Balvenie intros 21YO Madeira cask at Changi

William Grant & Sons has launched a 21-year-old partially Madeira cask-matured The Balvenie expression at Singapore Changi airport.

The Balvenie 21 Year Old Maderia Cask is now available at Singapore Changi airport

The Balvenie 21 Year Old Maderia Cask has been aged in “traditional” whisky casks for two decades, before being transferred to ex-Maderia wine casks for a further period of maturation.

A travel retail exclusive, the whisky is said to offer notes of “exotic fruit salad, barley sugar, runny honey, cinnamon spices and gentle oak vanilla”.

Launched in partnership with DFS Group, the expression will be exclusively available at Singapore Changi Airport until 1 April.

To mark the launch, from 2 March to 11 April, travellers at Changi Terminal 1 Central Piazza will have the opportunity to experience local craftspeople demonstrating leather craft, printmaking and shoemaking.

The craftspeople have been commissioned by The Balvenie Connoisseurs of Craft initiative, which aims to promote and preserve craftsmanship in Southeast Asia.

Passengers will be able to sample The Balvenie 21 Year Old Madeira Cask and create personalised bottle tags with their own chosen embossed design.

The showcase also features The Balvenie Morgan, a “handcrafted” V6 Roadster built in the UK and flown to Singapore for the launch, and a cigar humidor, created from the staves of whisky casks.

William Grant & Sons implemented a similar “craft” concept at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 to showcase The Balvenie Triple Cask range.

“Educational experience”

“As Asia Pacific’s largest travel retail assortment of single malts, we are experiencing an increase in customers to DFS, Singapore Changi Airport wanting more information around the craft and heritage approach to whisky-making,” said Brooke Supernaw, DFS Group’s senior vice president spirits, wines and tobacco.

“We’re especially thrilled to partner with William Grant & Sons to not only debut The Balvenie’s exceptional 21 Year Old Madeira Cask right here in Singapore, but to provide travellers with an exciting and educational experience that brings this love of craftsmanship to life and feed traveller’s thirst for discovery in their search for the best.”

Teo Chew Hoon, Changi Airport Group’s senior vice president for airside concessions added: “As a global travel hub in the heart of Asia, we always look for new and exciting ways to engage those who come through Changi Airport. Bringing in the very exclusive 21 Year Old Madeira Cask, and showcasing it along with the master craftsmanship, is another example of us creating a memorable experience for our customers.”

Scott Hamilton, William Grant & Sons Travel Retail Director for Asia Pacific, said: “The Balvenie 21 Year Old Madeira Cask is a perfect example of an exclusive product that really intrigues both travellers and retailers, making it perfect for this channel.

“Launching such an important product in The Balvenie range had to be partnered with a unique promotion, so collaborating with the likes of The Morgan Motor Company to get the V6 Roadster flown in and highlighting the work we do with craftsman through The Balvenie Connoisseurs of Craft initiative was an opportunity not to be missed.”

The Balvenie 21 Year Old Madeira Cask is bottled at 40% abv and retails for SGD 295 (US$213).