It has seemed that Scotch whisky distiller Edrington has in recent times been making much less noise about The Famous Grouse than it did in the past.

This meant that, while its deal to sell this famous blended Scotch whisky brand to William Grant & Sons and declaration that it was the “right moment” to exit the blended category came somewhat out of the blue on Monday, it was not a surprise.

Edrington has not been wary in the past of selling big-name brands if it has felt this has suited its strategy.

It sold off Cutty Sark, a famous brand going way back which earlier in the current millennium had its profile raised as a favourite tipple of fictional advertising executive Don Draper in television drama Mad Men. Cutty was sold to French spirits group La Martiniquaise-Bardinet in a deal unveiled in 2018. Edrington sold historic Crieff malt whisky distillery and brand The Glenturret, a major part of The Famous Grouse blend, to French wine company Art & Terroir in the same year.

Read more: Famous 'much-loved' Scotch whisky brand being sold in blockbuster deal

In the years that followed Edrington’s shrewd 1999 acquisition of Highland Distillers, which had by that time bought The Macallan, the Glasgow-based distiller seemed to make quite a big deal of The Famous Grouse in its dispatches. Edrington was backed in this 1999 deal by William Grant & Sons.

However, for a long time now Edrington’s focus has been very much on The Macallan, in which it has invested very heavily indeed. A new £140 million distillery for The Macallan at Craigellachie in Speyside was opened in 2018, with Edrington noting around that time that it was investing a total of £500m in this upmarket single malt brand.

Edrington is a company which does not do things in a hurry. As an entity controlled by a charitable........

© Herald Scotland