Brown-Forman tight-lipped on Finlandia ‘sale’

US-based Brown-Forman has declined to comment on reports it is considering selling its Finlandia vodka brand in order to focus on its whiskey portfolio.

Brown-Forman has refused to comment on reports it is considering selling its Finlandia vodka brand

The Jack Daniel’s maker is said to be pondering the sell-off, with deliberations at an early stage, reports Bloomberg.

Phil Lynch, vice president, director of corporate communications and public relations at Brown-Forman, said the company does not respond to or comment on “reports or rumours” regarding financial matters, when approached by The Spirits Business.

Finlandia volume sales declined 3.4% in 2015 to 3.08 million nine-litre cases, according to Brand Champions 2016 figures, due for publication in full next month.

Brown-Forman has been on a run of acquisitions and divestures over the last 12 months, resulting in a much-streamlined focus on whisk(e)y.

In June 2015, the company acquired the Slane Castle Irish Whiskey brand, and broke ground to start work on the new distillery in September of the same year.

Then, following months of speculation, in January 2016 Brown-Forman offloaded its Southern Comfort and Tuaca liqueur brands to Sazerac for US$554 million.

Most recently, the company stepped back into the Scotch sector with the acquisition of The BenRiach Distillery Company – and its single malt brands The GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh – for US$416 million last month.