Pernod continues to streamline spirits with whisky sale

Pernod Ricard this week revealed it had signed over the Scottish distillery to the newly formed Glenallachie Consortium, a trio of Scotch veterans comprising well-known distiller Billy Walker, Trisha Savage formerly of Burn Stewart Distillers and the Benriach Distillery Company and Inver House Distillers’ managing director Graham Stevenson.

The deal includes the Glenallachie single malt brand and also MacNair’s and White Heather blended scotch brands, through the company’s subsidiary Chivas Brothers Limited.

The world number two in wines and spirits has been shedding some of its well known names recently in order to “focus on its priority spirits and wines brands”.

At the end of last year, Pernod sold the Domecq brand and its related brandies and wines to Emperador Group and Gonzalez Byass.

At the time, Pernod said the disposal was part of a strategy to simplify its portfolio and focus on its priority on spirit brands such as Absolut vodka and Chivas Regal scotch and also wine.

The Glenallachie Consortium said its mission is to be a Scottish owned, Scottish based, and a "truly independent" Scotch whisky company producing excellent whiskies and offering them to the market at premium but affordable prices.

• Spirits