The launch of D’Yavol Vortex, a new blended Scotch whisky this week marks the third offering from SLAB Ventures. The Netherlands-based company founded by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his partners has been silently spreading its wings across the luxury segment of the Indian alcohol market in the last eighteen months. Its other two products include a Polish sipping vodka called D’Yavol Single-Estate launched in January last year, which was followed by a high-end blended malt Scotch whisky called D’Yavol Inception in June 2023.
The vodka, which is priced at Rs 5000 in Maharashtra, stands out for its full-bodied taste with a tinge of sweetness that makes it ideal for sipping. Vortex, which will be sold for Rs 5350 is a blend of single malts and single-grain whiskies. The taste is smooth, with the kind of slight sweetness that Indians seem to prefer from their whiskies. Inception on the other hand is a more complex drink, made from blending eight single malts selected from across all the major whisky-producing regions in Scotland — Speyside, Highland, Lowland, and the Islands. They are aged up to 12 years, with half of them matured for an additional 4 years in Port and Madeira casks, which provides the final product with a taste profile that is a balance between peaty and sherried sweetness. It is priced at Rs 9800 in Maharashtra.
D'Yavol founders (L-R): Leti Blagoeva, Bunty SIngh, and Aryan Khan
SLAB’s distribution arrangement with AB InBev India, the local arm of the multinational giant, has ensured the products in quick time have been made available in most of the big Indian alcohol markets. Distribution, as is well known, is a major bottleneck for new companies in India because alcohol is a state subject, and it could sometimes take years before a product can be sold across the country.
While its primary market so far is in India, SLAB is an international operation touching a multiple range of countries, both because of the origins of its products as well as the nationalities of its founders. The name is an acronym of the first letters of the names of its founders, Shah Rukh, his son Aryan, and their friends Leti Blagoeva and her husband Bunty Singh. While Aryan is known to be actively involved with SLAB, it is operationally run by Blagoeva, who is also the primary spokesperson. She is a Bulgarian national who earlier worked in management consultancy, hospitality, and real estate. She is based in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where she lives with her entrepreneur husband Bunty, who is the son of an Indian diplomat but is now a German citizen.
Meanwhile, SLAB is headquartered in Amsterdam; its vodka is made in Poland and the whiskies in Scotland. The company prides itself on its product philosophy called ‘Born-in-Origin’, which it describes as a concept “where each product reflects its regional authenticity while curating a portfolio of unique and characterful spirits”. The other unique term in the mix is the brand name ‘D’Yavol’. According to Blagoeva is a term commonly used for the devil in East European countries. The devil in SLAB’s case though is American. It was inspired by the story of the pioneering American Blues guitarist Robert Johnson, who, the legend goes, was gifted his talent after he made a pact with the devil.
SLAB Ventures, according to the founders, is a ‘luxury lifestyle collective’ that `prioritises craftsmanship, artisanship, and small-batch production’. Though spirits are a key vertical of the company, it is not the only one. Last year SLAB launched a limited-edition luxury streetwear fashion brand called D’Yavol X, where the apparel pieces were limited to less than 100 per style. The clothes were described to be based on Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan’s personal style, with the latter serving as the brand ambassador to promote the products. Two capsule collections have been launched so far.
A third D’Yavol X collection is on its way, while the company is also working towards expanding into the area of experiential event IPs, starting with one in Dubai very soon. “I am happy to be associated with the wonderfully gritty brand that Aryan, Leti, and Bunty have created,” Shah Rukh was quoted during the launch of the clothing line, “the passion, determination, and creativity that define D’Yavol X, are all traits that resonate with me deeply. I look forward to amplifying the brand message for an audience that wants to celebrate individuality and intrepid style.”
As for SLAB’s alcohol vertical, Shah Rukh seems to prefer to be more of a behind-the-scenes player so far. All Blagoeva would say is: “We can always count on him for advice or an objective opinion. His immeasurable wealth of global experiences never ceases to inspire and adds further fuel to our passion. Bunty, Aryan, and I can at times get stuck in the weeds – this will be familiar to any hands-on entrepreneur! – and it’s always great to be made to take a step back and appreciate the bigger picture.”
Here’s more from our interview with her:
Man’s World: What is the mission behind the company?
Leti Blagoeva: In a world that often argues about whether form or function should be given precedence, we refuse to compromise and pursue both with equal passion. Our mission is to blend unpretentious, effortless luxury with bold and irreverent design while maintaining authenticity and honouring heritage. We don’t believe in cutting corners, something we have seen happen more and more in recent times. The meticulous attention to detail is reflected across our portfolio, which in part is a result of our global network of like-minded partners, be it renowned distillers, designers, or manufacturers.
MW: Tell us about the background of the founders of the company besides Aryan Khan.
LB: Bunty and I are both children of diplomats and leverage our substantial global exposure in all aspects of our professional and personal lives. I have been lucky enough to have had a very diverse and stimulating professional life. I began my career as a management consultant and successfully led projects in Europe for renowned companies such as Airbus, Roche, and Philips. I then slowly eased into a more entrepreneurial mindset and joined my partner’s highly successful IT business to help him manage its rapidly increasing footprint. About a decade ago I transitioned into hospitality where I gained invaluable experience by overseeing successful ventures across Eastern Europe.
Bunty grew up in eight countries and in contrast to me, is a born entrepreneur. He built and sold his first venture by the time he was 21. Since then, he has run various IT businesses across the world and subsequently heavily vested in the real estate sector in Europe. He has always been interested in fine global spirits and is an enthusiastic collector of rare casks! It’s true serendipity that he was able to expand this deep passion of his into an exciting business venture; the cherry on the cake is getting to work with such close family friends.
MW: Your background is in business consultancy and hospitality. How did you feel confident about launching an ambitious alcohol company?
LB: It’s amazing how certain core values and skillsets can travel across industries, be it hospitality, alcobev or apparel. While I did not have extensive experience in the liquor industry, my experience in hospitality, specifically from owning restaurants and bars in Eastern Europe has helped. I don’t believe in taking shortcuts and started from the bottom up, aiming to learn about and assess every aspect of the individual business verticals. As an example, for spirits, Bunty and I visited multiple manufacturing facilities, from glass bottles to cork to shrink capsules. We went to every major alcobev and packaging trade show across the globe and participated in workshops with product designers and liquid experts. In fact, we spent days at a time at close to 50 separate distilleries across Scotland and the vodka belt in Northern Europe, witnessing and learning about every step of the production process, from the meticulous selection of grains to the final liquid in the glass. All of us co-founders are incredibly hands-on with the business, and I think that at this point we can confidently say that we’ve gained a wealth of industry-specific knowledge in just a few short years.
MW: What has been Aryan Khan’s role in setting up the company and the creation of the D’Yavol products?
LB: As co-founder of the company, Aryan has been pivotal in conceptualising the essence of our brand. In terms of products, D’Yavol and D’Yavol X are naturally very different and so we have focused on playing to our individual strengths when defining who is primarily responsible for what. Bunty and I lead most aspects of the spirits vertical based out of Europe. Aryan is highly creative and deeply involved in the apparel vertical, from conceptualising, strategising, designing, and directing the brand ads – which is where his formal education and passion for filmmaking truly shine.
MW: An obvious question is how much Shah Rukh Khan is involved in the running of the company.
LB: I expect that many of your readers will already have come across our ad campaigns for D’Yavol X, to which SRK has lent his inimitable persona and globally recognised face. Beyond being our brand ambassador, and thanks to the close personal relationships we hold, we can always count on him for advice or an objective opinion. His immeasurable wealth of global experiences never ceases to inspire and adds further fuel to our passion. Bunty, Aryan, and I can at times get stuck in the weeds – this will be familiar to any hands-on entrepreneur! – and it’s always great to be made to take a step back and appreciate the bigger picture.
MW: What makes your whiskies and vodka stand out?
LB: D’Yavol Single Estate Vodka is made in Poland, the birthplace of vodka. It is crafted from 100 per cent winter wheat and pristine waters from deep onsite aquifers. As a single-estate vodka, each hand-selected ingredient is sourced from the lands surrounding the distillery, reflecting a strong commitment to sustainability. It is the only vodka in the world to undergo black pearl filtration. After multiple distillations, we filter the liquid through black pearls – the only known organic gemstone in the world – which we source from Tahiti. It adds a layer of smoothness and enhances mouthfeel, with a tinge of sweetness. We also have one of the purest liquids out there with almost no detectable congeners such as methanol. And finally, our packaging breaks the mould of the ubiquitous frosted glass bottles in the market and stands out with its bold aesthetics. The result is a distinctively luxurious vodka.
D’Yavol Inception is a carefully crafted blend of eight distinctive single malts, hailing from the Speyside, Highland, Lowland, and Island regions, successfully striking that elusive and delicate balance between sherried sweetness and peat. This whisky is non-chill filtered, ensuring that none of the character and mouthfeel is stripped away during the filtration process others deploy, and we bottle the liquid at a very precise strength of 47.1 per cent ABV. From the exquisite bottle decoration to the striking monocarton, the whole presentation of this launch edition expression brings a new level of decadence to any enthusiast’s collection.
MW: In the emerging clutter of India’s premium alcohol market, what would attract a consumer to buy D’Yavol products?
Beyond the intrinsic quality of our products, which I’ve already addressed in detail, I feel that consumers gravitate towards brands that have a clear personality and don’t just sway to whatever the daily trend might be. We are a non-legacy brand that retains the best from traditional practices and strips everything else away.
MW: What are the other D’Yavol products in the pipeline?
LB: Our spirits portfolio will further expand with curated spirits from across the globe. Under the lifestyle vertical, we will soon be doing our IP experiential events starting with Dubai. In the apparel space, we will expand our offering in Drop 3 and introduce a whole new category which we are extremely excited about. So, there’s a lot in the pipeline and all of it presents exciting opportunities for growth and diversification.
MW: Besides India, where are D’Yavol products currently being sold? And since the products have been in the market for some time now, how has been the response so far in India, and in the other countries?
LB: Besides India, we launched in Australia last month and will be launching in the UAE next month. Globally, vodka is the leading white spirit and although the segment in which we play is very competitive, I’m pleased to share that our vodka has done exceptionally well, both commercially as well as critically. Every aspect of the product as well as the brand itself has resonated with our consumers. As a sipping vodka, with a focus on savouring and moderation, the ultra-smooth taste profile of the liquid has been a hit. Our inaugural whisky, aptly named Inception as the first whisky in our portfolio, has been crafted by master distillers who blend eight distinct single malts to perfection. Finding this balance is no easy task and is a true art. The feedback from Scotch aficionados has been fantastic, and Inception has made its way to the personal favourite lists of quite a few folks as one of the rare whiskies that master the sweet peat profile.
MW: The name D’Yavol is not an easy name to pronounce for Indians, do you see that as a handicap here?
LB: I guess the same can be said for quite a few well-established brands, but you are right. Having said that, it’s only two short syllables, and we find that once most people have read it out, they find it easy enough to pronounce. One tip is to ignore the apostrophe and pronounce it as Dya-vol. I believe that the distinctiveness of the name is just another differentiator for us!
MW: SLAB is headquartered in Amsterdam, you are based out of Bulgaria, Bunty Singh is a German citizen, Aryan is based in India and D’Yavol products are made in different European countries. How do you work through this logistical nightmare?
LB: Great question! The truth is that there is a lot of appeal in this seeming logistical nightmare for a nomad-at-heart like me! It does take exceptionally good organisational skills, but once you have clear routines in place, the work runs smoothly, and you get to enjoy working from a different country every few days! My background saw me operate in a very fast-paced environment which makes this a little less daunting. Most importantly, I feel that we’ve been lucky to have found a small, yet highly motivated and capable core team of people who share our vision. The same applies to our external partners. For our spirits vertical, in India, we have partnered with AB InBev, one of the world’s largest alco-bev companies. Their involvement has been instrumental to our success, and we bank on their extensive experience and guidance every single day!
MW: You have also launched apparel as part of your business recently. What can you tell us about the other products of the company?
Our lifestyle collection (D’Yavol X) has been an overwhelming success. We released capsule collections and had our first drop last year in April 2023 which saw us fully selling out within a couple of days. Our second D’Yavol X collection, which included a few collab pieces with Disney, dropped on March 17 of this year, and was a runaway success selling out within less than 48 hours! Stay tuned for X-3!
MW: What do you see as the future for SLAB and D’Yavol ?
LB: As a company, we are looking at expanding our geographical footprint to at least half a dozen countries in the next year, while adding new verticals. We want to continue bringing exciting and differentiated products and experiences for our consumers, including more collaborations with brands that resonate with D’Yavol – A Wolf in Wolf’s clothing!
