Glenmorangie Lose Top Malt In Scotland Title

[John]

The title of Scotland's best-loved single malt whisky has changed hands for the first time in over a decade.

After 13 years, Glenmorangie has lost its Top Malt Whisky In Scotland title to rival Glenfiddich.

Latest sales figures show sales of Glenfiddich in the UK have rocketed 24% to £27.1m, while Glenmorangie has plummeted 24% to £17.5m over the past year [Nielsen off-trade 52w/e 23 February 2010]. While it was already the leading single malt in the UK market overall, taking the top spot in Scotland had previously eluded Glenfiddich.

The Dufftown-brand is already the leading single malt in the UK market but according to trade magazine The Grocer, this is the first time it has claimed the Scotland title.

Owner William Grant & Sons put Glenfiddich's success down to its continued investment in the brand. James Stocker, marketing controller for premium dark spirits at First Drinks, the distributor bought by William Grant & Sons in 2006, put the success down to continued investment in the brand.

"Despite the tough market conditions, we have continued to invest in Glenfiddich when other people have decided to cut back," he said. "William Grant is still a family-owned company and sees Scotland in particular as a key market. The fact we continue to invest in our Scottish distilleries and employ Scottish people is very important."

Education-focused marketing, increased PoS and "heavy" above-the-line investment had also helped, he said.

"Our promotional activity has been broadly in line with the market and aside from the duty increases we passed through in January 2009 we have kept the shelf price the same," he added.

In a bid to reinforce its premium status in the off-trade sector, First Drinks introduced the new 14-year old Glenfiddich Rich Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky (rsp: £30.99) into Sainsbury's this week.

Glenmorangie was bought by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2004.

Edinburgh-based whisky writer Charles Maclean told the Scotsman newspaper he was surprised to hear the figures.

He said: "It's difficult to understand why this change has happened. I would think it comes down to advertising and pricing. From a taste perspective, Glenmorangie have upped their game. Its little things like filtration that have enhanced the flavour, and that can be influenced by a whole range of factors in malt whisky.

"Generally distillers don't like to change the flavour of their produce because customers don't like it. And 90% of whisky goes into blends.

"But I think Scots are shopping around a bit more. Both Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich are relatively light styles of malt whisky compared to Macallan's, for example."

Glenmorangie are due to move its headquarters from Broxburn, West Lothian to the east end of Edinburgh before the end of the year.

In 2008, the top brands in the UK were Glenfiddich, followed by Glenmorangie Original, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie 10 year old, Laphroaig, Highland Park, Aberlour, Glen Moray, Isle of Jura and Talisker.

John

[Bookie]

I must say i bought more Glenfiddich last year than i would normally have bought and this would have been through a combination of Glenfiddichs point of sale marketing and i suppose you could call their aggressive or tempting pricing, long may it continue. Looking forward to trying the new Glenfiddich Rich Oak.

On the other hand Glenmorangies marketing is way out of touch with the consumer they have turned a whisky bottle into a wine bottle with wine bottle packaging and are trying to charge excessive prices which clearly the consumer (including myself) is unwilling to pay. Too many overpriced wine finished no age statement products. They need to start producing whisky and marketing it as whisky and at a competitive price or there sales will continue dropping.

Bookie

[Craven]

IMO Glenfiddich now have a better range of malts than Glenmorangie so these figures are not surprising. Glenmorangie is overpriced since being taken over by LVMH and they over depend on there winey finishes. They have miss calculated there market and the drop in sales shows this. A sherried or port finish malt is ok once and a while but personally i wont buy too many at the price they ask for it and i would guess there are more like me.

Craven