Latest news with #Balvenie
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
UK deal to boost scotch sales: Maker of Glenfiddich, Balvenie
NEW DELHI: William Grant & Sons, the maker of top Scottish whisky brands, such as Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder, and Balvenie, apart from Hendrick's Gin, has called the India-UK trade deal a "landmark" agreement. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This deal will lead to the entry of new higher-end editions in the country, apart from giving a fillip to the sale of premium spirits brands. Sachin Mehta, country director (India & subcontinent) for William Grant & Sons, said the company is witnessing strong sales in India, and this is going to further strengthen as it introduces limited editions and newer variations. "I think it's a landmark achievement for both the countries and for our industry especially," Mehta told TOI, when commenting on the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) that was signed in late July. The agreement will see India reduce the import duty on scotch from 150% to 75%, and thereafter to 40% over the next decade. "I think it's a very, very progressive move." Mehta said it is too early to talk about consumer price reductions, especially as the deal is yet to come into play - the British Parliament has to ratify it - and the impact of state taxes in India has to be factored in. "I think that it will ultimately benefit the consumers over here. But time will tell in terms of what the real shape will be. The first phase is likely to come into effect in about four or five months. There's still the fine print. But ultimately it's the 10 years that we're talking about when it goes down to the landing rate and that'll be a great one." He said the relaxation encourages the company to further strengthen expansion plans. "When you have ease of doing business, it really builds the confidence. And, all of that will translate into getting better products."
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
India set to join top William Grant markets with Balvenie Fifty launch
India is a high priority market for the leading Scotch whisky and premium spirits maker William Grant & Sons, with potential to become one of its top five markets globally in the coming years, a top company official has said. The family-owned premium spirits company, which owns various brands, including Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder, Balvenie and Hendrick's Gin, entered India 10 years ago. And the growth in the country has been very promising, William Grant & Sons India Managing Director Sachin Mehta told PTI. The Scotland-based premium spirits maker has unveiled 'The Balvenie Fifty', a 50-year-old ultra-rare Speyside single malt scotch whisky in the Indian market. Only one bottle of The Balvenie Fifty First Edition' aged in a European oak refill cask, filled in 1973, has been made available in India, offering a unique opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs to own a piece of whisky history. When asked about its price, Mehta said: "Balvenie Fifty is probably going to be in the range of Rs 70 lakh thereabouts". William Grant & Sons India operates in the premium alcoholic beverage segment, where its portfolio includes Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder, Balvenie, Grant's and Hendrick's Gin. "And our latest addition is a brand called The Famous Grouse," which has been added since July, he noted. According to Mehta, India is among the top ten markets for William Grant & Sons and one of the few markets where it has established its own distribution company. "It is one of the top priority markets within the global network of William Grant & Sons," he said. India is the largest whisky market globally, where the market is witnessing premiumisation, supported by various factors, like a growing economy, rising middle-class income, growing numbers of millennials and white collar professionals. When asked whether India has the potential to become one of the top 5 markets for William Grant & Sons, Mehta said: "India certainly has a very large potential. The story of the potential that India has is not hidden, and everybody knows about it. And that is true across all categories. And so much so, even for the single malts and Balvenie. So surely, it can be one of the top markets". Moreover, factors like the recent free trade agreement between the governments of India and the UK, which, according to Mehta, is an "achievement" and the policies of the state governments in India are becoming "more and more progressive and consumer-friendly", with an increasing ease of doing business. India is already a leading market for major global spirits makers. It is now the largest market for French spirit maker Pernod Ricard by volume and the second largest by value. It is also a key contributor to the British premium spirits maker Diageo. On its single malt brand Glenfiddich, Mehta said, "It's one of the top-selling single malts in the country". "Similarly, India is one of the top priority markets for that brand (Glenfiddich) as well, like it is for the Balvenie and it is for the rest of our portfolio," he added. Besides, Mehta also expects growth from Balvenie, which operates in the premium side of single-malt whisky. "India is a large whisky market, and there has been a lot of premiumisation. It really goes on to give us the confidence that our Indian consumer is now really looking for great value, and that value comes from aspirational brands like the Balvenie," he said. Earlier, Balvenie was available in selected cities only, as it is an allocated product to specific markets. However, with increased allocation, it is now available in more cities across India. "We are able to increase the stock availability in India, and we are looking to make it available in more and more cities," he said. Besides, 50-year-old single malt scotch whisky, it has also amplified its play in the super premium segment - The Balvenie Thirty and The Balvenie Twenty-Five, both of which are available in a highly exclusive and limited release.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
William Grant, maker of Glenfiddich and Monkey Shoulder, launches Balvenie Fifty in India at Rs 70 lakh
India is a high priority market for the leading Scotch whisky and premium spirits maker William Grant & Sons, with potential to become one of its top five markets globally in the coming years, a top company official has said. The family-owned premium spirits company, which owns various brands, including Glenfiddich , Monkey Shoulder , Balvenie and Hendrick's Gin , entered India 10 years ago. And the growth in the country has been very promising, William Grant & Sons India Managing Director Sachin Mehta told PTI. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program The Scotland-based premium spirits maker has unveiled 'The Balvenie Fifty ', a 50-year-old ultra-rare Speyside single malt scotch whisky in the Indian market. Only one bottle of 'The Balvenie Fifty First Edition' aged in a European oak refill cask, filled in 1973, has been made available in India, offering a unique opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs to own a piece of whisky history. When asked about its price, Mehta said: "Balvenie Fifty is probably going to be in the range of Rs 70 lakh thereabouts". Live Events William Grant & Sons India operates in the premium alcoholic beverage segment, where its portfolio includes Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder, Balvenie, Grant's and Hendrick's Gin. "And our latest addition is a brand called The Famous Grouse," which has been added since July, he noted. According to Mehta, India is among the top ten markets for William Grant & Sons and one of the few markets where it has established its own distribution company. "It is one of the top priority markets within the global network of William Grant & Sons," he said. India is the largest whisky market globally, where the market is witnessing premiumisation, supported by various factors, like a growing economy, rising middle-class income, growing numbers of millennials and white collar professionals. When asked whether India has the potential to become one of the top 5 markets for William Grant & Sons, Mehta said: "India certainly has a very large potential. The story of the potential that India has is not hidden, and everybody knows about it. And that is true across all categories. And so much so, even for the single malts and Balvenie. So surely, it can be one of the top markets". Moreover, factors like the recent free trade agreement between the governments of India and the UK, which, according to Mehta, is an "achievement" and the policies of the state governments in India are becoming "more and more progressive and consumer-friendly", with an increasing ease of doing business. India is already a leading market for major global spirits makers. It is now the largest market for French spirit maker Pernod Ricard by volume and the second largest by value. It is also a key contributor to the British premium spirits maker Diageo. On its single malt brand Glenfiddich, Mehta said, "It's one of the top-selling single malts in the country". "Similarly, India is one of the top priority markets for that brand (Glenfiddich) as well, like it is for the Balvenie and it is for the rest of our portfolio," he added. Besides, Mehta also expects growth from Balvenie, which operates in the premium side of single-malt whisky. "India is a large whisky market, and there has been a lot of premiumisation. It really goes on to give us the confidence that our Indian consumer is now really looking for great value, and that value comes from aspirational brands like the Balvenie," he said. Earlier, Balvenie was available in selected cities only, as it is an allocated product to specific markets. However, with increased allocation, it is now available in more cities across India. "We are able to increase the stock availability in India, and we are looking to make it available in more and more cities," he said. Besides, 50-year-old single malt scotch whisky, it has also amplified its play in the super premium segment - The Balvenie Thirty and The Balvenie Twenty-Five, both of which are available in a highly exclusive and limited release. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
How much would you pay for the only bottle of a 50-year-old, single-cask-aged Balvenie whisky in India?
In 1973, on the moors of the world's malt whisky capital — Dufftown in Scotland's Speyside region — William Grant & Sons had assigned a special task to European oak cask number 8720 at The Balvenie distillery. It was destined to patiently house a potion for 50 long years. Though this time, the elixir, comprising just barley, yeast and water, mutated into a potent potion; it absorbed the oaky interactions with the cask that honed its texture, tone and taste. Some of it evaporated, but what remained has stood the test of time and has been titled the 125-year-old brand's rarest whisky offerings: The Balvenie Fifty – First Edition, limited to just 125 bottles. Only one out of them is available in India. At the whisky's unveiling in Perbacco at The Lodhi, New Delhi, the global brand ambassador of The Balvenie, Charles Metcalfe, says, 'This whisky has been aged in a European oak sherry cask. This cask was used previously to mature sherry in Spain. We then brought it over and used it to mature Balvenie.' Charles suggests that casks are fundamental to old whiskies as their building blocks of flavour. 'So everything has to be in balance to create truly exceptional old whisky. And that's our malt master, Kelsey McKechnie's job,' he adds. The key to maintaining this balance, he says, is to not allow the oak to take over completely. Detailing the process, he explains, 'We have to pull a very small sample out of the cask and it will be nosed; it will be assessed. We'll check a number of things — the flavour on the nose and the palate and we'll make sure that the ABV (alcohol by volume) of the whisky is still at a point that we're happy with. If it goes too close to 40%, or below 40%, it's now no longer legally considered a Scotch whisky. We have to keep it above 40. This is one of the things that the stars need to align to create a whisky like this. The only thing we can do is make sure that it's coopered and stored well. The rest is up to the whisky gods.' The Balvenie made its way to India in 2018. Prior to that, the brand was available only via the global travel retail channel at select Duty Free shops. Sachin Mehta, managing director at William Grant & Sons, India & Subcontinent, says that the brand, which also makes the famous Glenfiddich, is testing the waters in India. It has also launched nine bottles each of The Balvenie 25 and The Balvenie 30. 'India is new to The Balvenie, which is why we have only one bottle of The Balvenie Fifty for sale here and it is as exclusive and rare as it gets,' he shares. Talking about all that makes India a favourable market for high-end whisky brands, he admits to the population's changing perception of luxury. 'When it comes to alcohol preference, the scales have always tilted towards whisky and with exposure, knowledge and accessibility, more and more Indians are warming up to an ultra-luxe segment of handcrafted whisky. It is not just the product, but also the story behind it that dictates their choices,' he says. The Balvenie Fifty delivers aromas of cassis, candied apricots, cedar, and warm spice, followed by a rich palate of caramelised fruits, soft vanilla, and a delicate ginger finish — all anchored by The Balvenie's signature honeyed profile. This complexity of flavours, says Charles, is the defining curve of any good whisky. 'Certainly age is one of the deciding factors of a fine whisky, but a lot depends on how deep and complex the flavours are. Organoleptically, the honey-sweet flavour of Balvenie stands out, for me,' he says. To get these flavours, Charles stresses on coopering, coppersmithing, farming, whisky making, nosing of the whisky and storage. The barley, he says is sourced from a 100-acre farm that surrounds the distillery. 'Also, Balvenie uses only two casks: American oak ex-bourbon cask and European oak ex-sherry casks. We have our own team for cooperage. For storage, a lovely, cold, damp Scottish warehouse would be ideal,' he quips. The Balvenie Fifty comes in a bottle packaged and crafted in collaboration with Croglin workshop, Cumbria, known for its handcrafted, detailed woodwork. The most striking feature has to be the helix structure of layered wood with tolerances below one-tenth of a millimetre, and a 14-carat gold-plated brass display, making the bottle as remarkable as the liquid it holds. The only bottle of The Balvenie Fifty in India is now available in Gurugram and is priced between ₹60lakh and ₹75lakh
Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Steak 'that looks like Scotland' goes viral after Scot shares photo
'Bit dry to be Scotland,' one viewer joked A Scot has gone viral online for their unusually shaped steak. The piece of meat appears to resemble Scotland. Scotland is famed for its thriving culinary scene. People all over the world flock to the country for its various Michelin-starred restaurants and hidden gem eateries. However, it is not every day that you come across food that looks like Scotland itself. That is exactly what happened to one individual who sat down to eat a steak, though. On Tuesday, June 11, one person took to social media to share an image of their steak. Writing on the Scotland community on Reddit, they wrote: "Cooked a steak that looks like Scotland." As can be seen in the image, the steak does in fact appear to bear a resemblance to the shape of Scotland. The meat resembles the irregular and jagged landmass of the country, with certain parts of it vaguely resembling the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, and Dumfries and Galloway on a map. Since being shared, the photo has received more than 2,000 'upvotes'. The post has also been commented on more than 220 times, with many Scots keen to share their thoughts on the steak. Some Reddit users were quick to comment on the appearance of the steak, with many stating that they believed it to be overdone. One even went to so far as to say it was "nuked". One comment reads: "It'd be easier to chew through Hadrian's Wall than that thing." "It is spelt nuked," a second stated, while another Reddit user said: "No, you ruined a steak until it looked like Scotland." A fourth posted: "Is that my shoe sole? Steak looks drier than the Sahara." Meanwhile, a few joked that the meat looked too "dry" to be Scotland. One wrote: "Definitely not Scotland. Scotland will never be this dry." "Scotland is nowhere near that dry," a second echoed, while a third joked: "Bit dry to be Scotland." One user joked about the shape of the steak, asking: "Where's Shetland?" In response, somebody else replied: "It still burns in the pan." Elsewhere, another posted: "Edinburgh looks a bit burnt." As reported by the Daily Record, Reddit users recently shared their picks for the "best single malt Scotch". Whiskies from distilleries such as Balvenie and Glenfarclas were among those named. We also reported on a simple 65p kitchen ingredient that can help make steak taste like it is from a restaurant. The addition of the ingredient is said to enhance the flavour of the meat as a result of a process that occurs when it is used. More information about the steak that looks like Scotland can be found on the Reddit post.
