New releases from Ian Macleod Chieftian

Independent bottler and distiller Ian Macleod, is to launch a range of new releases from its exclusive Chieftain’s limited edition collection.

The rare casks include new bottlings from some of Scotland’s finest distilleries and showcases a complete redesign of the bottle and packaging of the Chieftain’s range.

The new releases include a Glenrothes 14 Years Old, an Aultmore 12 Years Old,  three Caol Ila’s aged 9, 11 and 13 Years Old, an Ardbeg 11 Years Old, a Benriach 12 Years Old, a Bladnoch 16 Years Old and a Tomatin 16 Years Old.

Designed by Ron Burnett Design the new packaging emphasises its limited edition status with more details appealing to the connoisseur, collector and enthusiast. The new two-part labels, personally signed by Antony McCallum-Caron, Chieftain’s rare malt manager, include individual cask numbers and the number of bottles produced, as well as distillation, bottling date and wood type.

The new labels also have a refined ‘Chieftain’ illustration and elegant calligraphic script brand namestyle, tapered to reflect the new elegant antique bottle shape. They also feature subtle watermark landscapes and are colour coded to represent the region of production.

A more individual rigid presentation box, in ribbed matt black with old gold lining, replaces the traditional tube-style packaging of previous Chieftain’s bottlings and includes details of regional taste characteristics. The box opens and hinges from the middle to add further premium presentation value.

Designer Ron Burnett said of the new design: “Our brief was to create new premium packaging representative of the superiority and rarity of the new bottlings. The box displays the bottles in a way befitting the exceptional quality and worth of the whisky.”

Iain Weir, marketing director for Ian Macleod Distillers commented: “This new release of rare casks is the ideal platform to showcase the new-look Chieftain’s range. The new, more elegant, antique look bottles and premium boxes are the ideal representation of the age, rarity and exceptional quality of the new bottlings.”

Further rare cask releases from the Chieftain’s range are planned for later in the year.

About Ian Macleod
Established in 1933, Ian Macleod Distillers is one of the largest and most independent family companies within the spirits industry. The portfolio, which includes Glengoyne, King Robert II, Langs and Smokehead, as well as gin, rum, and vodka, currently has combined total sales of more than one million cases, with 85% being exported to over 65 markets worldwide.

1 October 2009 - Felicity Murray