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, resulted in a period of hardship for the entire whisky industry, and the resultant closure of many distilleries. So, after just a couple of years of distillation, the stills at BenRiach fell silent, and remained so for sixty five 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, which had remained operational, and it was this alone that kept BenRiach alive during those ‘mothballed’ years.
Then, in 1965, the Scotch whisky industry entered a golden era, and suddenly new distilleries were being commissioned and mothballed 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.
Benriach The Twelve (Dragon – Limited Edition)
BenRiach 20 Year Old 1997 Cask 4437 Batch 15 Marsala Hogshead
- Aged : 20 years
- Cask Type : Marsala Hogshead
- Appearance : Deep Autumn russet and gold.
- Nose : Sweet Valencia orange and peach segments on a cream and biscuit base, smothered in syrupy fruit glaze.
- Palate : Peach melba and sweet clementine fruit salad with lingering fresh double cream and toasted almond into the finish.
BenRiach 27 Year Old 1991 Cask 1850 Batch 16 Madeira Hogshead
BenRiach 21 Year Old 1997 Cask 7858 Batch 16 Virgin Oak Hogshead
BenRiach 21 Year Old 1997 Cask 4438 Batch 16 Marsala Hogshead
BenRiach 24 Year Old 1994 Cask 7379 Batch 16 Bourbon Barrel
Benriach Malting Season (First Edition)
- COLOUR : Barley gold
- NOSE : Richly aromatic with barley sugar, almond fudge and poached orchard apple
- PALATE : Smooth and rounded with vanilla and honeyed pear, with the lasting nuttiness of slowly kilned malt