Down goes another independent distiller - Bruichladdich

[chewse]

Looks like Bruichladdich is going to be sold to Rémy Cointreau.
http://www.dramming.com/2012/07/10/b...ent-distiller/

[artificer]

hopefully they'll be allowed to continue in an "independent" state, even though they're owned by a giant. That seems to be the current trend.

ith:

[ThistleDown]

Yes, it certainly is and in the whisky business has been for a long, long time. I doubt that the product line will suffer in the next ten years or so. (Please, oh please, Remy: keep Waves coming ashore).

[jhockin]

Yes, it certainly is and in the whisky business has been for a long, long time. I doubt that the product line will suffer in the next ten years or so. (Please, oh please, Remy: keep Waves coming ashore).

oh, please! (.. and the Organic, the peat, etc etc.!!)

[brewerpaul]

Having been involved in the brewing industry for quite a few years the trend was for smaller popular Micro brews to join the big guys for distribution rights. This allowed them to spread their brands further, though at the mercy of Budwiser, Miller or Coors. The down side to such actions was the upscale of production and sometimes loss of quality. Many small breweries and brewpubs decided national was better and even went to having beers contract brewed. This was usually a disaster. Im not sure if distribution of Scotch is the same but perhaps they wanted to expand distribution or bring in needed cash flow to stay afloat. I find it hard to fathom a well established distillery needing this kind of help. I can get Edradour scotch in Columbia Missouri with a phone call and Im quite sure they are not tied to any larger distillery. In fact I know they arent having toured the place last year in Scotland. No small industry is immune to such actions as we have seen Ben and Jerry's ice cream, Tom's of Main products and Burt's Bees sell to major players. For some people it was time to hang it up as production became too big, the case in point of Tom's of Main. For others it could be greed, "Ive made it big and they want to give me tons of money for my effort, why not take it." For those of us who appreciate cottage industries, small business and small distilleries it always throws a level of fear that your favorite dram or ice cream or whatever will not ever be the same again. At least the originators of Tom's of Main kept a percent of leverage to make sure their products are kept as the were intended. Lets hope this happens as well with Bruichladdich....

[chewse]

I'm a strong supporter of independent distillers and especially micro-distillers. It's my feeling that unique spirits are prone to be born by those organizations that are free to experiment and try new distilling techniques. I think larger companies who have reached business success such as Brown Forman and William Grant tend to rely on customer loyalty of their existing products and minimize efforts to find new products. Right or wrong, I believe it is healthy for the spirits market to have many, many independent distillers.

[English Bloke]

... I believe it is healthy for the spirits market to have many, many independent distillers...

I passionately agree. Amazing that all these come from the same Parent Company

Click around the link... you might be surprised at what else they have in their stable,