Pernod Ricard to sell Tormore to Elixir Distillers
The sale marks a 'new milestone' between Pernod Ricard and Singh brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, who co-founded whisky specialist Elixir Distillers in 2017 (The brothers created the online spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange which was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2021.)
The Tormore distillery is ‘emblematic of the Speyside region, home of the Scottish malt whisky industry’, with a capacity of nearly 5 million liters of alcohol per annum. The brand is known for its single malts, including 14 and 16 year old editions, and for the architectural design of its 1960s listed building.
In April, Pernod Ricard’s Scotch Whisky business Chivas Brothers announced a £88m ($110m) investment in two Speyside single malt distilleries, which Alexandre Ricard, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, says demonstrates the company’s commitment to Scotch.
“Active portfolio management is an integral part of our long-term strategy," he said as the company announced the new agreement with Elixir Distillers. "The sale of the Tormore brand and distillery follows the recent announcement of our investment behind the Aberlour and Miltonduff facilities, which will increase our Scotch production capacities by 14 million liters of alcohol per annum.
“We are delighted to be handing Tormore over to Sukhinder and Rajbir, two friends and truly creative entrepreneurs and look forward to finding new ways to collaborate in the future.”
Pernod Ricard’s wider whisk(e)y portfolio includes Jameson, Midleton Very Rare, Rabbit Hole, Ballantine’s and The Glenlivet.
Elixir builds Scotch whisky focus
Described as ‘a creator, blender and bottler of fine spirits, combining delicious, characterful liquid with beautiful design’, Elixir Distillers’ focus is in Scotch whisky and rum as well as Japanese whisky, tequila and other spirits. Its core brands include Port Askaig, Elements of Islay, Single Malts of Scotland and Black Tot which are exported to more than 30 international markets around the world. The company is building a new distillery on Islay, Portintruan, which is due to open in 2024.
“Tormore is one of the most visually stunning distilleries in Speyside,” Sukhinder Singh said. “It produces a beautiful spirit and fits in perfectly with the Elixir Distillers flavour-first philosophy to bottle only the very highest quality whiskies. We are hoping to build on the work that’s been done by Pernod Ricard to bring to life the magic of Tormore and show consumers around the world just what a hidden gem it is.
"We are humbled to be the new custodians of Tormore; we couldn’t have asked for a better distillery to welcome to the Elixir family alongside our new Islay distillery, Portintruan."
