Wilderness Trail, a premium Kentucky bourbon and rye whiskey distillery, has been acquired by Campari, parent company of Wild Turkey, in a deal with a $600 million valuation.
The Wilderness Trail acquisition will see Campari take an initial 70% stake in Wilderness Trail (valued at $420 million), with the remaining 30% interest to be purchased in 2031. In an explanation of the logic behind this, it was stated that “Wilderness Trail Distillery, located in Danville, Kentucky, USA, was launched in 2012 as a ‘premium craft distillery’ with a clear focus on making the highest quality bourbon and rye whiskey. Leveraging the advanced and versatile operational infrastructure, the founders launched in 2018 two premium proprietary Wilderness Trail expressions: Wilderness Trail Bourbon and Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey.
“The portfolio has been further premiumised with the introduction of the high- end silver label 6-year and 8-year bourbon line for a deeper and mature flavour. The average selling prices range from USD55 for the 75cl Wilderness Trail Bourbon to USD75+ for the 6 & 8-year old bourbon expressions.
“The founders and current shareholders, Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, are fermentation experts with more than 20 years’ experience in the production of whiskey, consistently recognised as pioneers in the engineering, research and development, fermentation and distilling activities. The distillery’s proprietary infusion mashing process and sweet mash technique have a highly flexible output driven by the multiple mash bills and yeast strains, crafting bourbons and rye whiskeys with distinctive flavours.”
Campari’s journey through bourbon started in 2009 when it acquired Wild Turkey, followed by the 2017 launch of its ultra-premium Whisky Barons Collection. Added to this was a minority investment earlier this year in Howler Head, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with Natural Banana Flavor.
“We are very excited to take a controlling interest in world- class Wilderness Trail Distillery,” said Bob Kunze-Concewitz, Chief Executive Officer Campari Group, in a prepared statement. “By adding the fast-growing super premium Wilderness Trail brand we further expand and premiumise our bourbon offering, priming it to become Campari Group’s second major leg after the aperitif portfolio. Moreover, we accelerate our premiumisation journey, further enriching our RARE portfolio, the division aimed to unlock and accelerate the growth potential of a select range of high-end individual expressions in our core premium spirits markets.
“In addition, we have the opportunity to significantly expand our production capacity and ageing inventory to satisfy the future growth of our premium bourbons, such as the high potential Whiskey Barons range, currently capped due to capacity constraints. We are very excited to partner with such a strong team of industry pioneers and distilling experts allowing us to accelerate and significantly expand the innovation platform for our bourbon portfolio.”
“We are thrilled about our partnership with Campari Group,” added Baker and Heist. “Premium bourbon and rye whiskies and state-of-the art production facilities coupled with worldwide distribution, first class marketing and expertise across multiple spirit categories provide the perfect foundation for the continued success of the Wilderness Trail brand and ensure it will be enjoyed around the world for years to come.
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“This is a win-win situation for both parties and we are very proud of this partnership and what we can achieve together with our shared vision.”
With this acquisition, Campari noted it sees bourbon as being primed to become the second major leg of its operations after aperitifs.
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