Following his recent visit to South Africa, we interview Marc Hoellinger, CEO of Glenmorangie to chat about the brand’s rich history, flavour pairings, and the future of the single malt Scotch whisky. Given Glenmorangie’s rich history, how does a brand such as yours integrate itself into an equally as rich history such as South Africa? While we would never claim to have as rich a history as a country we are very proud of our heritage, the people who have created it as well as our relentless approach to innovation and craftsmanship in making our award winning whiskies since 1843. What was the drive in creating a relationship / partnership with the South African market? We believe countries such as South Africa, where we have focused our energies since 2005 and subsequently seen steady increase, offer Glenmorangie opportunities for growth. Furthermore, we are meeting the growing discernment of South African consumers whose drinking choices are ever more sophisticated. There are 3 ranges excluding the Legends Collection – What’s been the best seller out of each collection? Glenmorangie Original is the flagship of the Glenmorangie range. It is an elegant, floral spirit and the core of the Glenmorangie range. It is distilled in the tallest stills in Scotland, creating delicate layers of citrus and floral notes. It delivers a purer, smoother spirit with deep notes of peach and sweet vanilla as it is matured for 10 years exclusively in the very best ex-bourbon American white oak casks and only uses 1st and 2nd fill casks. In our extra matured range, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is a favourite in South Africa. It is the darkest and most intense whisky in the extra-matured range. Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into specially selected ruby port pipes from the Quintas or wine estates of Portugal. Extra maturation in these port pipes develops this expression into a voluptuous spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavours and an intriguing contrast of smooth and crisp, cooling textures. Our Prestige collection features some of our oldest and rarest single malts. Undoubtedly the richest whisky in our range, Glenmorangie Signet, is the culmination of a lifetime’s experience. Of course, whilst the exact secrets of its production are known only to our whisky creators, we can tell you that Signet’s melting sweetness and explosive spiciness is, at least in part, caused by our unique roasted ‘chocolate’ barley malt and the ‘designer casks’ made bespoke for Glenmorangie from American white oak. We are seeing increased interest in Glenmorangie Signet among consumers all around the world and in South Africa. What’s the perfect pairing with a glass of Glenmorangie? Glenmorangie Original pairs exceptionally well with any type of red meat, especially barbequed steak. The orange notes are a delightful accompaniment to many desserts and it also pairs well with creamy soft cheeses. Future developments for the brand and what direction is it going in? Creativity and innovation are at the heart of our business and we are driven by an unrelenting pursuit of craftsmanship – a culture of ‘Unnecessarily Well Made’ whisky. We intend to make more and more people aware of Glenmorangie, our approach to creating excellent award winning whiskies, our constant desire to innovate and to crafting delicious appealing whiskies. Watch this space for forthcoming editions in the near future… Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment.