Southern Comfort launches Black spirit and RTD

Southern Comfort has launched a new spirit and RTD, Southern Comfort Black, which has a more robust and whiskey-forward profile, designed to ‘dial up’ the brand’s authentic whiskey story.

Australia is one of the first markets to launch the spirit, which was blended by Drew Mayville, Master Blender at Buffalo Trace and developed from a proprietary blend of whiskey sourced from Sazerac’s North American whiskey reserves.

Southern Comfort Senior Brand Manager, James Johnstone, said: “As one of the first markets to launch Southern Comfort Black, we are incredibly excited about our plans to strengthen Southern Comfort’s position as an iconic whiskey brand with this new addition.

“The bourbon category has changed, Australians are looking for brands with provenance, authenticity and premium blend options – Southern Comfort Black answers these requirements and puts whiskey right back at the heart of the brand.

“With the growth of whisky consumption in Australia, we see Southern Comfort Black as staying true to its origins by producing a whiskey that is both authentic and approachable for discerning Australian whiskey drinkers especially for those who like their extra-smooth whiskey bold, with a hint of spice.

To support the launch, SouthTrade International will also launch Southern Comfort Black 6% RTD.

“With the arrival of Southern Comfort BLACK into market and paired with the global rebranding of the Southern Comfort trademark packaging, this latest product launch is another example of the kind of exciting innovation that we believe is needed to reframe the whiskey category in Australia and drive further growth in today’s growing high ABV RTD market,” Johnstone added.

The 700ml bottle has a $54 RRP, while the 375ml RTD four-pack has a $22 RRP.