May 2, 2019
Sounds of chirping birds and enchanting waterfalls, lush greens with apples waiting to be plucked and teasing aromas of exotic spices filled the air as one walked through the door of a beautiful Scottish home. Elements like piano by the sidewall, inviting hot bathtub, whisky stills and mini-library of handpicked books were tucked out in different rooms in multi sensorial ways. An expansive dining table laden with some of the best single malts surrounded by the warmth of burning candles, almonds, vanilla sticks, chocolates, honey combs and more, set the mood just right. The sound, the smell, the textures, the colours, the lighting, the materials, the decor and everything else, were beautifully curated by whisky brand Singleton to conduct special tastings. An experience to be remembered for a long time.
'The Singleton Sensorium' is a classic case of sensory marketing that is aimed at influencing whisky lovers' perception of a brand by using multi-sensory experiences to establish positive emotional connections with them. When two or more senses are appealed to in a consistent way, they amplify each other which is the underlying idea behind 'The Singleton Sensorium'. Its like using the environment to season and bring out the notes in the whisky. In such an environment, people pay more attention to their drinks which not only helps in awakening the senses but also in bringing alive the complex nature of Singleton.
The three-day long guided walking tour and immersive tasting through a first-of-its-kind pop-up exhibit at Dhan Mill Compound in South Delhi, was organised by Diageo India in partnership with Food Talk India, with added highlights like mixology sessions by Brandon Toborg, International Reserve Brand Ambassador.
'The Singleton Sensorium' has been a part of the world's first multi-sensory science experiment exploring the senses and the taste of whisky. According to a flavour journal published by BioMed Central, a United Kingdom-based for-profit scientific open access publisher in 2013, perceptions of the whisky varied by as much as 20% when tasting exactly the same liquid in different surroundings. The study aimed at assessing the influence of the multi-sensory environment on the whisky drinking experience was conducted by Professor Charles Spence, Head of cross modal research at Oxford University.
"Singleton is a rare brand with expressions from three different distilleries and the Sensorium experience is all about immersing all the five senses. We have brought this experience for the first time in India as the entire Singleton range -- 12 YO, 15 YO and 18 YO -- is available here now," Shweta Jain, Vice President, Luxury Commercial at Diageo India told 'Vishawatch'. The consumers today are paying a lot of attention to what they drink and very keen to know what goes into the making of a good whisky with the provenance being an important factor. "The consumers really want to know more about a brand which has a great story to tell and such immersive experiences help us in telling that story well," she added.
By Vijaya Rathore