Edrington Group, the parent company of the Macallan and Highland Park, is buying the Glenrothes brand from British wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd. In actuality, this is a re-acquisition, since Berry Bros. originally acquired the Glenrothes brand from Edrington in 2010. In the meantime, Edrington retained ownership of the distillery and cooperage where the Glenrothes whisky is made, and Edrington’s master whisky maker, Gordon Motion, has been responsible for creating the Glenrothes’ expressions. Thus the sale brings the whole kit and caboodle—production process, site, and brand—back into a single company, and whisky lovers can expect continuity going forward.

The Glenrothes is one of the few scotch brands to offer vintage-dated, rather than age-statement, whiskies, which enables interesting comparisons over time as vintages are re-released in successive years with additional age. The brand also has several core NAS Reserve expressions, including Vintage Reserve, Select Reserve, Bourbon Cask Reserve, Sherry Cask Reserve, and Peated Cask Reserve. Glenrothes is one of the key malts used in the Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse blends, which Edrington also owns.