers who have opened up whisky to a new generation of consumers. They’re one of the very best at presenting our product, it’s an honour to work with them,” he enthused.
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Bowmore Chief Executive Mike Keiller (left) and WDF General Manager Mark Riches seal the landmark initiative with a hearty handshake in front of the Bowmore Distillery
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But the best of travel retail partnerships require two parties of equal commitment to the channel. And no-one could question Bowmore's credentials. Almost one in three bottles of the brand depleted worldwide are sold in travel retail outlets, underlining the focus that the Suntory-owned company places on the sector.
Among the liquor categories, single malt has traditionally been at the forefront of developing travel retail exclusives. Bowmore took that emphasis to the next level when it revamped its entire portfolio earlier this year. The extensive brand family was rationalised significantly and the company opted to develop an entire stand-alone range of four whiskies exclusively for travel retail.
Having spent a day with the Bowmore and World Duty Free teams as they selected the commemorative whisky, it was clear that there is an exceptionally strong bond between supplier and retailer. “There’s tremendous respect between the two businesses,” confirmed Riches. "This project demonstrates that when we talk about building strong partnerships it’s not superficial talk.”
Continuing discussions are under way as to how the two can work together to create an even more engaging in-store experience. There is even talk of bringing a full cask into the shops and letting consumers fill their own bottles personally – experiential retailing taken to a whole new level.
This latest initiative is a glowing example of what can be achieved when businesses establish genuine partnerships, and it will be interesting to see what other aces WDF has up its sleeve for the opening of T5.
With five months to go before opening there is still an enormous amount of work to be done. But as Riches pointed out, “a drop of this whisky goes a long way to making the stress of T5 a lot more manageable.”
For more information on Morrison Bowmore Distillers, visit
www.morrisonbowmore
THE MOODIE REPORT DIGITAL PRINT EDITION: World Duty Free is profiled – and its partnership with BAA for the new Heathrow T5 analysed – in the Cannes issue of The Moodie Report Digital Print Edition. Click
here to download.
MORE STORIES ON MORRISON BOWMORE
Morrison Bowmore releases rare vintages – 16/07/07
Bowmore launches travel retail exclusive 30yo malt – 22/09/06
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