William Grant & Sons launches new Scotch whisky in India ahead of festive season

William Grant & Sons, the distiller of brands including Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder and Hendricks Gin, has launched Grant’s Distinction, the latest variant of its leading Blended Scotch whisky brand, ahead of Diwali in India.

The new variant has been launched in Goa with an MRP of 1,275 INR, in advance of a nationwide rollout.

Grant’s Distinction is a blended Scotch that has been hand-picked for smoothness by master blender Brian Kinsman himself, to appeal to a new generation of Scotch whisky drinkers.

It will initially be exclusively available in India.

The blended Scotch has been designed for mixing, and has a raisin cake richness that gives it a distinctive character to cut through any mixer.

Speaking about it, Brian Kinsman, Master Blender at William Grant & Sons, said “It was a real labour of love to create this new blend Grant’s Distinction. I wanted to make a Scotch that would be rich, smooth and mixable and am really proud of what we have achieved. It was important to retain the ‘House style’ for the Grant’s family which is delicate fresh fruit flavours with subtle spice for smoothness.”

He further added, “But at the heart of Grant’s Distinction I have used a single malt whisky from a distillery that gives a robust, malty and raisin cake rich character to the blend which makes it highly mixable.”

The uniqueness of the blend’s taste and mixability is an ingredient that comes from a distillery with teal coloured walls – the malt from this distillery is at the heart of the blend.

James Pennefather, Managing Director of William Grant & Sons India, added “We see a clear opportunity to bring in new brands targeted at the next generation of Scotch drinkers, those who are already making progress in their careers but still appreciate the fact that it is those around them who keep them grounded and real.”

He further added, “The smooth, rich flavours of Grant’s Distinction are certain to inspire conversations amongst friends to help them ‘find their distinction’, which will be the brand’s call to action. We are also proud of the fact that not only has India been chosen as the launch market for Grant’s Distinction, it is also the only place outside Scotland where this world-famous Scotch brand is bottled.”

Through this new variant, William Grant & Sons aims to cater to the increasing demand for premium spirits in India.

According to IWSR global forecasts, India is expected to be one of the largest contributors to global whisky growth over the next 5 years. The Blended Scotch market in India is expected to grow to 5 million cases by 2021.

Currently the scale of the market for Scotch brands bottled in India is ten times larger than those bottled in Scotland and imported.