New identity for Edrington's Naked blended whisky brand

Spirits group Edrington is hoping to boost the credentials of its Naked blended malt brand through a new product identity and packaging.

The redesign for the range (formerly Naked Grouse) will see it renamed Naked Malt and will put a first-fill sherry cask - the maturation vessel at the heart of the range - centre stage on the bottle.

The new-look, 100-per-cent recyclable bottle remains transparent with the sherry cask design embossed on the glass. Each bottle will also carry the signature of Naked Malt master blender Diane Stuart.

The compositon of the whisky - a blend of renowned Scotch single malts matured in first-fill oloroso sherry casks - will remain unchanged.

Elaine Miller, global brand controller at Naked Malt, said: "For our consumers, the whisky category can be difficult to navigate and bound with conventions they don't want to be constrained by, so for us, it's about making whisky more accessible. We want to give a new generation the freedom to try whisky their way, whilst providing the reassurance of a great quality, versatile liquid.

"The new bottle design reinforces our 'Naked' cask story, and our 'Naked' bottle itself is stripped back because we want to liberate the whisky and let the quality shine through. We also took this opportunity to ensure that all packaging components are 100 per cent recyclable, a key consideration for our consumers."

Diane Stuart said: "By extra maturing Naked Malt in first-fill oloroso sherry casks, we deliver quality and intensity of flavour enviable in the contemporary whisky category. We create the perfect balance of sweet, fruity character from the American oak with the rich, dried fruit and spicy notes from the European oak to produce Naked Malt's signature flavour."

The first Naked Malt bottles will be available from June 2021. 

19 May 2021 - Bethany Whymark