INTERVIEW

Genuine Scarcity

After we sold out of our 2020 Maiden Release Glenturret 25 Years Old on our online shop last week, we spoke to our Managing Director, John Laurie, on what genuine scarcity means to The Glenturret.

What do we mean when we talk about genuine scarcity?

"Genuine Scarcity is about honesty and authenticity in how you communicate to the consumer. Scottish Whisky has always been based on authenticity, and we are very proud of our history and heritage. All too often, across many industries, we see limited editions which are actually very easy to come by, and limited editions which over time become part of a core range. The risk here is that the consumer feels their discovery has been devalued. In the case of connoisseur whisky drinkers and collectors who put a lot of time and effort into researching the whisky that will become a new prized possession to regale family and friends, their prize for all this time and energy is to own something that is a snapshot in time from a distillery. If that whisky were to become part of a large run, they lose that pride in the item they so painstakingly researched. 

So, for me, and for The Glenturret, genuine scarcity is about being honest with the consumer and the numbers of bottles we will have in a release, then when they're gone, they're gone."

What allows The Glenturret to provide genuine scarcity?

"Our small production means that all our products are scarce when you compare them to the larger volume companies. Across our whole 2020 Maiden Release Range we produced 43,000 bottles, smaller than some limited editions in other brands. Glenturret has no ambitions to grow beyond the physical limitations of our existing site; our total production volume will always be small and carefully considered, ensuring volume is never a concept you relate to our brand.

Our annual releases also work towards our desire to come through on genuine scarcity. Every year, those releases are a snapshot in time and that means the consumer gets an experience they can't replicate the following year or the year after that. It was just that one year, it was those casks that were chosen specially for that year, and that will never be replicated. It also goes back to the fact that we will never engineer a taste back to the original taste, we let each expression and each release tell its own story."

Why is genuine scarcity important to The Glenturret?

"Our whisky is genuinely scarce because of the way we make it, something that we really value. We have a deep-seated belief that the way we make whisky makes The Glenturret special. Doing it by hand and heart, the production team cutting by eye, we genuinely believe that's what makes The Glenturret a special liquid. This is a slow process, however, because of that handcrafted process, we feel a closer connection to our product. The amount we can put to market is a lot less than most brands but we refuse to change that, we won’t let anything leave our warehouses unless we are proud of it.

When someone gets the chance to drink a limited expression of The Glenturret, like the 25 Years Old for example, you know you’re drinking a snapshot in time, you’re drinking a part of The Glenturret’s history because the following year it’s going to be different."

How did it feel for you when the 25 Years Old from our 2020 Maiden Release, a genuinely scarce whisky, sold out?

"We are really humbled by the response that our 25 Years Old has had. A lot goes into making a Glenturret, especially at 25 Years Old, and these stocks have to be carefully handled.

Having launched in September, and with products being shipped out of our warehouses in October, to have sold out already is an incredibly humbling experience. All the team have put a great deal of effort into rebranding and rebuilding The Glenturret in the last 18 months, this definitely feels like a vindication that all of the hard work has been worthwhile and that our consumers appreciate what we’re doing."

Discover more from our
Extremely Scarce Range

30 Years Old

2020 Maiden Release

Discover More