Single malt whisky brands continued their upward trend, despite the health crisis.
The whisky division comprises five single malts that share the same values of excellence: Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore are distilled on the Isle of Islay in Scotland; Westland Distillery operates in Seattle in the United States; and the Domaine des Hautes Glaces farm distillery in the French Alps has just celebrated its tenth anniversary.
The Covid-19 crisis has not prevented the single malt portfolio from making further remarkable progress in 2020/2021. The significant investments made in recent years to boost brand awareness and desirability, the development of dedicated websites for these brands, and education on social media around the concept of "provenance" have all paid off. The category’s strong development in the Asia-Pacific region is also a promising growth driver.
On Islay, Bruichladdich Distillery has become the first single malt Scotch whisky distillery to receive B Corp certification, rewarding years of good social and environmental practices. From an economic perspective, the three Scottish single malts benefited from strong demand in the US market, the rebound in Asia, and good resilience in Europe.
Perfectly integrated into the local economy of the Seattle area, where it actively participates in preserving Garry oak trees, Westland Distillery is now recognised nationally on account of the undisputed quality of its whiskies and the success of its new e-commerce platform.
Domaine des Hautes Glaces is inaugurating its new distillery ten years after its creation, and entering a new era in its history: an increased distillation capacity that continues to maintain its ethos, with single malts made only from organic grains grown in the Trièves Mountains.
