The 122-year-old company will streamline its 14 ranges to five: Discovery, Distillery Labels, Connoisseurs Choice, Private Collection, and Generations.

The move will give Gordon & MacPhail “more focus” and offer consumers a “pyramid” of choice that increases in terms of rarity and price, according to Ian Chapman, the company’s director of marketing.

Under the brand’s renovation plans, bottlings in Gordon & MacPhail’s portfolio will feature a new-look modern logo. The company’s branding will also feature more prominently than before, communicating its history of Scotch whisky maturation.

“This is a project we have been working on for 12 months,” said Chapman. “Gordon & MacPhail had 300 expressions in its portfolio. Going forward we will add focus to this moving from 14 ranges to five. I like to think of this as a stately home – consumers can move from room to room to understand what Gordon & MacPhail is all about.”

The first range to relaunch will be Connoisseurs Choice, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Going forward, the range will be bottled as small batch, non-chill-filtered vintage whiskies priced between US$70 and US$500, depending on the international markets it is available in.

Bottlings in the range will also be colour coordinated to donate certain characteristics (gold, 46% abv; grey, cask strength; and red, wood finish). Connoisseurs Choice will relaunch the spring.

Portfolio update

The Discovery range (launching in spring 2018) targets consumers “with some whisky knowledge”. Flavour will be a “key driver” for this line, which is segmented into three profiles: Smoky, Sherry, and Bourbon.

Distillery Labels (launching in autumn 2018) targets the “whisky historian” and “harks back to Gordon & MacPhail’s roots”.

Private Collection (launching in autumn 2018) is “for the whisky collector” and offers products with more premium cues. Each whisky will be presented in a box with a certificate.

Finally, Generations, a launch date for which has not yet been announced, will offer Gordon & MacPhail’s rarest and most expensive whiskies.

“As we begin a new chapter, we are streamlining our portfolio to make it more accessible for our consumers, placing their desire for products with heritage, authenticity, and provenance at the heart of each range,” said Stephen Rankin, director of prestige and a fourth generation member of the Urquhart family, owner of Gordon & MacPhail.

Read more at source: The Spirits Business