Tawainese whisky company Kavalan has its sights set on expansion in travel retail and will present its core range at the upcoming TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore (Basement 2 A 20).
Kavalan’s first travel shopping-exclusive expression, Kavalan Original malt whisky, will also be featured. A new 1-litre entry-level whisky will launch into travel retail later this year.
Kavalan is part of the King Car Group whose owner, Tien-Tsai Lee, is a classical music fan. All of the brand’s whiskies have classical music-themed names; Kavalan Classic single malt was released in 2008, and was followed by single cask Solist, Conductor and Concertmaster.
In travel retail the brand collaborates with Gebr Heinemann, Lagardère Travel Retail, James Richardson Duty Free, MMI and Aer Rianta International. Its whiskies are available inflight with Cathay Airlines, Tigerair Taiwan and selected airlines flying Mediterranean routes. Kavalan said it aims to finalise a partnership with Air China later this year.
Kavalan Global Business Development Manager Sherry Tsai described global travel retail as a “developing market” for the brand.
“We are currently expanding our travel retail business,” she said. “We see the travel retail market as an effective platform to promote our whisky to worldwide customers with little or no knowledge of our products. We have been happy with the travel retail-exclusive approach to help build our premium brand image.”
In the Asia Pacific market, Tsai noted an increase in “curious and open-minded” drinkers who were seeking details of brands’ stories and their backgrounds. “All of the retailers are very supportive and very keen to promote Kavalan whisky to their customers… we have become more and more popular and well-known in the industry.”
Tsai said that Kavalan is recognised as a stable, growing whisky brand in and outside of Asia.
