Benrinnes

Benrinnes is a malt whisky distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland. The single malt from Benrinnes is described as aromatic and very fruity. One reason for the full character of the Speyside malt is the use of traditional worm tub condensers. Thanks to its strong character, Benrinnes is very popular with blenders. The majority of Benrinnes' production is therefore used for the production of blended Scotch whisky. In major brands such as Johnnie Walker or J&B, Benrinnes provides depth and richness of flavour. As a single malt, you will only find Benrinnes in the Flora and Fauna collection from owner Diageo, or from independent bottlers. Our tip: Simply try the Stronachie single malt, for example with the Stronachie 10 year old. This is Benrinne's whisky bottled under the Stronachie name.

Not easy to celebrate a birthday here.

How old is the Benrinnes distillery? That's hard to say. A distillery called Benrinnes was founded in 1826 by Peter McKenzie at the foot of the mountain Ben Rinnes. Just three years later, however, it was completely destroyed, washed away by a major flood. In 1834, John Innes built a new distillery. However, not exactly on the same site - and under a different name: Lyne of Ruthrie. In 1838, however, the distillery was renamed Benrinnes. And this Benrinnes distillery was finally completely demolished in 1955/56 and rebuilt from scratch. The buildings we see today are therefore no more than 60 years old. Which begs the question: When do they actually celebrate a birthday here now?

What does Benrinnes mean? The translation of the name Benrinnes is "pointed mountain".
Where is Benrinnes located? The distillery is located in the heart of Speyside, close to the village of Aberlour. The distilleries Glenallachie and Glenfarclas are in the immediate neighbourhood. Benrinnes is therefore a typical Speyside whisky.

3 reasons to love Benrinnes

1) Because the malt is simply convincing.
2) Because names and dates of birth are just smoke and mirrors.
3) Because Benrinnes is a real insider tip.

What does Benrinnes whisky taste like?

Benrinnes is highly regarded by master blenders for its full body. The single malt is very fruity, round and spicy - sweetness of garden fruit meets black pepper.

Our Benrinnes recommendation

As Benrinnes itself does not have any standard bottlings, it is best to get to know the Stronachie 10 year old. The independent bottler A.D. Rattray bottles single malt under the name Stronachie Benrinnes.

A little history on Benrinnes

Until 1956: see above...
In 1964, the traditional floor maltings were replaced by the more modern, more efficient Saladin Boxes. The company has not produced its own malt since 1984.
In 1966, the number of stills was doubled from three to six.

Until a few years ago, Benrinnes, like Springbank, practised an unusual form of "two-and-a-half" distillation. In addition to the two wash stills and two spirit stills, two so-called intermediate stills were also used. Today, however, these are used as normal spirit stills for the usual double distillation. It remains to be seen what effect this change will have on the character of the malt.

Stronachie was originally a distillery in the southern Highlands, founded around 1890 and closed in 1928. Today, a malt is bottled under the name Stronachie, which pays tribute to the old style of this "lost distillery" and whose origins were the subject of some debate for some time. It is now certain that the Stronachie comes from the Benrinnes distillery in the Speyside region.

Figures & Facts about Benrinnes

Address: Aberlour , Banffshire AB38 9NN
Founded: 1835 by Peter Mackenzie
Status: active
Region:Speyside Whisky
Whisky type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Owner: Diageo
Capacity: approx. 3,500,000 litres
2 wash stills (22.935 l)
4 spirit stills (2 x 6,364 l. 2 x 9,292 l)
Water: Rowantree and Scurran Burn
Visitor Centre: -
Phone: +44 (0)1340 / 872600
Website: -