An Edinburgh-based whisky producer is shelling out £350,000 to help boost sales of its new luxury cream liqueur both at home and abroad.
About 12,000 units of the product, Magnum, have already flown off the shelves since it went on sale in earnest last autumn, and the BenRiach Distillery Company has now tasked consultancy RTM Sales Solutions with whetting appetites further.
The booze-maker, which produces the BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh single malts, also said it has inked preliminary distribution deals for Magnum with an unspecified UK supermarket chain and a range of specialist retailers.
Magnum, which contains whisky produced at BenRiach’s distillery near Elgin, is sold in a stainless steel flask and is aimed at both men and women at the high end of the market.
And in a bid to cast Magnum’s net beyond the UK, the drink is being introduced in South Africa, the Americas and China, the firm said.
The global market for specialist drinks — particularly those containing gin and vodka — has grown significantly in recent years, and BenRiach thinks there is room for expansion in the whisky category.
Steve Horne, a director at RTM, said: “Within other spirit categories, notably gin and vodka in recent years, we’ve seen the emergence of many new and successful premium-level brands.
“We believe we there is fantastic potential to also create similar market success for a premium Scotch malt whisky-based product.”
“The market share potential for premium drinks brands in other categories such as gin equates to around 10-15% of its overall sales.
“If applied to the cream liqueur category Magnum could be on target for annual sales of around 100,000 cases in the UK alone.”
In August 2014 BenRiach said its full-year pre-tax profits had jumped 116% to £8.9million thanks to unprecedented demand from parts of Asia.
The results highlighted the stellar progress the firm has made since it was taken over 10 years ago by Billy Walker and his two South African business partners, Geoff Bell and Wayne Kieswetter.
Back in 2005 it posted pre-tax profits of just £240,000.
BenRiach’s headcount has also risen from just 12 people to more than 120 over the same period.