CHIVAS Brothers, the Dumbarton-based Scotch whisky giant, has reported strong sales of its flagship brands amid a “robust” performance in emerging markets, while underlining its commitment to investing in the sustainability of its operations.

The distiller behind the Ballantine’s and Chivas Regal brands highlighted a significant increase in global demand for Scotch whisky and emphasised its "resilience" amid the growing cost-of-living crisis as it reported a 25 per cent rise in net sales for the year to June. Mature markets saw growth of 16%, while sales increased by 34% in emerging markets; growth was especially strong in Brazil and India.

The company said all four of its “strategic international brands” – Chivas, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet, achieved “high” growth over the year.

The results for Chivas came as parent group Pernod Ricard reported a 17% rise in sales to €10.7 billion.

Chivas said the strength of its results would help it accelerate its investment in “sustainable Scotch”, with the distiller targeting carbon neutrality from its operations by 2026. It said the target was "very aggresive" compared with wider net-zero targets set by the Scottish and UK Governments.

Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chivas Brothers chairman and chief executive, said: “These positive results demonstrate that our strategy for growth, with investment across innovation and sustainability, is on track. We are well set up to continue this trajectory in FY23 to shape the future of Scotch by opening up the category to new audiences across the globe.”