Interview, Part 2: Bacardi’s Brian Cox On The Single Malt Segment
In the second part of our interview, Bacardi global vice president of Scotch whisky Brian Cox discusses the prospects for the spirits giant’s single malt portfolio, which is led by Highland malt Aberfeldy, as well as the landscape for the broader single malt category.
SND: What are some recent highlights for Bacardi’s single malts in the U.S.?
Cox: Last year, Aberfeldy activated in a new territory that’s truly its own. Our partnership with Warren Miller Entertainment and Outside Media took the brand into the heart of outdoor and après-ski culture—a natural home for a whisky, so intrinsically tied to the Scottish landscape.
That idea came to life on the ground and on screen. We brought experiential sampling to 30 cities on Warren Miller’s 76th annual national film tour and paired it with a short film series spotlighting Masters of Craft who exercise the same precision artistry that defines how Aberfeldy is made. It reached millions of whisky enthusiasts with a real affinity for the outdoors.
Then, heading into holiday gifting, we released the Aberfeldy 15 Year Old Bolgheri Tuscan Cask Finish, the newest addition to our Wine Cask Series. It was a standout: a 94-point score from Whisky Advocate and a fast sell-out that told us enthusiast demand is very much there.
SND: What can we expect to see from the portfolio going forward?
Cox: Aberfeldy 18 Year Old Sangiovese Red Wine Cask Finish is arriving this fall. The next chapter in the Wine Cask Series is an 18 Year Old Highland single malt finished in first-fill Sangiovese casks from Valdarno di Sopra in Tuscany, at 46% abv, non-chill-filtered, natural color. Think ripe cherries, red plums, candied orange peel, honeyed figs, and violets, with a touch of clove and toasted oak. A genuine 18 Year Old with superior specs, at a price built to recruit, without trading down on quality.
SND: Have you found effective ways to tie together Bacardi’s entire Scotch portfolio, including both blends and single malts, in the market?
Cox: We have a new “Scotch Portfolio Gifting Program.” For the first time, Aberfeldy and Dewar’s come together as one connected portfolio from the House of John Dewar & Sons, guiding shoppers from accessible premium blends up to elevated single malts through a single gifting journey.
SND: With consumers watching their spending, what are the best ways to market a luxury category like single malt Scotch?
Cox: We innovate with greater intention. Fewer releases, each one properly scaled and priced so a premium expression stays genuinely accessible for discovery. But accessibility never comes at the expense of the liquid. We stay committed to age statements as unequivocal assurance of maturity and quality.
The other half is storytelling. Consumers want exploration without intimidation. What draws them in is craft, authenticity, enjoyment, and drinkability. So we lead with the liquid story—the cask, the malt master’s hand—and make it easy to step in and trade up at their own pace.
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Tagged : Aberfeldy, Bacardi, House of John Dewar & Sons
