Scottish Leader undergoes recipe and bottle makeover

South African drinks group Distell has unveiled a new look and recipe for Scottish Leader, the biggest selling blended Scotch whisky in Taiwan, as well as a new premium Signature extension.

Scottish Leader Signature is a new premium brand extension for the blended Scotch whisky

Scottish Leader Original has been “reformulated” to include a blend of malt and grain whiskies for a “warm, honey sweet and delicately smoky taste”.

Ian MacMillan, master distiller for Burn Stewart, part of the Distell group, has also introduced Scottish Leader Signature, which has more of an Island malt influence, resulting in a smokier blend.

MacMillan said the core elements of Scottish Leader Original “have not been lost in any way” in the new recipe.

“As a team with over 340 years of collective experience, we’ve worked incredibly hard to give it more richness and balance but ensure it is still immediately recognisable as the Scottish Leader people around the world have come to appreciate.”

He added that the introduction of the Signature expression has “amplified the malt influence to give Scotch lovers a new, complex and layered offering”.

“Both will appeal to experienced blended drinkers and newcomers, whether they enjoy drinking Scotch neat or with a mixer.”

The new packaging, which will be applied to both Scottish Leader Original and Signature, will convey the brand’s Scottish heritage further through a celtic typeface and image of a Highlands landscape.

The expressions will be rolled out from December 2014.