Beer is usually a key entry point in the alcohol segment, however with age and time, drinkers are unable to have more than a couple of beers without feeling full or bloated.
This spurs the need to find alternative drinks, usually in the spirits category.
Topped with the fact that whiskies, especially single malts, are aspirational drinks and a show of wealth among peers, this drives up the demand among the older generation as well as the ‘new rich’.
Single malt whiskies are an acquired taste. The palate must be teased continuously and tantalised with many sips before one can fully appreciate the flavour.
You do not just jump into a neat and distilled drink, it is a calculated ascent and once the taste buds have been honed and pockets well lined, you can best savour the whisky ideally served in a crystal tumbler.
“It is the top end of the whisky category,” explains Daryl Wilson, the managing director of Coca Cola Beverages Africa whose subsidiary Crown Beverages distributes Glen Grant Single Malt Whisky.
In Kenya, there are few malt scotch drinkers. However, consumption has grown over the past three years, according to the International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR), a leading source of data on the alcohol market. Volumes of single malt scotch consumed in 2015 increased to 16,300 cases up from 7,500 cases in 2014, and 19,000 cases the following year.
“The leading malt brand is Glenfiddich, which holds over 50 per cent market share in Kenya. The brand grew 5.4 per cent between 2016 and 2017,” the IWSR 2018 data shows. Martin Nyagah, a connoisseur of single malt whiskies says he prefers the Glenfiddich line.
“I love the taste, especially when dry. It is a classic drink I can have in the pub or in the house,” he says.
Originally a beer drinker, he progressed into the blended whisky category before he found himself sipping a glass of single malt. The deal from then was sealed.
“I always wanted to try Yamazaki (Japanese single malt whisky) which I did two weeks ago. Now I still want to try a Macallan,” he adds.
Beer is usually a key entry point in the alcohol segment, however with age and time, drinkers are unable to have more than a couple of beers without feeling full or bloated. This spurs the need to find alternative drinks, usually in the spirits category.
Topped with the fact that whiskies, especially single malts, are aspirational drinks and a show of wealth among peers, this drives up the demand among the older generation as well as the ‘new rich’.
Over the years, new whisky brands have been launched in the Kenyan market and existing players are rejuvenating their brands to attract new drinkers. Glenmorangie, for instance, started targeting top executives this year with drink tasting events to entice their palates.
Adult giraffe
Charlie Steel, the Glenmorangie business development manager remembers vividly his first experience with whisky. He was six years old when he had accompanied his father to a distillery where he worked.
“The smell as I walked between the stills … to date I nose my whisky before I take a sip,” he says.
According to Mr Steel, the stills at the distillery are the height of an adult giraffe, making them outstanding to even a six-year-old.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he joined Glenmorangie and he is now in charge of Europe, Africa and Middle East markets.
Single malts are made from three ingredients — malted barley, water and yeast aged for a minimum three years and must be from a single distillery.
“The process is like a beer first then double distilled,” Mr Steel says.
The height of the stills ensures the final product is smooth.
“Maturation is then done in bourbon casks which are only used twice then discarded because the wood has only so much to give,” he explains.
Oak casks are the best for the maturation process, with ex-bourbon casks and sherry casks being preferred by makers of single malt whisky.
“A new oak cask will overpower the whisky’s character flavour. The taste in the whisky is from the casks,” says Mr Steel.
The Scottish distiller has relationships with bourbon houses that supply them with the casks. Due to its intense flavour, bourbon is made in a new oak cask, which is then discarded after a single use.
Dalmore, a single malt whisky, is aged in an American oak cask followed by sherry casks to lend flavour to the liquid gold. Sourcing their casks from a single distillery, they maintain the flavour profiles needed for the whisky. The maturation of the whisky determines the price as the longer a whisky is matured, the less the final volume that will be harvested and packaged.
This, however, does not mean that the older the whisky, the better the taste.
“Each whisky appeals to a different pallet,” says Mr Steel.
The experience differs from drinker to drinker and from the region the single malt originates. Because the single malt is from a single distillery, the flavour is also determined by whether it is a highland, lowland, hot or cold area.
According to Mr Steel, one key ingredient is the water, which must be of high quality to make a good product. Next is the source of the barley.
With only a small cut (amount of spirit) used for single malts, and the fact that it must be from the same distillery, the cost of the drink is in the premium range.
This adds to the snob appeal that ‘new rich’ enjoy while looking at what to spend. With more and more disposable income and the need for millennials to curate and overshare experiences, these drinks are often consumed by the bottle at hip clubs. A tot of good whisky costs Sh800. Most light drinkers would take about four to five a night.
Whisky brands are also trying to shed their conservative image to attract young and cool drinkers. Locally, single malt brands are also targeting younger and trendier ambassadors to push high-end categories previously seen as a reserve for old money.
As more Kenyans start appreciating single malt whiskies, there is always the debate on how they should be taken. Some say the first taste of any whisky should be drank neat and distilled. If you are a first-time drinker, let no one lie, most people do not like whisky the first time they taste it.
More than Sh4,800
Mr Steel says the best way to drink a single malt is how you like it.
“You can craft a high quality cocktail because a single malt is a good base to a cocktail,” he says.
Mr Nyagah enjoys his drink dry or with a block of ice, however, more and more people are experimenting with different flavour profiles and notes in the whisky.
Brands are also pushing for pairing of the single malts with fine dining, venturing into a combination that was reserved for wines.
Media influence and technology are the drivers of growth in the affluent taste of Kenyans that was previously dormant. Access to information through social media and mainstream media has given Kenyans front row seats to global trends.
An Ipsos data on affluent Africa 2016 survey shows that more Kenyans are spending more than Sh4,800 on a bottle of quality spirits, a higher percentage than those who would spend on an expensive suit, watch or jewellery.
