Buchanan-Dewar

Buchanan-Dewar Ltd was a holding company originally established in 1915 as Scotch Whisky Brands Ltd following the merger of three of Scotland's great blending companies, James Buchanan & Co, John Dewar & Sons and W.P. Lowrie & Co. The move was an attempt to remain competitive with the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) while also protecting themselves from its aggressive acquisitions policy. While the move worked initially, it was ultimately unsuccessful and the companies became part of DCL in 1925.

In addition to the collected holdings of its constituent subsidiaries, the new company made significant purchases in its briefly extant period, including the Port Ellen, Benrinnes and Lochruan distilleries.