Honey-sweetened whisky launched to entice more consumers

Scottish distillery Dewar’s has released a blended Scotch whisky sweetened with locally harvested honey in an effort to cast a wider net and appeal to a younger “urban” consumer.

Though infused with honey, the pitch stops short of targeting women.

“Dewar’s Highlander Honey brings delectable sweetness with a pleasing bite to a new, urban and modern consumer -- ‘The Drinking Man,’” reads the press release.

Using honey from local bees near the Aberfeldy distillery, the infusion is meant to impart the terroir of the Scottish highlands, giving the whisky what the company calls a “unique smooth, buttery composition,” a velvety, mellow character and even influences of citrus fruits.

After placing the honey into a mesh pouch, the natural sweetener is infused with Dewar’s White Label whisky, and then filtered through oak cask wood chips.

It’s not the first time makers of a hard liquor have launched a more mass market-friendly product in an effort to catch a wider audience.

Canadian brand Crown Royal also released a whisky finished with maple syrup last year with notes of caramel, vanilla and maple syrup, a trend that has steadily picked up steam with Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, Bushmills Irish Honey and Barenjager, which added bourbon to their honey liqueur, notes DrinkSpirits.com.

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