Speyside, Scotland. This is the land of deep valleys, majestic stags and delicious whisky. A place we would all love to visit to admire the beautiful scenery while enjoying a glass of whisky. But with the Covid-19 pandemic in full swing, we can only fantasize. Not to worry however, we live in an advanced era, where the impossible can be made possible. Well, almost possible.
This was the predicament for Glenfiddich, the renowned Scottish whisky brand as they sought to launch a new design for their 12 year old brand whisky. With quarantine and social distancing rules now in place, holding public events is not allowed. After pushing back the launch for months, the Glenfiddich team in Kenya therefore decided to take a rare route by holding a virtual event. This was an online event via Zoom where we zoomed and drank while listening to the story behind the new design. Sounds unreal but that’s why we will tell you all about our experience at this unusual event.
For a bit of history on the drink, Glenfiddich whisky was produced in the year 1887 by William Grant in Speyside, Scotland. Grant hand built the distillery with the help of his seven sons and two daughters. 133 years later, the brand is the most awarded single malt whisky. It is still a family owned business, currently run by fifth generation Grants.
The invitation card read, “we welcome you to experience a virtual unveil of our striking new design.” This came along with a package of Glenfiddich’s signature expression whisky, the 12 year old in the new bottle design. The gift worthy package also included a cocktail and Glenfiddich glassware.
The event took place on June 16 at 2:00 pm. The venue, sit comfortably wherever you are and make sure to have stable wifi. Virtual means that all we had to do was turn on our laptop and click the zoom link to be present. Even with the lack of physical interaction and mingling with other guests, which we definitely missed, I must admit that a virtual event does have its perks. Without the need to battle through traffic and arrive late, we can confidently say that the Kenyan timing days are a thing of the past. At least for now.
Laptop in check, package in hand we were ready to learn all about Glenfiddich’s new bottle design. The session officially kicked off, led by Global Ambassador, Struan Grant Ralph and Kenya’s National Ambassador, Mulunda Kombo.
With a more sophisticated and elegant look, the new design for Glenfiddich, which means “valley of the deer” seeks to pay homage to the brand’s maverick beginnings and family-run heritage. In the words of Struan Grant, “we hope to give the new design a unique look that captures the air, water and spirit of Scotland.”
The new features on the bottle include an indented V on the face of the glass to represent the valley. The deer’s stag symbol gracefully sits inside the V in gold. The two symbols combined, give a clear representation of “Valley of the Deer”, hence paying tribute to Speyside, the place where the whisky is produced. To add a more sophisticated look, William Grant’s signature is inscribed on the bottle top. The 12 year old is also rebranded and will be known as “our original twelve”. An exceptionally fitting name for an exceptional drink.
For Kenyan whisky enthusiasts, the redesign is a real treat as we are the first consumers in the African continent to see Glenfiddich’s new look for Our Original 12. The whisky is matured in the finest Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks for at least 12 years, before being uniquely married in oak tuns. This gives the whisky a beautifully balanced nose complemented by refreshingly rich and complex notes of fresh pear and subtle oak. Kenya’s National Brand Ambassador, Mulunda Kombo, hopes that the contemporary look will be appreciated by the local community and encourage new whisky enthusiasts to delve into the Glenfiddich experience.
The hour-long event was unusual but fun and interesting, and we definitely got to have little taste of the Glenfiddich experience. With a virtual clank of glasses and a unison hollering of Slangevar, we got to celebrate and give a warm welcome to our original twelve.
Virtual or unreal, this was our sensational trip to the valley of the deer.
— Written by Mary Njehia
