world first japanese whisky set unveiled by le clos · between master whisky maker bob delgarno and...
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World first Japanese whisky set unveiled byLe Clos
By Faye Bartle on March, 4 2017 | Retailers
Having carved a niche for itself as the go-to store for rare and unique items, Le Clos is now makinghistory with the latest addition to its range. In line with the major focus on Japanese whisky, theretailer has just launched the Karuizawa Geisha Series Collection, containing all 27 bottles, which isbelieved to be the only full set in the world to ever be retailed. The set is retailing for US$300,000.
“We are proud of our proven track record and expertise in sourcing rare and unique products andbringing these to market. Japanese whisky is currently one of the most coveted product in the luxurydrinks market and the Geisha Series is the pinnacle of Japanese whiskys. We are truly delighted tobring this collection to our customers,” explained Iain Delaney, Chief Operating Officer, MMI.
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It’s the jewel in the crown of the Le Clos’ latest round of conquests, which also includes the popularGin Mare from Spain and a new range of award winning English sparkling wine.
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Leveraging long-standing relationships with its brand partners plays a key role in expanding therange.
“We will introduce some special, limited edition spirits that deliver great value,” said Delaney. “Forexample, we will be the first retailer in the Middle East to take part in the Patron Barrel Selectprogramme, which enables us to have our own single barrel bottled and labelled. The quality isexceptional and it delivers excellent value at only US$70. There are only 348 bottles and each bottleis individually numbered.”
More new introductions include The Macallan Edition 2, a limited edition born from a collaborationbetween Master Whisky maker Bob Delgarno and the Roca brothers famed for their restaurant ElCellar De Can Roca. There’s also The Macallan Masters of Photography Steven Klein Halo Pack, forwhich MMI is the only retailer in the Middle East.
Le Clos, which opened its latest store at Dubai International’s Concourse D in March 2016, has alsosecured two units of the very rare Dalmore 50 YO.
“We have some exciting wine collections in the pipeline that we will be announcing later in the year.This will include working with some of the most famed chateaux in Bordeaux through to New World
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icons,” revealed Delaney. “In addition, we have received a much larger allocation of Masseto – one ofItaly’s most iconic wines. To celebrate this we will also be having the winemaker visit us to creatememorable customer experiences in April this year.”
It’s not just about exclusive finds, however, as Le Clos strives to deliver value through experiencessuch as complimentary engraving and in-store tasting aided by the newly introduced Coravin winesystem, which enables customers to enjoy a taste of wine from the collection without having to openthe bottle, thus preserving the contents for longer. The delivery on arrival service is also winning fans.
“All our staff are highly knowledgeable and WSET qualified. Combined, they speak more than 20
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languages enabling them to caterer to our international clientele,” said Delaney. “Our e-Commercesite has become our seventh shop with customers being able to browse our range before they travelgiven that people are often time poor in the airport. It is key that we offer customers a seamlessonline and offline experience.”