The Macallan’s Parent Company Just Sold Off 2 Scotch Brands — Here’s Why

Edrington has sold two of its whisky brands for an undisclosed sum. (Photo: Famous Grouse/Facebook)

Daily Business reported Monday that the blended scotch whisky brand The Famous Grouse was being sold by Edrington to William Grant & Sons. Edrington owns brands like The Macallan and The Glenrothes. No information was released on just exactly how much William Grant & Sons paid for Famous Grouse.

Edrington additionally sold another one of its scotch whisky brands as part of the deal: Naked Malt Scotch Whisky. Edrington said the aim of the sale was so the spirits company could focus more its on premium scotch whisky brands.

“This decision is driven by our strategy to focus on our core strengths and the growth opportunities in the ultra-premium spirits category,” Erdington CEO Scott McCroskie said, according to Daily Business. “We consider this the right moment for Edrington to exit the blended Scotch category and focus on our core portfolio of ultra-premium spirit brands.”

The Famous Grouse apparently performed well for Edrington. As recently as July, Edrington shared that the scotch whisky brand helped contribute to its 11% revenue rise, according to The Drinks Business.

Yet the brand did share at the time that it was intending on discontinuing “lower-value products that are not aligned with the brand’s ultra-premium strategies.”

The Famous Grouse is an affordably priced blended scotch, and the brand features three core expressions within its portfolio: The Famous Grouse, Smokey Black, and a personalized expression where customers can feature their name on the label.

Click here to see what critics think of it.

Its former parent company, Edrington, has a history that dates back over 160 years. The company’s roots originated in 1861 when it was founded by William Robinson, who created the Robertson & Baxter Company in Glasgow. A century later, Robinson’s granddaughters formed a trust to own the company. The company’s shareholder is The Robertson Trust and Edrington shared that the Trust has awarded over £367 million to charitable organizations in Scotland.

As for the buyer, William Grant & Sons is a family-owned Scottish company that owns prominent brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Tullamore D.E.W., Drambuie, Monkey Shoulder and Hendrick’s Gin.

Here at The Daily Pour, we do more than write about current events in spirit. We are the only media property reviewing spirits and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the spirit world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of spirit in your morning email, sign up for our Whiskey Deal of the Day Newsletter