Diageo’s Whyte & Mackay whisky business (which includes the Jura, The Dalmore, Fettercrane and Tamnavulin distilleries) has been sold to Philippines-based drinks giant Emperador for £430 million (almost NZ$900m). The sale process began back in May after Diageo’s acquisition of United Spirits prompted the British Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to raise competition concerns which then prompted the sale.
Emperador, part of Alliance Global Group, is known for its Emperador Brandy label which tripled its growth since 2010 and is now the third largest spirit label by volume worldwide (following Jinro soju and Ruang Khao Thai spirit), according to Impact Databank.
Emperador chairman Andrew Tan said he is now looking forward to “developing a Scotch whisky drinking culture in the Philippines. We are going to officially launch and sell the existing Whyte & Mackay products, especially The Dalmore, Jura and Whyte & Mackay in the Philippines soon.”
In addition to Whyte & Mackay’s global distribution network in over 50 countries that Emperador Brandy would now have access to, as part of the takeover deal, Emperador will also supply whisky to United Spirits for three years. This substantial purchase confirms the growing importance (and power) of the Asian markets in the global whisky scene, although the power of Scottish provenance remains strong for Scotch whisky.
