The Scotch whisky sector has been sharply in focus in the last week, with some of the biggest brands and two heavyweight distillers in the headlines.

Glasgow-based Edrington last Tuesday completed the sale of The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt brands to William Grant & Sons.

This deal was first announced back in September 2024.

While this is more than nine months ago, the timeframe over which the transaction was finalised is relatively insignificant in the context of how long these two heavyweight distillers have been around. And completion of the deal was probably, if anything, faster than some might have expected.

Last week’s completion of the deal, to which the Competition and Markets Authority gave the green light in early March, gave Edrington and William Grant & Sons another opportunity to flag the strategic rationale from each of their perspectives.

William Grant & Sons talked about an evolution of The Famous Grouse “into a true global icon”. Edrington, flagging the success of The Macallan single malt in which it has invested very heavily in recent years, highlighted its focus on ultra-premium spirits.

Two decades ago, it would probably have been almost inconceivable that Edrington would choose to sell The Famous Grouse blended Scotch whisky, a brand famous for its quirky television adverts and at that time the shirt sponsor for the Scotland national rugby union team.

However, in recent years, the........

© Herald Scotland