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The BenRiach Distillery

Elgin
Morayshire
IV30 8SJ

TEL: +44 (0) 1343 862888.

No Visitor Facilities

Benriach Scotch Whisky

Distillery Style
Tasting Notes

BenRiach produces whisky in two Styles Non Peated and Peated

Non Peated

Nose: Light, malty, perfumed.

Palate: Very light and delicate. Barley-sugar sweetness, citrus fruits, oak and spices.

Finish : Vanilla, oak, honey.

Peated

Nose: Fresh peat reek.

Palate: Sweet fresh peat, malt and spices.

Finish: Complex with peat, toffee vanilla and spice.

The Distillery Also "finishes" both versions in Wine Sherry Port and Rum Casks

BenRiach Malthouse, Distillery

and Dunnage warehouses Photo SlideShow
51 photographs taken around the distillery showing around the exterior of the distillery, the inside of the malt house, the stillroom and inside the traditional dunnage warehouses.

BenRiach Scotch Whisky Distillery History

The BenRiach Distillery was established by the Grant Family in 1898 on the same site as the Longmorn Distillery. Indeed, locally BenRiach was sometimes referred to as ‘Longmorn 2’.

However, the timing of the opening proves to be unfortunate, preceding the ‘Pattison Crash’ of 1900 by just a few months. This leaves widespread distillery closures and BenRiach is mothballed after just two years of production. The distillery remains closed until 1965, however BenRiach’s floor maltings remain in constant production during this period, providing malted barley for the fully operational Longmorn Distillery.

BenRiach is re-opened by Glenlivet Distillers Ltd, in 1965 having been almost totally rebuilt, and production re-convenes.

During1972 in addition to the regular distillation, a production of peated malt whisky commences. This move is a response to the increasing cost of Islay whisky due to a general industry shortage. With no Islay distillery in their portfolio, and with peated malt a key component in Seagram’s key blended whisky brands, the firm decided to produce their own peated Speyside, at BenRiach.

Glenlivet Distillers Ltd, and the various distilleries under their ownership, including BenRiach and Longmorn, is purchased by Canadian whisky firm Seagrams in 1978.

As production steps up, BenRiach is expanded from two stills to four in 1985.

In 1994 BenRiach is released for the first time as a single malt brand in its own right. The whisky is bottled at 10 years old / 43%, and is included as part of Seagram’s ‘Heritage Collection’ along with Strahisla (12YO), Glenkieth (1983) and Longmorn (15YO).

The BenRiach floor maltings are closed in 1999 after 101 years of uninterrupted operation. The maltings remain in good working order, and could be re-activated almost immediately.

2001 Seagrams are acquired by French firm Pernod Ricard Four distilleries in the group move to rotational production, distilling for just 3 months of the year; BenRiach, Allt a’Bhainne, Braeval and Caperdonich. These four distilleries are subsequently mothballed in August of 2002

2004 New Owners

In April 2004 BenRiach is acquired by an independent consortium, headed by Scotch Whisky industry veteran Billy Walker, and production re-convenes immediately, meaning the inventory is almost uninterrupted.

On the 7th of August 2004 the first bottling of BenRiach under the new owners takes place; BenRiach ‘Heart of Speyside’, 12, 16 and 20 years old, and the peated 10 years old are all bottled for the first time.

On the 20th of September 2004 the first distillation under the new owners is filled to cask. 96 ‘green’ (i.e. first-fill bourbon) barrels are filled, numbered 1 to 96, and are immediately transferred to the BenRiach warehouses for maturation, not to see the light of day for at least 12 years.

BenRiach Singe Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Bottlings

BenRiach ‘Heart of Speyside’ (no age statement)
BenRiach 12 years old
BenRiach 12 years old Sherry wood
BenRiach over 12 years old Fine wood Finishes in:
Dark Rum, Pedro Ximienez, Tawny Port.
BenRiach over 15 years old Fine wood Finishes in:
madeira, Dark Rum, Pedro Ximienez, Tawny Port.
BenRiach 16 years old
BenRiach 16 years old Sauternes Wood Finish
BenRiach 20 years old
BenRiach 25 years old
BenRiach 30 years old

Peated BenRiach Singe Malt Scotch Whisky
BenRiach ‘Curiositas’ PEATED 10 years old
BenRiach ' Arumaticus' PEATED over 12 years old
BenRiach ' Heredotus Fumosus' PEATED over 12 years old
BenRiach ' importanticus Fumosus' PEATED over 12 years old
BenRiach 13 years old Maderensis Fumosus Heavily Peated
BenRiach ‘Authenticus’ PEATED 21 years old

BenRiach Singe Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Cask Limited editions
Covering various years and assorted ages from 1966 to 1988

BenRiach Distillery Blended Scotch Whisky
Glen Bervie Blended Scotch Whisky
Clan Murray Blended Scotch Whisky

Benriach Whisky Independent Bottlings  
Adelphi ,
Blackadder,
Cadenhead’s
Chieftains (Ian McLeod),
Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail),
Dewar Rattery
Dun Bheagan (Ian McLeod),
Duncan Taylor Collection
Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing),
Provenance (Douglas Laing),
Signatory
Whisky Galore (Duncan Taylor).

Buy BenRiach single malt Scotch whisky online at whiskys.co.uk