acquisition - BourbonSphere

Edrington To Sell Noble Oak Bourbon

Six years after launching the Noble Oak Bourbon brand, Edrington has agreed to sell the brand to A21 Wine & Spirits for an undisclosed amount.… Read More

Six years after launching the Noble Oak Bourbon brand, Edrington has agreed to sell the brand to A21 Wine & Spirits for an undisclosed amount. Edrington launched the brand in 2018 for the U.S. market as a way to enter the premium Bourbon category.

Noble Oak started with a “double oaked” Bourbon finished in Sherry casks, and later added a Rye Whiskey to the portfolio, using whiskey sourced from MGP for both expressions. The move is expected to cement Wyoming Whiskey as Edrington’s flagship U.S. whiskey brand.

The brand made its reputation by pledging to plant a tree for every bottle sold, and has accounted for more than 1.2 million plantings in reforestation projects nationwide.

Nyetimber to Buy The Lakes Distillery

English wine producer Nyetimber plans to enter the whisky business with its acquisition of The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria. The deal, which values the distillery… Read More

English wine producer Nyetimber plans to enter the whisky business with its acquisition of The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria. The deal, which values the distillery at £71 million, is expected to close later this year after Lakes shareholders vote to approve the offer.

The all-cash offer comes at a time when the distillery is losing money, having reported a loss of £1.3 million in its last fiscal year. However, The Spirits Business reports the distillery has shown a gain of 35% in sales during the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

The distillery needed to raise additional capital over the next three years to fund increased production and expand distribution internationally. In what board members described as a “tough market for raising capital,” they concluded that the Nyetimber offer made the most sense.

Nyetimber CEO Eric Heerema said in a statement “We believe that this potential acquisition represents an opportunity for us to expand our capabilities, drive exciting new growth and support The Lakes in delivering on its ambition to be a globally recognised spirits brand.”

WhiskyCast has requested interviews with the principals in the sale, and this story will be updated as necessary.

A New Future for Single Cask Nation

The week’s top story was the sale of the independent bottler Single Cask Nation to the Artisanal Spirits Company, which also owns the Scotch Malt… Read More

The week’s top story was the sale of the independent bottler Single Cask Nation to the Artisanal Spirits Company, which also owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The two bottlers will co-exist under one corporate umbrella, with SCN founders Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin remaining in charge. We’ll talk with them on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there’s new life planned for a long-closed Speyside distillery and the winners of the 2023 John Barleycorn Awards have been announced.

Episode 1038: January 7, 2024

Photo courtesy Single Cask Nation.

Artisanal Spirits Company Acquires Single Cask Nation

The Artisanal Spirits Company, owners of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, have acquired the US-based independent bottler Single Cask Nation from its founders, Joshua Hatton… Read More

The Artisanal Spirits Company, owners of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, have acquired the US-based independent bottler Single Cask Nation from its founders, Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin. The founders will remain with the company and lead its business from their base in Connecticut, according to a statement released by ASC today.

“In a way, by joining ASC we’re coming full-circle in our whisky journey,” Johnstone-Yellin said in the statement. “It was actually The Scotch Malt Whisky Society that first inspired us to start an independent bottling business in the first place. We’ve admired them (and their whiskies) for years, so to be a sister brand to them now is really exciting.”

The partners founded Single Cask Nation in 2011 as an offshoot of their Jewish Whisky Company, and now sells its single cask whiskies in eight countries. Artisanal Spirits Company CEO Andrew Dane praised their work in the statement. “Along the way, they have cultivated a passionate global following and stellar reputation as thought leaders in the world of whisky. Single Cask Nation is a perfect fit for ASC and our mission to deliver the world’s most exceptional limited-edition whiskies and experiences. They’re going to be a tremendous asset to our team and we’re excited for everything we can accomplish together in the years ahead,” he said.

Former Westland Distillery executive Steve Hawley has also joined the ASC team to build its presence in the United States, the world’s biggest market for Scotch Whisky by value. Hawley will focus on SCN’s business side, allowing Hatton and Johnstone-Yellin to focus on SCN’s whiskies and the “Nation,” a following of more than 10,000 whisky enthusiasts who purchase SCN whiskies through its web site.

WhiskyCast has requested interviews with Hatton and Johnstone-Yellin. This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Links: Single Cask Nation

Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing… Read More

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing one. There’s a near-death experience, followed by success on horse racing’s grandest stage, and a side story linking it to the founding of The Beatles. Never Say Die co-founder Brian Luftman joins us to share that story on this week’s WhiskyCast. In the news, Chivas Brothers workers approve a new contract, Kentucky Bourbon distillers set more records, and the deadline to avoid European import tariffs on American whiskey is getting closer.

Photo courtesy Ninth House/Never Say Die Bourbon.

Molson Coors Purchases Blue Run Spirits

Brewing behemoth Molson Coors created the Coors Spirits Company and has made their first acquisition foray into the spirits industry with the purchase of Kentucky-based bourbon and rye whiskey producer Blue Run Spirits. Blue Run Spirits will join Five Trail Blended American Whiskey [launched in 2021] and Barmen 1873 Bourbon [launched in 2022] as members […]

The post Molson Coors Purchases Blue Run Spirits first appeared on Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Blue Run Spirits will join Five Trail Blended American Whiskey [launched in 2021] and Barmen 1873 Bourbon [launched in 2022] as members of the newly created Coors Spirits Company.

Blue Run was founded in October 2020, sold 21,000 nine-liter cases in 2022 and is currently available in 31 states across the USA.

The post Molson Coors Purchases Blue Run Spirits first appeared on Whisky Critic - Whisky Reviews & Articles - Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Molson Coors Acquires Blue Run Spirits

Molson Coors, the nation’s number two brewer, is expanding its presence in the distilled spirits business with the acquisition of Blue Run Spirits. Blue Run’s… Read More

Molson Coors, the nation’s number two brewer, is expanding its presence in the distilled spirits business with the acquisition of Blue Run Spirits. Blue Run’s entire team will become part of the Coors Whiskey Co. unit within Molson Coors, which also plans to continue work on Blue Run’s planned $53 million distillery to be built in Georgetown, Kentucky.

“We weren’t looking to sell now, but it’s almost like being younger and not necessarily looking to get married, then you meet the right person and it just comes together, and that’s what it’s like with Molson Coors,” Blue Run CEO Mike Montgomery said in an interview with WhiskyCast. Montgomery is becoming Vice President of the Coors Whiskey Company following the closing of the deal, for which terms were not disclosed.

“I think it’s kind of a 1+1=3,” Coors Whiskey Co. executive chair David Coors said. “What I fell in love with as I got to know the Blue Run team and their business model, and certainly their product and brand, it was one of those things where I felt we could learn a ton from them and obviously we could provide some resources to them.”

Blue Run’s distilling consultant, Jim Rutledge, and whiskey curator Shaylynn Gammon will stay on as part of the Blue Run/Coors Whiskey Co. team, which has three new releases planned for this fall. In addition, the unit will include Coors Whiskey’s existing portfolio of Five Trail American Whiskey and Barmen 1873 Bourbon. Five Trail was Coors’ introduction to the whiskey business in 2021, while Barmen 1873 was introduced last year. Barmen 1873 was created in consultation with Bardstown Bourbon Company, and that relationship is expected to continue for now.

Montgomery said the move will help Blue Run achieve its goal of 50-state and international distribution. The brand’s whiskies are currently available in 31 U.S. states and online.

Listen to the next episode of WhiskyCast for our interview with Mike Montgomery and David Coors.

This story was published August 9, 2023. Image courtesy Blue Run Spirits.

Links: Blue Run Spirits | Coors Whiskey Co.

Heaven Hill Acquires Craft Producer Samson & Surrey

February 1, 2022 – Heaven Hill is expanding its portfolio to include “craft” whiskey brands such as FEW Spirits, Widow Jane, and Brenne with its acquisition of Samson & Surrey. The craft producer has been one of the fastest-growing spirits companies in the industry since it was founded by industry veterans Robert Furniss-Roe and Juan Rovira five years ago, and will operate as a standalone unit within the Shapira family’s Heaven Hill Brands. Heaven Hill president Max Shapira said in a statement released following the close of business Tuesday “the Samson & Surrey portfolio strategically enhances our portfolio with emerging Read More »

February 1, 2022 – Heaven Hill is expanding its portfolio to include “craft” whiskey brands such as FEW Spirits, Widow Jane, and Brenne with its acquisition of Samson & Surrey. The craft producer has been one of the fastest-growing spirits companies in the industry since it was founded by industry veterans Robert Furniss-Roe and Juan Rovira five years ago, and will operate as a standalone unit within the Shapira family’s Heaven Hill Brands.

Heaven Hill president Max Shapira said in a statement released following the close of business Tuesday “the Samson & Surrey portfolio strategically enhances our portfolio with emerging brands in strong growth categories. Together with their team, Heaven Hill is poised to leverage the tremendous potential of these exciting brands.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition to the FEW, Widow Jane, and Brenne brands, the deal also includes Philadelphia Distilling’s Bluecoat Gin, Tequila Ocho, and Mezcal Vago. Heaven Hill will also acquire the FEW Spirits Distillery in Evanston, Illinois, Widow Jane’s distillery in Brooklyn, New York, and Philadelphia Distilling’s distillery along with the company’s other production facilities.

“Over the last five years we have enjoyed unprecedented success thanks to the talents of our team, the truly remarkable award-winning liquids we make, and the engaging consumer stories we tell. The combined talent, scale, and resources of Heaven Hill now present a unique opportunity to provide a long-term home for Samson & Surrey and to further accelerate our growth,” Furniss-Roe said in a statement.

The acquisition is the first for Heaven Hill since its 2019 purchase of Black Velvet Canadian Whisky and the Black Velvet distillery in Lethbridge, Alberta from Constellation Brands.

WhiskyCast has requested interviews with Heaven Hill and Samson & Surrey executives. This story will be updated with additional information.

Links: Heaven Hill | Samson & Surrey