Sexton debuts its first GTR whiskey
Proximo Spirits-owned The Sexton has debuted an 11-year-old single malt Irish whiskey aged in Sherry-soaked French oak barrels as its first expression for global travel retail (GTR).
Crafted from 100% Irish malted barley and triple-distilled in copper pot stills, the single malt whiskey is said to ‘eloquently reflect the rugged beauty of Northern Ireland’s coastline’. For this release, master blender Alex Thomas noted that she wanted to create ”something extra special for global travel retail, capturing the essence of The Sexton Original while enhancing the impact and flavour from the Sherry-soaked barrels”. She explained: “With The Sexton, we continue to push boundaries and defy the conventional norms expected of a single malt. We are instead guided by experimentation and intuition, which has led to the creation of The Sexton 11 Year Old Single Malt. “The liquid in this release was one of the first batches of stock I laid down over 11 years ago in the early days of my tenure as master blender. I knew there was something special about this liquid and felt it would be best left resting for another few years to develop a stunningly unique flavour profile.” Thomas aged the whiskey in oloroso Sherry-seasoned French oak barrels from the Antonio Paez Lobato family bodega in Jerez, Spain. The time spent in the cask results in the whiskey having a ‘deep mahogany hue’ but this is masked by the brand's black bottle. On the palate, Thomas said the liquid “achieves a perfect balance of dried fruits, dark chocolate, nuts, subtle oak notes and a signature finish of rich fruit cake, offering a depth of flavour unlike any other". Roy Summers, head of GTR at Proximo, said: “The Sexton 11 Year Old single malt offers a modern, approachable take on Irish single malt, designed to captivate both seasoned whiskey enthusiasts and those new to exploring the category – a very exciting offering to present exclusively to our travel retail consumers. “Building on the success of The Sexton Original Single Malt, this new 11-year-old expression represents an exciting evolution of the brand.” The Sexton 11 Year Old Single Malt is bottled at 43% ABV and retails at €41 (US$42.25) in duty free for a 700ml bottle. It will be available at Dublin and Cork airports from January 2025 and will be launching in wider GTR hubs later this year. Proximo Spirits first launched The Sexton in 2017 as an “approachable” single malt Irish whiskey.
