Luxurious Magazine Interview With Mathieu Deslandes, Head Of Royal Salute

LM: Are you seeing more people collect the Polo Editions?
MD: As it’s only been a couple of years since we have been doing them, it’s still too soon to know. Some people will leverage the value of them to make a profit. From our understanding, most individuals like to enjoy their whisky rather than thinking about the future.

LM: Will you ever repeat the same Polo Editions again or are these “one-offs” for the brand?
MD: This is something that we have asking ourselves about, but there is so much more we can do. For example, we could do a collection of the three bottles (i.e. 2017, 2018 and 2019), but I think our consumers are expecting to be surprised about what’s coming next, and to enjoy a journey with us. It’s like fashion – it was good last year, but you want it to be different next year, and to come with something fresh and new.

LM: Have you ever considered doing limited edition miniatures?
MD: Miniatures are a very niche market. It works for the collectors, but again, the emphasis should be on making sure that the whisky is at the heart of what we do, and people care more about a bottle that is 70cl, as this is something that they can share.

LM: How did the Royal Salute 28 Year Old Kew Palace Edition come about?
MD: Perfumer Barnabé Fillion played a key role in this limited edition that we launched in 2018. Following the principle of creating diverse whisky experiences and tastes, and integrating a lifestyle reference such as polo, or a memorable occasion, we made the connection with a perfume talent and Kew Gardens, which is part of royal history. Using his interpretation of Kew, he worked with Sandy Hyslop, our director of blending, to create a whisky that had a more floral dimension.

LM: How do you decide on the brands that Royal Salute becomes associated with?
MD: I think in anything we do, we cannot compromise and associate ourselves with second-tier players. This is because we want to be known for the best in anything we do on the whisky side. When we do a collaboration, we have to think about brands that are of the same standard. Sometimes, collaborations are hard within the luxury sector, because some companies can be very protective of their equity.

LM: Who would be on your wishlist for a brand collaboration?
MD: For a fashion association, it would have to be Burberry. It’s very British and very luxury. Hermès and Gucci would be great too, but they are French and Italian respectively. In anything we do, we look to express the Britishness of what we do, and to be the ambassador of British culture. That’s why we sponsor British Polo Day, and that’s why we are partnering with a historical museum. As a brand, we have a commitment to be the face of the best of Britain in the world.

LM: Today, which are the biggest markets for Royal Salute?
MD: Asia is a key market for us, Korea, Taiwan and China in particular. India has been developing very fast as well. Last year, we had more than 40 markets with double-digit growth. There are wealthy customers in Brazil, US, the UK and China, and our consumer base is always looking for the best of whisky.

LM: Which is the market that you would still like to conquer?
MD: We are still a bit small in the US, and the reason for that, is that because some brands within the Pernod Ricard group, like Royal Salute, are given less priority, simply due to the number of brands that we have to manage as a business.

LM: Going forward, what can we expect with the new packaging from Royal Salute?
MD: We had to address the fact that luxury has moved from “show off” to substance. The new packaging, coming out in July, will, therefore, be a more artistic experience.

LM: Thank you for your time Mathieu. It has been a pleasure to meet you.

Royal Salute – Where and How?

For more information on Royal Salute’s blended Scottish whiskies, visit www.royalsalute.com.