Interview: Loch Lomond on mega-trends, story-telling and a new travel retail collection

“This new Remarkable Stills Collection underlines our commitment to travel retail as a channel. Among the consumer mega-trends we identify today (which also include authenticity, quality and sustainability) craft and flavour really inform the creation of this new offer.”

So said Loch Lomond Group Managing Director – Global Travel Retail Luke Maga, speaking at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore about the recent launch of the brand’s updated travel retail-exclusive range.

As reported, the Loch Lomond Remarkable Stills Collection features four non-chill filtered expressions: Origins, Alchemy, Ingenuity 13 Year Old and Copper.

Loch Lomond uses both straight neck and traditional swan neck stills to distil its whiskies. The straight neck stills allow greater control of distillation, which intensifies the lighter, fruitier character of the spirit.

Maga said: “Our in-house capability helps to set us apart in whisky making. We are the only distiller in Scotland to use a straight neck still, and the combination of stills makes for a unique distillation process. Our flavour-forward ethos also comes partly from our 92-hour fermentation, which is another feature of Loch Lomond production.

“We are also one of the few distilleries in Scotland to have our own cooperage, we manage our own warehousing and we have full control of the production process.

“All of that helps Master Blender Michael Henry create the fruity, honey, soft-smoke style that is a signature of Loch Lomond whiskies.”

The new collection also uses an unusual mix of casks, ranging from American (Origins) to Colombian (Alchemy) to Swedish (Ingenuity 13 Year Old) to ex-bourbon (Copper)

The Remarkable Stills Series highlights the set-up of the stills at Loch Lomond, the flavours achieved through the choice of spirit combined with the chosen maturation and the choice of unusual oak, while the naming of the expressions aims to evoke intrigue among consumers.

Aside from the 13 Year Old, other expressions do not comprise an age statement. As the Remarkable Still Collection is phased in, other travel retail SKUs will be phased out over time, said Maga.

“We are supporting the launch with tastings, Brand Ambassador activity on shop floor but also showing our point of difference in craft, style, finishing in different casks and the process we use with straight neck stills. Those USPs offer a way to explore our range.

“With the 13 Year Old we had enough liquid to supply and there are consumers who want to see the age so this gives an anchor for those consumers.

“Remarkable Stills provide us with our core travel retail range for the coming years until we decide to tap into other mega trends.

“Consumers are looking for a new story and for discovery and we feel we have a very good story to tell.”

On key target regions for growth distribution, Maga said that Loch Lomond is aiming to build on its success stories to date, notably in the UK and Americas.

“While it is not easy at times as an independent whisky company, with our portfolio we can offer something for all partners around the world. We can talk about our reach in markets where we are traditionally strong, and leverage those to build in regions such as Asia Pacific, where we have a presence in China, Korea, Singapore and elsewhere.

“We see an opportunity in Australia travel retail to build on our domestic presence, which is fuelled in part by our strong relationship with The Open.”

Maga also introduced the Way Point Series, a celebration of where Loch Lomond comes from – this includes six domestic releases and one global traveller release. The latter is named Conic Hill 17 Year Old, finished in French Oak Limousin casks. The collectable series, available from November, is part of a range developed with artist Brett Beacon. ✈