Suntory offloads Louis Royer Cognac for €100m

Japan’s Suntory Holdings has sold Louis Royer Cognac to French spirits producer Terroir Distillers for approximately €100 million, despite an acquisition bid by Emperador.

French spirits producer Terroirs Distillers has purchased Suntory’s Louis Royer Cognac for €100m

Terroir Distillers, a privately owned company which produces the Tullibardine and Highland Queen Scotch whisky brands, will take control of Louis Royer when the acquisition is completed at the end of August.

The deal includes all of Louis Royer’s aging inventories and facilities.

The news comes two months after Philippines-based drinks group Emperador confirmed it had made a preliminary offer to purchase the brand.

Emperador – a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group – said the offer was “still subject to the evaluation and final decision of the seller”.

“Emperador is currently debt-free and is, therefore, in a very strong financial position to further expand its business both globally and domestically,” Dina D Inting, compliance officer and corporate information officer at Emperador, said at the time.

In November last year, the group acquired Whyte & Mackay from Diageo-controlled United Spirits for an estimated £430m.

Terroir Distillers, headed by president Gabriel Picard, also produces Girad pastis, Muirhead’s Scotch whisky and Rhum Charrette.