Pernod Ricard sells three whisky brands

Pernod Ricard has sold its Glenallachie, MacNair’s and White Heather whisky brands to a private consortium.

The Glenallachie Consortium - led by Billy Walker, former managing director of the BenRiach Distillery Company - has purchased the Glenallachie Distillery in Scotland for an undisclosed sum from Chivas Bros, the Scottish whisky arm of Pernod Ricard. The final transaction is expected to take place before the end of 2017.

The Glenallachie distillery was built in 1967 by Mackinlay McPherson, and bought by Pernod Ricard-operated Campbell Distillers in 1989.

Pernod Ricard said the sale was in line with its “strategy to focus on its priority spirits and wines brands and to adjust its industrial footprint to its needs”.

The deal means it will now own 13 Scottish malt distilleries, remaining second only to Diageo’s 28 malt distilleries.

Billy Walker back in business

Billy Walker led the revival of the BenRiach distillery in 2004, which grew to include the GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh distilleries and brands.

Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman acquired BenRiach for £285 million (US$416m) in April last year.

In February this year, it was announced that Billy Walker would leave BenRiach.

About The Glenallachie Consortium

Walker has been involved in the Scotch whisky industry for more than 40 years and is one of its most recognisable characters.

With a degree in chemistry Billy has been involved in most aspects of the production of Scotch whisky, having spent time at Ballantines, Inver House Distillers and Burn Stewart before establishing and building the BenRiach Distillery Company.

The two other members of the consortium are Graham Stevenson, a chartered accountant who has spent almost 30 years in the Scotch whisky industry, and Trisha Savage has over 30 years’ experience in the Scotch whisky industry.

Stevenson initially joined the North British Distillery Company in Edinburgh before moving to Inver House Distillers in 1994. He remained there for 23 years, most of that time as managing director.

Savage started at Burn Stewart she has worked closely with Walker throughout her career and was also instrumental in establishing and building the BenRiach Distillery Company.

The Glenallachie Consortium's mission is to be "a wholly Scottish owned, Scottish based, and truly independent Scotch whisky company."