William Grant eyes Philippines as key market in AsPac

MANILA, Philippines - William Grant & Sons Ltd, a Scotland-headquartered family-owned distiller, is strengthening its Balvenie brand in the Asia Pacific region and has identified the Philippines as a key market with large growth potential.

In a recent briefing, Balvenie regional brand ambassador Neil Strachan said he would be working closely with retailers and distributors in the country to build brand awareness and cultivate product knowledge among consumers.

The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart, said to be the longest-serving Malt Master in the industry. Each has a very individual taste, but each is rich and characterized by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.

Strachan said the Philippines is a key market because of the growing number of whisky drinkers in the country.

“I’m excited by the growing number of discerning alcohol drinkers in the Philippines; as tastes become more exotic, more demanding, more craving of an expressive luxury product, The Balvenie is well placed to be able to cater to this growth market,” he said.

In the same briefing, Sijie Leaw, regional brand manager for The Balvenie, said the brand is well placed to cater to the growth market in the Philippines.

“The Balvenie enjoys a global reputation as one of the very best premium single malts, produced through time-honoured traditional processes that no other distillery still practice today,” Leaw said.

To date, the Balvenie Distillery produces a multi award-winning range of The Balvenie Single Malts, which includes The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Years Old, The Balvenie Signature 12 Years Old, The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 Years Old, The Balvenie PortWood 21 Years Old and The Balvenie Thirty. A limited edition and a rare vintage cask over 30 years old are also bottled each year.

The Balvenie is produced in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands and boasts of a high level of craftsmanship that other malt whisky producers no longer employ.

William Grant & Sons Ltd was founded by William Grant in 1886 and is currently run by his direct descendants.

Today the company owns some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich, The Balvenie range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch, Grant’s, as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s gin, Sailor Jerry spiced rum, Milagro tequila, Reyka Vodka, and Solerno Blood Orange Liquer, Monkey Shoulder Scotch whisky and Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey.