• Two celebrated wheated bourbons from Buffalo Trace Distillery make India debut
• Weller Special Reserve and Weller 12 Years Old, to create unique drinking experience

Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the World’s original and one of the most awarded Wheated Bourbon Whiskeys, made its grand debut in India with a celebrated launch event in Mumbai. Hailing from Buffalo Trace Distillery, said to be the World’s most award-winning distillery and oldest continuously operating distillery in the USA, Weller exemplifies craftsmanship, innovation and storied American whiskey-making tradition. Renowned for using wheat instead of rye in its recipe, Weller boasts a soft, smooth and complex taste profile, and will be available in two distinct expressions: Weller Special Reserve and Weller 12 Years Old, the oldest andone of the first age stated bourbons in India.

The Weller brand is named after William Larue Weller who revolutionised bourbon in America in the early 1800s by replacing rye with wheat in the whiskey’s mashbill, a process that resulted in a much softer, yet still elegant and refined, drinking experience. Over the years Weller Bourbon has gained international acclaim with hundreds ofaccolades to its name. The arrival of Weller Bourbon is expected to appeal to Indian spirits connoisseurs who crave flavour depth and complexity and a unique drinking experience.

“India is one of the world’s leading whisky markets and until now it has not had the opportunity to round out its category with a super-premium wheated bourbon. Weller is a bourbon unlike anything in the Indian market, offering a unique and premium drink experience that stands apart from typical bourbons and other whiskies available today. Wheated whiskey, including Pappy Van Winkle, which is also proudly made at Buffalo Trace Distillery, has long been renowned as some of the best and most premium bourbon in the world. As India continues to embrace more varied premium spirit offerings, we believe Weller will resonate with those seeking an unparalleled drinking experience – one that reflects quality, craftsmanship, and distinction,” said Diego Bianchi, General Manager, Emerging Markets & Barrel Select, Sazerac Company.

 Vijay Kauthekar, Executive Vice President, John Distilleries Ltd, part of the Sazerac Company family of brands and distilleries, added, “India is the largest whisky market in the world, and we believe the country is ready for high-end, luxury spirits like ultra-aged bourbons. Weller is the perfect brand to pave the way for the category. The whiskey’s smoothness and complexity, combined with its rich history, will surely appeal to the modern Indian spirits consumer who values both tradition and innovation. While historically Indian consumers have been more familiar with other global whiskey categories, Weller provides a new, unique and expertly crafted American Whiskey for consumers to enjoy with friends and family. We’re excited to offer this award-winning bourbon to those ready to explore something truly distinct and exceptional.”

Weller 12-Year-Old is the oldest age stated bourbon distributed in India. Aged for far longer than most wheated bourbons on the market, this offering is a smooth, easy-going and balanced bourbon with a beautiful deep bronze colour best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Weller Special Reserve stands out with its burnt orange colour and subtle, sweet profile. Its softer flavour notes make this bourbon great for cocktails, such as the classic Paper Plane recipe.

Weller Bourbon will be available across select markets in India beginning early December. The Weller Special Reserve has a maximum retail price ranging from ₹2,500 (Haryana) – ₹4,500 (Mumbai) and the Weller 12-Year-Old has MRP ranging from ₹5,400 (Haryana) – ₹7,750 (Mumbai).  

Bourbon, often referred to as America’s Native Spirit, represents the highest standard in whisky production, requiring products meet a stringent set of distillation and aging guidelines in order to enjoy the category distinction. Kentucky Straight Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn, distilled in new charred oak barrels, crafted in the United States, and aged for a minimum of two years. Weller adheres to these guidelines but elevates the experience further by using wheat as the secondary grain and aging the whiskey longer than most other comparable options on the market today, resulting in a robust but smooth bourbon.

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Weller Bourbon Eyeing India to be Second Biggest Market outside of US

In the overcrowded whisky market in India (that India is the biggest whiskey consumer in the world), bourbon is a category which has not really developed, even awareness-wise. To grow bourbon as a category, which at present is less than 1% of the spirits segment, Sazerac Company is focussing on India as a priority market wherein it plans to roll out different brands going forward. Here in a brief interview with Ambrosia, Diego Bianchi, General Manager of Emerging Markets & Barrel Select, Sazerac Company and Vijay Kauthekar, Executive Vice President, John Distilleries Ltd, part of the Sazerac Company family of brands and distilleries, talk about growing bourbon category in India.

Bianchi said “In general, India is a huge whisky market having the youngest population and is the fastest growing economies. There is growing appreciation for quality products and premiumisation and we believe that bourbon as a category will grow in the long term in India. We will develop that and we will play our part in promoting bourbon.”

Explaining the unique selling proposition of Weller Bourbons, Bianchi mentioned the Barrel Select programme is unique in that the consumers can select three to four barrels and we bottle for them. Adding to that Vijay said, “When we went to the US and visited Buffalo Trace Distillery, one of the most awarded distilleries, we chose two barrels, after checking the taste profile of the liquid. It was an amazing experience and we are bringing bottles of that to India.”

Bianchi mentioned how the team visited India in May this year, checking out Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru and soon realised that bourbon is not very well developed here. “We have such a vast portfolio of bourbons, we realised that there is great opportunity in India which is the largest whisky market. We use wheat instead of rye and this gives the bourbon a more smooth, sweet and more approachable flavour which we believe will appeal to Indian consumers. That’s why we are launching Weller.” Bourbons have 51% corn and the second flavour ingredient is rye, but Weller instead uses wheat.

Oldest age-statement bourbon in India

Talking about the history of Scotch in India, Bianchi explained that age of the whisky is key in the Indian perspective, hence the company is introducing the Weller 12 Years Old and the Weller Special Reserve which is 6 to 7 years old, the latter offering versatility where it can be had neat or on the rocks or in a cocktail. “It is going to be the oldest age statement bourbon in India. We are super excited to bring this to India.” Confirming that it will be of the same quality as in the US, he opined that Indians would love the flavour profile.

Giving an insight into the market here, Vijay said the bourbon category is growing in India, though presently it is less than 1% of Indian whisky market. “It is a small pie but the category has got such a huge headroom as the whisky category is overcrowded, there is the trend of premiumisation and emerging cocktail culture. We will be taking a number of initiatives to push the category.”

Talking about the opportunities to grow in India, Bianchi said, “India will be the second largest market for Weller outside of the US. India is our priority. We will see how the two products perform in the market. We will continue to supply. We are confident that Indians will enjoy the product.”

Agreeing that any market has challenges, Bianchi singled out regulatory, but said they had a great partner in John Distilleries to help grow the category. Sazerac has 60% stake in John Distilleries. “I think as we grow, we will bring different brands and also constantly look at the organisational structure.” Sazerac has over 200 years of experience in the alcobev sector, with hundreds of brands at varying price ranges and the company would continuously assess ‘what will be the best fit in India’.

Asked whether their bourbons would be bottled in India, both of them mentioned that there were endless possibilities, but would take a call only after seeing how the brands evolved over the years. At present, the price points, they believe, is win-win for both the consumer and the manufacturer. “In Mumbai, Weller 12 would be 10% premium than the luxury Scotch available in the market with the crossline competitor could be 18 years. We are offering a sweet spot to the consumer and that is one of the ways of opening the category.” Bianchi added, “It is of the highest quality at a fair price all over the world.” Its products are available in ASEAN and some of the key whisky markets around the globe. Going ahead, the company may look at full ownership of a distillery in India, but that depends upon on how the category is growing.