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Synergy Flavours is launching a natural whiskey flavour range and whiskey cocktail flavour, designed for both alcoholic and low- and no-alcohol RTD products. The flavours specialist said its new range has been created to support manufacturers amid growing demand for cocktail bar-quality RTD options. It includes bourbon, Tennessee, fruity and peaty whiskey flavours as well as a traditional ‘old fashioned’ cocktail flavour. This flavour range aims to offer flexibility for manufacturers developing authentic RTD products, allowing customisation due to each flavour’s ‘carefully crafted’ sensory profile. Each whiskey flavour has a sensory description highlighting the key flavour attributes, which developers can use to select the right profile for their beverage. Vicky Berry, senior European business development manager at Synergy Flavours, said that for low- and no-alcohol products, the new portfolio helps customers create drinks with flavours reminiscent of alcohol, “replicating the sophistication of whiskey-based options that consumers enjoy”. She added: “In beverages at 8% ABV and above, our whiskey flavours help manufacturers to reduce the amount of whiskey they require in their RTD cocktail, perhaps opting for a less expensive alcohol instead, while maintaining a premium flavour at a lower price point”. Charlotte Spitzner, flavour research analyst at Synergy Flavours, commented: “Detailed analytical and sensory insights are crucial when creating distinct whiskey profiles such as these, as the chemistry of whiskey is complex with many different flavours and aromas due to how it is made”. “Our flavourists tasted and analysed whiskeys from across the globe, then our flavour team blended extracts and natural aroma compounds to achieve the perfect balance and profile. We’ve also developed analytical flavour pairing charts, which can be used to help our customers make informed flavour pairing decisions, to create products such as an impactful spiced Manhattan, Brazilian orange whiskey sour, or raspberry mint julep RTD, for example.”