Wild Tiger Special Reserve Rum (dark) is to launch at Chennai and Kolkata airports in duty free stores operated by Flemingo International.
It is said to be India’s first premium rum and is already available in Bangalore Duty Free. Wild Tiger will also launch “very soon” at Mumbai Duty Free as well as in the remaining airport stores operated by Flemingo in India in coming weeks.
Singapore’s Tiger Air, which launched the product onboard in July, will extend the listing into next year on the back of what Wild Tiger said were “promising” sales.
The rum had its first trade launch in the UK in November 2015 and is currently available in seven domestic markets.
The Wild Tiger brand was conceptualised and is owned by Indian drinks entrepreneur Gautom Menon.
As reported, it is India’s first rum to be produced from a blend of molasses and cane juice, and is also notable for its distinctive packaging, with each bottle featuring unique tiger stripes.
Menon said that the introduction of new brands in travel retail was never an easy process, but the company was “slowly seeing some favourable results”.
He said: “Tiger Air has worked out great for us and we are soon being listed with one of the largest duty free operators in Asia and also onboard two leading full service air carriers. It’s satisfying to know that passengers are buying Wild Tiger more for its novelty and uniqueness; it’s more than just a great tasting rum and this works perfectly for the travel retail sector.”
Wild Tiger Special Reserve Rum (dark) will retail for US$23 in Asia. The brand will launch a promotional campaign called ‘Roar this Diwali’ for the Indian festive season as it seeks to take advantage of increased passenger movements and the gifting market.
The brand donates 10% of its profits to tiger conservation efforts in South India as part of its corporate social responsibility policy. Non-profit initiative WTF (Wild Tiger Foundation) has been set up to work with other established wildlife organisations and prominent tiger experts to help save the tiger and its habitat in South India.