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The future
looks good for Glenallachie as Pernod
Ricard agree its sale to a Billy Walker
lead consortium.
Pernod Ricard,
owners of the little known Glenallachie
distillery have signed an agreement to
sell the Speyside distillery to a three
person consortium lead by the former
BenRiach Distillery Company managing
director Billy Walker.
Billy Walker is a familiar name to
Scotch whisky enthusiasts, Billy has
been involved in the Scotch whisky
industry for over 40 years. With a
degree in chemistry Billy has been
involved in most aspects of the
production of Scotch whisky, having
spent time at Ballantine's, Inver House
Distillers and Burn Stewart. More
recently he was instrumental in
establishing and building the BenRiach
Distillery Company prior to its sale in
2016.
Joining Billy in the three person
consortium is Graham Stevenson, a
Chartered Accountant who has spent
almost 30 years in the Scotch whisky
industry. He initially joined the North
British Distillery Company in Edinburgh
before moving to Inver House Distillers
in 1994. He has remained there for the
past 23 years, most of that time as
managing director.
Trisha Savage the third person in the
consortium has over 30 years’ experience
in the Scotch whisky industry. Starting
at Burn Stewart she has worked closely
with Billy throughout her career and was
also instrumental in establishing and
building the BenRiach Distillery
Company.
The transaction includes not only the
Glenallachie single malt brand but also
MacNair’s and White Heather blended
scotch brands and importantly the
relevant inventories to support future
development of those brands.
Pernod Ricard say that the sale is "in
line with their strategy to focus on
their priority spirits and wines brands
and to adjust its industrial footprint
to its needs".
The
completion of the sale of the
Glenallachie distillery to the
Glenallachie Consortium is subject to
customary conditions and is expected to
take place before the end of 2017.
The Glenallachie distillery has long
been a feeder distillery for the Chivas
Brothers blends, in my experience of
some independent bottlings it is
typically a light bodied whisky, sweet
and a little fruity. Historically it was
rated as 2nd Class by blenders and
almost all of the whisky produced at
Glenallachie went into the Chivas
Brothers blends.
Currently there is only one official
bottling of Glenallachie single malt
whisky readily available for whisky
drinkers, the young, easy drinking
Glenallachie Distillery Edition which
certainly demonstrates that there is
potential for the whisky produced at
Glenallachie. If matured in quality
casks for the the right length of time I
suspect we could see some good stuff
from Glenallachie in the future.
I don't
know exactly when the sale to the
Glenallachie Consortium will be
completed but I would think that it will
take some time for Billy to assess the
maturing stock before we see any
releases and hopefully a core range from
Glenallachie some time in the future and
no doubt some older vintage single cask
bottlings that he may find in the dark
corners of the Glenallachie warehouses.
I would predict by this time next year
Billy would have given us something from
Glenallachie to talk about, meanwhile
you will find the Glenallachie
Distillery Edition and a few independent
bottlings available from
specialist online whisky shops such as
Master of Malt
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