BenRiach

BENRIACH DISTILLERY

Located in the heart of Speyside, in the north-east region of Morayshire, BenRiach displays all the traditional charm of a Speyside distillery. Built by John Duff in 1898, BenRiach draws its water from the Burnside springs located underground, deep below the distillery.

Although BenRiach started producing malt whisky back in 1898, the distillery was a victim of unfortunate timing. BenRiach was operational for just two years before the ‘Pattison Crash’, in 1900, which resulted in a period of hardship for the entire whisky industry and the closure of many distilleries. So, after just a couple of years of distillation, the stills at BenRiach fell silent, and remained so for 65 long years. Under normal circumstances, this would have spelled the end for the distillery, as the buildings would surely have been demolished. However, next to BenRiach lay its sister distillery Longmorn, which had enjoyed sporadic periods of production during BenRiach’s lengthy hiatus. The whisky makers at Longmorn continued to source some of their malted barley from the floor maltings at BenRiach, and it was this alone that kept the distillery alive during those ‘mothballed’ years. Then, in 1965, the Scotch whisky industry entered a golden era, and suddenly new distilleries were being commissioned and dormant distilleries re-opened, including BenRiach. Production re-commenced immediately. Fast-forward to 2004, and the beginning of the most exciting period in BenRiach’s history. It was in April of that year that BenRiach became independent, having been purchased by The BenRiach Distillery Company Limited. This independent ownership allows the distillery to experiment with several interesting wood finishes, and it continues to produce whisky from both peated and non-peated malted barley. The BenRiach portrays its own uniqueness through the particular methods and skills of the men who craft the whisky, the ingredients used, the distinctive copper stills and the high quality casks selected for maturation.

If you are considering a visit to BenRiach, the distillery is not generally open to the public but you can book in for a personalised tour in one of just four slots each week.

Book and contact via website W: www.benriachdistillery.com OPENING HOURS: You can visit (if you’ve pre-booked) on a Tuesday or a Thursday at either 10am or 2pm. TOUR DETAILS AND PRICING: The ‘Connoisseur’s Tour’ lasts around 1hr 30mins and the cost is approximately $55