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Feature
The Travel Retail Masters 2024 results
Drinks brands often use global travel retail to experiment, and woo travellers with new and exciting variants. Our judges put the most interesting drops to the taste test in our annual competition.
For the discerning drinker, global travel retail (GTR) is an exciting place to discover new products and brands. Fans of established brands also flock to the channel to stock up on their favourite bottles or grab exclusive releases that are often limited in numbers.
With time on their hands while they wait for their planes or cruises, passengers are looking to find an exquisite spirit in an often packed marketplace.
Last month, we gathered a panel of judges at Sparrow Italia, a restaurant in London’s Mayfair, to judge an array of expressions available in the global travel retail space.
This year’s Travel Retail Masters, spanning categories such as Scotch, rum and gin, was chaired by Nicola Carruthers, deputy editor of The Spirits Business. The panel was also made up of: David T Smith, writer and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo; Matt Chambers, founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog; Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Neo Margarita; Anne Jones of Limestone and Jones; Richard Legg, founder of Distilled Knowledge; and Ian Sheldrake, Sparrow Italia’s beverage director.
The first category to be tasted was Vodka, where a Gold was given out to Royal Mash Vintage Vodka.
Chambers said: “Sweet and fresh on nose, very clean and vibrant, very neutral and crisp on palate. Nice sugary sweetness with an underlying earthy cereal quality, late peppery notes and warmth.”
Neotia reflected on the vodka category: “The category is making a proper comeback after years of onslaught from the evolving gin sector.”
The judges progressed to the Gin round, where three more Golds were awarded. The first went to Puertos de Indias Strawberry, lauded for its “pleasant strawberry jamminess on the nose, fruitiness continues on the palate with some creaminess”. Edinburgh Gin Meadows was another worthy Gold recipient, described as a “juniper-forward, mineral and fresh gin with a clean finish”. Completing the trio was Indian brand Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin, enjoyed for its notes of “lemon verbena, lemongrass and fresh hops”. A Silver medal was also given to Dutch brand Sir Edmond Gin.
Smith added his thoughts on the competitive gin space: “Travel retail can be a good chance for gin brands to trial new products with more innovative/unusual flavour profiles – this leads to quite a diverse range of gins. It’s a competitive market so gins need to do something to stand out from the crowd.”
The first master
The Cognac flight resulted in the first Master of the day for Rémy Martin XO. Smith said: “Fantastic fruity notes, lovely underlying grape notes, the distillate shines through; flavours of toffee and banana with dried apricot and raisin – beautiful integration.”
Jones was equally enamoured by the Cognac, adding: “Vanilla-spiked baked peaches, orange, and red apple skins. Soaked sultanas, crème caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gentle cedar and wood notes.”
Smith reflected on the category: “A good travel retail Cognac needs to be accessible, even to people who might not normally drink it, as it is often given as a gift or shared socially. The best Cognac must impress everyone from newbies to hardened connoisseurs.”
The biggest spirits category by volume in the global travel retail space is Scotch whisky, which was put to the test next by our panel. Two Masters were discovered, both of which were awarded to The Glenmorangie Company. Master-winning Glenmorangie 16 Years Old The Tribute was given high praise by Jones, who found: “Iodine and gentle peat smoke on the nose, very characterful and expressive yet not divisive – supported by fresh juicy citrus notes. Elegant and precise.”
Legg said of the Highland whisky: “Salty smoke on the nose, meaty feel too. Smoked kippers and delicate seaweed. Underlying barley is good, with tropical fruit flavours.”
Chambers was a big fan of Glenmorangie 16 Years Old The Vindima, which also went home with a deserving Master medal. He said of the whisky: “Green apple and crumbly brown sugar on nose, pinch of gingerbread and warming baking spices, soft and gentle on the palate with lovely toffee apple notes, crumbly brown sugar and hint of apricot and milk chocolate.”
The Glenmorangie Company topped its medal haul with four Golds in the round for its namesake whisky brand.
Glenmorangie 19 Years Old offered “baked oranges, figs, hazelnuts and dark burned toffee”, while Glenmorangie 14 Years Old The Elementa had a “buttery nose with spongecake, dry apple notes on the finish, a little bit of crème caramel, lovely elegance”.
Glenmorangie 12 Years Old The Accord was described as being “rich and decadent”, with notes of “violet with white grape and flavours of oily malt with honey and oat biscuits”.
Chambers said: “The overall quality and consistency of these products show where the Scotch whisky category is at for global travel retail. Lots of companies use it as a testing ground for new concepts, recipes or cask finishes but this leads to them driving each other on to increase the standards. This was a great flight that showed this superbly.”
Neotia was also positive about the segment: “Every time I look at Scotch in travel retail, it’s the most consistent category. You can pick up any bottle at any price point and you won’t be making a mistake. It delivers.”
A lone entry into the World Whisky – Europe flight resulted in a Silver medal for Welsh distillery Penderyn’s Faraday.
The Rum Spirit Drink round discovered a Gold winner in Takamaka Koko, praised for its “toasted coconut flakes on the nose” and “icing sugar sweetness”.
Rums were scrutinised by the judges next with one Gold and a trio of Silvers awarded. Seychelles distillery Takamaka landed a Gold for its Overproof bottling (69% ABV). Chambers said: “Bright, vibrant and sweet nose with elegant sweetness and green cane notes, bright and peppery on the palate, green sugar cane vibes with sugar syrup, hint of vanilla and honey.”
The competition concluded with the Liqueurs flight, which led to a Gold for Liviko’s Vana Tallinn Coffee Infusion.
Jones enjoyed its “aromas of cold brew coffee, fresh and with enough bitterness and a hint of orange peel to lift”, while Sheldrake praised its “nutty palate with citrus notes”.
With three Master winners in contention for the Taste Master title, the judges decided that the accolade should be awarded to Glenmorangie 16 Years Old The Tribute. The release explores the distillery’s past by paying tribute to the historic use of a peat-fired kiln. Smith said of the whisky: “Rich, exciting and engaging nose, leather and oats with ground coffee.”
The judges agreed that brands should follow in the footsteps of whisky, where a high level of quality can be found. Neotia noted that vodka is making a comeback, and must “come out from under the shadow of gin”, adding that GTR is a “great platform for brands to showcase a level of exclusivity”.
| Vodka | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Royal Mash Vodka | Royal Mash Vintage Vodka | Gold |
| Gin | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Puerto de Indias | Puerto de Indias Strawberry | Gold |
| lan Macleod Distillers | Edinburgh Gin Meadows | Gold |
| Raincheck Earth | Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin | Gold |
| Sir Edmond | Sir Edmond Gin | Silver |
| Cognac | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Rémy Martin | Rémy Martin XO | Master |
| Scotch Whisky | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie 16 Year Old The Tribute | Master & Taste Master |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie 16 Year Old The Vindima | Master |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie 19 Year Old | Gold |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie 14 Year Old The Elementa | Gold |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie 12 Year Old The Accord | Gold |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie 21 Year Old The Aureum | Gold |
| World Whisky – Europe (excluding Ireland and Scotland) | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Penderyn Distillery | Penderyn Faraday | Silver |
| Rum Spirit Drink | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Takamaka | Koko | Gold |
| Rum | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Takamaka | Overproof | Gold |
| Takamaka | Dark Spiced | Silver |
| Isle of Wight Distillery | Mermaid Spiced Rum | Silver |
| Ron Santa Teresa | Santa Teresa 1796 | Silver |
| Liqueurs | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Liviko | Vana Tallinn Coffee Fusion | Gold |
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