Synergy, one of Russia’s leading spirits producers, will start sales of Scotch whiskey under its own brand name in Russia this year, Synergy Board Chairman Alexander Mechetin said late on Thursday.
“We plan to enter a new segment with our own whiskey brand. We will launch production of our whiskey under the Fox Dogs trademark in Scotland and the new product will be in stores by the end of this year,” Mechetin told Prime news agency.
Synergy will produce its whiskey at the facilities of William Grant Sons, he added.
The company initiated the project due to the excise duties increase in Russia. Synergy expects the price difference between vodka and whiskey will be reduced because of duties increase so Russian consumers are likely to turn their attention to other kinds of strong spirits such as whiskey.
“We see higher consumption of imported [alcohol] products now, nearly twice the growth in some segments,” Mechetin said.
Core brands of Synergy, established in 1998, in Russia are high-premium and premium vodka brands like Beluga, Gosudarev zakaz and Russky Lyod (Russian Ice).