Benriach distillery company named distiller of the year in. Nov 18, 20 whisky tour the benriach distillery 2 replies so after a great tour at the balvenie, we took off and drove toward elgin to our next target. Glendronach distillery scotch malt whisky abbey whisky. Distillery founder, john duff, travelled home and abroad in pursuit of whisky adventures, before building the benriach distillery in 1898. It was established near huntly in 1826, by a consortium of businessmen including the. An exceptional whisky, it earned a silver outstanding medal. Glendronach us visitor centre glendronach distillery. Your guide will explain the whisky making process taking you through our mash house, to see our copper topped mash tun and scottish larch washbacks, showing you how we create our robust, heavy spirit in the still house.
Benromach is a speyside distillery founded by duncan mccallum and f. This book is a collection of labels and bottles from distillers. The benriach distillery co was formed in 2004 when former burn stewart distillers operations director billy walker teamed up with south africabased business partners geoff bell and wayne keiswetter to purchase the mothballed benriach distillery near elgin from chivas brothers. The benriach distillery co was formed in 2004 when former burn stewart distillers operations director billy walker teamed up with south africabased business partners geoff bell and wayne keiswetter to purchase the mothballed benriach distillery. There is no visitor center at the benriach distillery, but you can still book tours of the distillery on their website. You can also visit the distillery to shop at our unique boutique, and experience specialist local scottish cuisine at our elchies brasserie. The benriach distillery tour will begin in one of only two working floor. Focusing on special releases, limited editions, unique cask finishes, and peated malts, the new owners breathed fresh life into benriach, drawing critical attention and winning distillery of the year from malt advocate in 2007. Nov 30, 2017 it wasnt until a private consortium bought the distillery in 2004 that things really started to look up. Crafted from densely peated malted barley, benriach authenticus 30 years old is a rich, intense speyside single malt scotch whisky.
Although benriach started producing malt whisky back in 1898, the distillery was a victim of unfortunate timing. Official answers and comments will only be given on. But those flagship distilleries are just a part of the scotland story. The benriach distillery elgin 2020 all you need to know. A visit to benriach distillery, the comeback whisky kid of. The benriach distillery was established by john duff in 1898, close to the longmorn distillery which was also owned by duff. Built in 1898, the distillery is sited amongst the rolling barley fields that rise to the foothills of the grampian mountains.
The distillery was built just a stonesthrow from longmorn by the latters. John duff founded the distillery in morayshire back in 1898. Benriach distillery news newspapers books scholar jstor. As we crossed the courtyard from the malthouse to the distillery, we watched pigs about the same size and shape as a sherry butt rooting in the neighboring pastures soft mud. It is in his adventurous spirit that benriach boldly approaches the art of distillation and cask maturation. It is owned by the benriach distillery company ltd. Nov 30, 2017 benriach, like so many scottish distilleries, is located smack dab in the middle of working farmland. The story of benriach is typical of the great speyside distilleries. The benriach distillery company, which has a workforce of 165 employees including 55 seasonal and casual workers, will operate as a subsidiary of brownforman. Benriach whisky buy benriach whiskies online master of. The benriach distillery is located near elgin in the lossie part of speyside, between linkwood and longmorn.
For every glenmorangie, theres a daluainean underrecognized, unloved. The distillery tour to benriach was the highlight of my trip to speyside region. Benriach is not set up for lots of visitors such as macallan and i felt that because of this it felt much more personal. The book at the bottom left gives the readers ideas they may need to complete the look of their own finished product. The brand goes back to 1898, when it was founded by john duff. Jun 01, 2016 louisville, ky june 1, 2016 brownforman corporation announced today that it has completed its acquisition of the benriach distillery company limited for. Benriach was originally founded by john duff and co in 1897. There is no visitor center at the benriach distillery, but you can still book tours of the. The glendronach, benriach, and glenglassaugh single malt brands are rich in history and we believe they will continue to prosper and grow in. In 2008, the company acquired glendronach distillery near huntly, and purchased the glenglassaugh distillery in 20. There is creativity involved when designing these things and this book gives anyone the inspiration they may need to aid in the design on their own labels and bottles.
Brickman in 1898 and currently owned and run by gordon and macphail of elgin. The history of glenglassaugh distillery up to and including the first launches by the scaent group was described by whisky writer ian buxton in his book glenglassaugh. His longmorn distillery had been built in 1893, and having achieved early success he decided what was needed was another plant next door. Benriach releases peated cask strength whisky the whisky. The benriach distillery is delighted to announce the release of benriach authenticus 30 years old, a rare opportunity to experience a peated speyside single malt dating back to the 1980s. Distillery founder john duff travelled to kentucky and south africa in pursuit of whisky adventures, returning to scotland in 1898 to build the benriach distillery. Benriach was founded in 1898 by john duff under the name longmorn, although it was referred locally as longmorn 2. The acquisition of these super premium brands will allow brownforman to reenter one of our industrys most exciting and consistent growth segments, single malt scotch whisky. Benriach distillery elgin, moray local business facebook. The whisky is bottled at 10 years old, and is included as part of the seagrams heritage collection along with strathisla, glenkeith and longmorn. Us drinks company to buy benriach distillery company bbc news. In 1826 the exuberant and extroverted james allardice founded the distillery and produced his guid glendronach single malt. Benriach 17 years old solstice 2nd edition 50%, ob, 2012. The benriach distillery has many bottlings in its program.
Found in the beautiful scottish highlands, benriach distillery has a colourful history producing whisky. However, the timing proved to be unfortunate, preceding the pattison crash by just a few months. Founded in 1826, the glendronach was one of the very first licensed distilleries and has a history of enterprising owners, from the flamboyant james allardice to the ambitious. Benriach is a distillery firmly on the up after an unusual and occasionally difficult past. Benriach is in the very middle of the wide end of that funnel, outside the town of elgin. The glenglassaugh distillery company scotch whisky. Since being sold to billy walker in 2004 it has undergone a major regeneration and people are now well aware of just how great a whisky it can be. Benriach 21 year old tawny port cask finish master of malt. A comprehensive yet concise history of scotch whisky robert 20180517t17. The whiskys a z guide of scottish whisky distilleries benriach whisky distillery speyside region. Built by john duff in 1898, benriach displays all the traditional charm of a speyside distillery, and though it lay dormant for 65 years, our super premium single malt scotch whisky has continued to capture the curiosity of enthusiasts around the world. The distillery was built just a stonesthrow from longmorn by the latters owner john duff in 1898 just months before the disastrous pattison crash, which put the entire scotch whisky industry in.
Oldmeldrum in the celebrated valley of the garioch was named the granary of aberdeenshire, famous for producing the finest barley in all of scotland the distillery, which originally incorporated a brewery and tannery, stands on the very edge of the town oldmeldrum in. In 1900, the distillery was registered under the name longmorn distillery co. Benriach smoky single malt scotch whisky greatdrams. The benriach distillery is a single malt scotch whisky distillery in the speyside area of scotland. The benriach distillery company limited officers free. Brownforman, the louisville, kentuckybased producer of jack daniels, inturn bought the benriach distilling co in. In the heart of speyside, between the barley fields and the foothills of the grampian mountains, lies this famous scottish distillery. The benriach distillery was established in 1898 by the grant family on the same site as the longmorn distillery. Benriach was constructed in 1898 by john duff, who had built the longmorn distillery just a few years year earlier. Explore the art of distillation and cask maturation on this 1. The distillery lies in the heart of the speyside between the town rothes and the city elgin. The glendronach distillery nestled in the valley of forgue, deep in the east highland hills near aberdeenshire, is named after the source of its water. Moray is shaped like a funnel, with the tip pointed to the sourcewaters of the spey river. In march last year, batch 1 of benriach s cask strength was launched to showcase the raw style of the distillery as sampled at the source.
Glendronach distillery is a scottish whisky distillery located near forgue, by huntly, aberdeenshire, in the highland whisky district. In october, benriach authenticus, a 21 years old version of the peated benriach, is launched, restricted to just 800 cases per annum. Book your tickets online for the benriach distillery, elgin. The benriach distillery elgin 2020 all you need to. The benriach distillery which is located just off the road to elgin, close by to longmorn distillery. Benriach was operational for just two years before. Benriach about the distillery, its history and its scotch malt whisky including tasting notes. Apr 27, 2016 benriach was established by the grant family in 1898 and was subsequently closed and lay dormant until glenlivet distillers reopened the distillery in 1965. Benriach distillery company also operates the benriach and glendronach distilleries. Speyside whisky tour private, tailor made tours from amber spirit. Benriach distillery best benriach single malt scotch whisky.
Benriach has four traditional pot stills, each with a capacity of 915,000 litres and the total distillery capacity is just under 3 million litres of pure alcohol per year. For the first time in its history the benriach is released as a single malt brand in its own right. At the time, locals were known to refer to it as longmorn 2. Indeed, locally benriach was sometimes referred to as longmorn 2.
Speysides benriach distillery has today, tuesday 28 march, launched batch 1 of its new peated cask strength expression to pair with its classic cask strength offering. The tour is worth taking, as the distillery is one of the handful of distilleries that still have the full production depth inhouse. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, glendronach distillery company was passed to french distiller pernod ricard in 2005, which sold it onto the benriach distilling co. This is quiet place, not that huge like some other distilleries in dufftown, they have tours just twice a week so far but they have traditions there, they have heart and soul, pationate people are. History of scotch whisky the rise of single malt scotch.
In july, benriach 25 years old and benriach 30 years old are launched. Benriach distillery company is marking its 11th year under the leadership of billy walker and his team of investors, who purchased benriach in 2004 from chivas brothers and began marketing its whiskies as single malts. The following year, the company relaunched glendronach with a core range comprised of a 12, 15 and 18yearold, and has since added a series of limited. Benriach 17 year old septendecim whisky master of malt.
Brownforman is, first and foremost, an american whiskey company. It is situated near forres in morayshire and is fed with spring water from the chapelton springs in the romach hills beside forres. It now runs at a capacity of 2,800,000 litres per year under the watch of current owners benriach distillery co. Time has shown that glendronach is a survivor, while other distilleries in the north east of scotland have faded into the history books, this iconic distillery continues to grow in popularity. The distilleries were joined by a private railroad, with a private steam locomotive, the puggy, to transport coal, barley, peat and barrels between the distilleries. Horst talks about the benriach distillery and how the distillery was sold and closed a lot of times. Mar 10, 2018 benriach 10 year old by the whisky writer published march 10, 2018 updated march 8, 2018 billy walker was the master distiller at benriach distillery company, and is a serial scotch entrepreneur.
The purchase, which brings three outstanding single malt scotch whisky brands the glendronach, benriach, and glenglassaugh into brownformans growing whiskey portfolio, includes brand trademarks, three malt. The tour was very enjoyable and informative and was in no way rushed. Down the years, the distillery he created has thrived under the stewardship of farsighted investors like walter scott in 1847 and captain charles grant in 1920. In 2004, the benriach distillery company ltd was established with the acquisition of the benriach distillery by an independent consortium led by billy walker. We were shown around by ewan the warehouse manager. This is a peaty expression from benriach that has been finished in tawny port casks so expect complexity.
The benriach distillery company limited free company information from companies house including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity. The distillery was built just a stonesthrow from longmorn by the latters owner john duff in 1898 just months before the disastrous pattison crash, which put the entire scotch whisky industry in peril. As she approaches her first year as master blender at the benriach distillery company, rachel barrie discusses wood policy, product development, and why theres no such thing as a bad whisky, just some that are better than others very few master blenders could list the likes of glenmorangie, bowmore, laphroaig and glen moray on their cv, but rachel barrie is one of them. Benriach whisky distillery whiskys a z of scottish whisky. The story of glenglassaugh distillery is a real phoenixfromtheflames tale. Following the pattisons crash in 1900, the distillery was mothballed until 1965. Peated the benriach is, in fact, a return to the original speyside character and flavour of malts typical of the nineteenth century, and uniquely, this is the only speyside distillery with a history of such a highly peated style, dating back to 1972. While all expenses were covered during our visit to these distilleries, editorial control of these articles remains with the whiskey wash. Benriach single malt whisky benriach is a distillery firmly on the up after an unusual and occasionally difficult past. In 1900, soon after the railroad was established, the distillery stopped production due to the collapse. In june, the benriach distillery company wins best performing small business at the 2006 enterprising scotland awards. This tour concludes with the opportunity to sample 2 of our whiskies. Apr 27, 2016 us spirits and wine giant, the brownforman corporation, agrees to buy benriach distillery company for.
This single cask single malt scotch whisky was distilled at the benriach distillery up in picturesque speyside. It is the first peated single cask whisky we have released and wow is it a special one, having been matured in a 2ndfill oloroso sherry barrel for a unique. The benriach distillery is a single malt scotch whisky distillery in the speyside area of. Canadian whisky firm seagrams then acquired the distillery in 1978, which saw a further two stills added at the site to four in total. The distillery was founded in 1826 by james allardes referred to often as allardice as the second distillery to apply for a licence to legally produce whisky under the excise act of 1823, which passed. Whisky distillery tours speyside distillery the macallan.
Book your experience to learn about the history, heritage and foundations of our exceptional single malt whisky. Canoe to have benriach distillery fourcourse scotch dinner. The benriach distillery is generally not open to the public. Aug 18, 2016 visited the benriach distillery on 11th august with friends whilst staying in the area. Despite initial optimism, the establishment of benriach was poorly timed as its opening only preceded the pattison a look at the benriach distillery read more. Join us for a visit through the distillery, seeing first hand the traditional methods that have been in use for nearly 200 years. However, due to the high level of interest in visiting benriach we offer an exclusive connoisseurs tour. Brownforman completes acquisition of the glendronach.
Benriach was john duffs second distillery, and he built it just up the way from his first longmorn. It is in his adventurous spirit that benriach creatively explores the art of distillation and cask maturation, pushing the boundaries of malt alchemy like no other. The distilleries were joined by a private railway, with a private steam locomotive, the puggy, to transport coal, barley, peat and barrels between the distilleries. Benriach 30 years old authenticus 46%, ob, 2017 the. Unfortunately for duff, he choose to open benriach in the very year of the biggest economic crash the whisky market has ever seen, also known as the pattison crash. The spey valley, in which the benriach distillery was built by john duff in 1898, is home to many of scotlands great whiskies, but benriach has its own uniqueness borne from the particular methods and skills of the men who craft the whisky, the ingredients they use, the distinctive copper stills and the high quality barrels selected for.