Jameson continues to be the world's most popular Irish whiskey with sales of 6.5 million nine-litre cases for the 12 months ending June 30th, up by more than 13 per cent on the 5.7 million cases sold a year earlier.
Irish Distillers, the Pernod Ricard subsidiary that owns Jameson and a number of other well-known whiskey brands such as Powers, Redbreast and Green Spot, said its flagship product recorded double- and triple-digit growth in 71 out of the 130 markets in which it is available. Jameson also reported 15 per cent value growth.
Sales of Jameson Caskmates, a variation that is aged in craft-stout-seasoned oak barrels, were up 110 per cent in volume terms and 103 per cent in value growth. The whiskey is now exported to 40 markets worldwide.
Irish Distillers' portfolio of prestige brands (Redbreast, Green Spot and Midleton Very Rare) recorded a 4 per cent volume growth.
Investment
“Thanks to increased investment and commitment to innovation the international Irish whiskey renaissance is continuing at full speed,” said Jean-Christophe Coutures, chairman and chief executive of Irish Distillers.
The company said it reported a 2.4 per cent growth in value terms in the Irish market with on-trade sales up 2 per cent.
Irish Distillers’ whiskey portfolio has an 84 per cent share of the segment. The company’s gin portfolio, which includes Cork Dry Gin, Beefeater and Monkey 47, reported 33 per cent value growth over the year.
There were more than 180,000 visits to the Jameson Distillery in Dublin and 130,000 visits to the Jameson Experience in Midleton, Co Cork.
