Scotch specialist CVH Spirits has said it wants to focus on single malts over volume propositions as the brand owner “re-establishes” its presence in South Africa.
Domestic alcohol merchant Truman & Orange has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of CVH’s portfolio in South Africa. CVH’s core range of single malt scotches is now available, with “select higher-end expressions” set to roll out from the end of next month.
Majority owned by South African investment group Remgro, CVH was formed in 2023 following Heineken’s acquisition of Distell and since then its portfolio has had limited presence in the country. While blended Scotch brands Scottish Leader and Black Bottle were “always readily available” through an agreement with Craft Liquor Merchants, the company’s single malt portfolio only had “a very small online presence”, CEO Ronan O’Rahilly told Global Drinks Intel.
“Our new partnership with Truman & Orange will bring greater national presence in South Africa across all channels (including travel retail) for our full Scotch whisky portfolio,” the Bunnahabhain, Deanston & Tobermory brand owner said.
“We have deliberately taken the time to establish the right structure for our international business rather than simply putting the brands back into market,” said O’Rahilly. “Our approach is about building the brands for the long term, ensuring we have the right partners, the right positioning and the right level of support behind them.”
CVH added that it “sees an opportunity for a portfolio built around credentials and differentiated single malt propositions rather than volume-driven distribution” in South Africa.
“South Africa is an important market for us, given our history here and the opportunity we see for premium scotch whisky,” O’Rahilly added. “Since becoming independent, we have had the opportunity to be much more focused on where and how we take our brands to market. We can be more agile, make decisions more quickly and invest behind the markets where we see long-term potential.”
In March, CVH’s European unit signed a distribution deal in Austria with MyDrinks Austria, which took over from previous partner Rudolf Ammersin. Also in March, the business moved its headquarters from the town of East Kilbride on the outskirts of Glasgow in Scotland, to the city’s centre.
