Benriach

The Benriach Distillery is one of the whisky distilleries in Scotland that has made an astonishing comeback. Benriach was once primarily produced for use in blended Scotch whisky. With the takeover by Billy Walker in 2003, Benriach developed into an exciting single malt brand. Benriach produces a soft, fruitySpeyside whisky. However, the Speyside distillery shows that they can also make smoky whisky. Try the smoky varieties and see for yourself that you don't have to go to Islay to enjoy delicious peated malts!

Early death and glorious resurrection.

This is probably a sad record in the whisky world: Just two years after its launch, the Benriach Distillery was shut down. This was not due to the poor quality of the single malt. Or because of any other possible shortcomings of the distillery. The demand for malt whisky, which was primarily produced as part of the blends, had simply been misjudged. And with Longmorn, the owner already owned an established distillery right next door. But even if it took a long time, there was still a happy ending for Benriach. The distillery was revitalised in 1965. In 2003, whisky entrepreneur Billy Walker took over Benriach and founded the BenRiach Distillery Company. Later, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh would also become part of the company. Under the leadership of Billy Walker, Benriach developed to new heights. In 2016, the entire BenRiach Distillery Company, including all three distilleries, was sold to the US company Brown Forman (Jack Daniel's).

What does Benriach mean? The translation of Benriach is "dreary mountain".

Where is the Benriach Distillery located? The distillery is situated on the road between Elgin and Rothes in Speyside in the immediate neighbourhood of Longmorn. Benriach is therefore a Speyside whisky.

3 reasons to love Benriach

1) Because you should never give up hope.
2) Because the malt here is still/again handmade.
3) Because smoky whisky is also produced in Speyside thanks to Benriach.

What does Benriach whisky taste like?

Benriach is actually one of the lighter Speyside representatives, with floral aromas and a delicate sweetness. However, there are also heavily peated variants and therefore very smoky Benriach whiskies. The sherry cask versions are also very exciting. The latter have significantly more body, are heavier, creamier and not just visually "darker".

Our Benriach recommendation

We recommend the Benriach 10 year old as a smooth, fruity introduction. If you want to get to know the smoky side of Speyside, go for the Benriach 12 Year Old The Smoky Three Cask Matured.

A little history on Benriach

Benriach was built in 1898 by John Duff right next to the Longmorn distillery. However, the distillery had to close just two years later. Only the malthouse, which supplied Longmorn and others, remained active.
It was not until 1965 that Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. revived the distillery. Benriach then went to Seagram in 1978 and was expanded from two to four stills in 1985. In 1994, the first official single malt from the Benriach distillery was launched on the market. In 1999, the company's own malting floors were finally closed - after over 100 years of continuous production.
In 2001, Benriach and other distilleries were sold to the French group Pernod Ricard, which initially reduced production and only operated the distillery for three months a year until it was shut down completely in August 2002. In April 2004, the BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd, which had been founded by Billy Walker, Geoff Bell and Wayne Keiswetter specifically for this purpose, bought the distillery.
Benriach has actually been called "BenRiach" ever since, is back in normal operation and is still an important component of successful blends such as 100 Pipers or Chivas Regal. The maltings were put back into operation in 2013. This makes Benriach one of only a handful of Scottish distilleries that produces its own malt. In 2016, the owners sold the entire BenRiach Distillery Company including Glenglassaugh, Glendronach and Benriach to the US company Brown Forman (Jack Daniel's).

Figures & facts about Benriach

Address: Longmorn, Elgin , Morayshire IV30 8SJ
Founded: 1898 by John Duff
Status: active
Owner: Brown Forman
Capacity: approx. 2,800.00 litres
2 wash stills (x l)
2 spirit stills (x l)
Water: Bourmade Spring
Visitor Centre: Yes
Phone: +44 (0)1542 / 862888
Website: www.benriachdistillery.co.uk