Distillery in Focus: Benriach
Region: Speyside
Name: BenRiach ("Speckled Mountain"). Former names: Longmorn II, Benriach-Glenlivet.
Status: Active
Website: www.benriachdistillery.co.uk
Telephone: 01343 862888
Address: The BenRiach Distillery, Elgin, Morayshire, IV30 8SJ
E-Mail: No
Visitor centre: No.
Owner: PR Brands, Intra Trading
Established in 1898
Stills: 2 Wash and 2 Spirit stills
Percentage of single malts: ?
Casks used for maturation: Mainly bourbon casks, but also sherry and wine casks.
Contribute(d) to the following blends: Chivas Regal, 100 Pipers, Clan Murray, Glen Bervie, Queen Anne, and Something Special
Regular Bottling:
'Classic' Speyside Style:
- Heart of Speyside 40%
- 12 Years Old 43%
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16 Years Old 43%
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20 Years Old 43%
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25 Years Old 50%
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30 Years Old 50%
Peated BenRiach
- Curiositas' Peated 10 Years Old 46 %
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Authenticus' Peated 21 Years Old 46%
The range is now expanded with the 'Peated Wood Finishes' and the 'Wood Finish Series', in addition to 'Limited Releases' (single cask bottlings).
For the tasted whiskies, click here
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History of BenRiach Distillery
Benriach was founded in 1898 by John Duff under the name Longmorn, although it was referred locally as Longmorn 2. In 1900, the distillery was registered under the name Longmorn Distillery Co. Ltd. Following the Pattison's crash in 1900, the distillery was mothballed until 1965. However BenRiach’s floor maltings remain in constant production during this period, providing malted barley for the fully operational Longmorn Distillery. The distillery was completely refurbished in 1965 under the ownership of Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. and reopened in 1966. The name of the distillery is changed to "Benriach-Glenlivet" in 1975. Glenlivet Distillers Ltd, including BenRiach distillery, is purchased in 1978 by Seagram Ltd. In 1983, due to a shortage of Islay malt for blending, production of heavily peated barley was started. In 1985, the number of stills is increased from 2 to 4. In 1999, the distillery operated only 3 months and the floor maltings are closed. On 19th December 2001, Pernod-Ricard took over Seagram and mothballed BenRiach in August 2002. Pernod-Ricard sold BenRiach in April 2004 to PR Brand Intra trading, a consortium consisting of Billy Walker and South Africans Geoff Bell and Wayne Keiswetter. The first distillation under the new ownership started on the 20th September 2004. Since 2004, there has been a continuous production of peated malt (10%) and non-peated malt (90%).
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| The old maltings on the left and the new still house on the right. | Inside the still house |
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| The old maltings are in excellent condition and ready to start again | Some of the oldest cask in the warehouse |
Source: Distillery visit, www.benriachdistillery.co.uk, The Scotch Whisky Book by Tom Bruce-Gardyne,The Making of Scotch whisky by John R. Hume & Michael S. Moss, and The Scotch Whisky Distilleries by Misako Udo
©P.Brossard 24 Jan 09.
| Official/original bottlings (OB) | |
| Age | |
| BenRiach 10 YO Curiositas, OB, 40%, B:2006 | Rating: 15/20  |
| BenRiach 12 YO, OB, 40%, B: 2006 | Rating: 13/20  |
| BenRiach Horizons Triple distilled 12 YO, OB, 50%, B: 2011 | Rating: 11/20 |
| BenRiach Madeira finish, 13 YO, OB, 47%, B: 2008, c. 3122 | Rating: 13/20 |
| BenRiach 15 YO Dark Rum, OB, 46%, B: 2006 | Rating: 13/20 |
| BenRiach 15 YO Pedro Ximenez, OB, 46%, B: 2006 | Rating: 13/20 |
| BenRiach 16 YO, OB, 43%, B: 2006 | Rating: 13/20 |
| BenRiach 16 YO Sauternes finish, OB, 46%, B: 2008 | Rating: 12/20 |
| BenRiach 20 YO, OB, 43%, B: 2006 | Rating: 14/20 |
| BenRiach 21 YO Authenticus, OB, B: 2006, 46%. | Rating: 17/20 |
| Vintages | |
| BenRiach 1968 for LMDW, 36 YO, OB, 46%, c. 2711. | Rating: 18/20  |
| BenRiach 1971, 40 YO, OB, 49.8%, B: 2011, c. 1947, 229 b. | Rating: 17/20 |
| BenRiach 1976, 29 YO, OB, 56%, B: 2006, c. 8084, 194 b. | Rating: 16/20 |
| BenRiach 1976 Tokaji finish, 29 YO, OB, 52.5%, B: 2007, c. 4416 | Rating: 07/20  |
| BenRiach 1976 for The Whisky Fair, 33 YO, OB, 46.2%, B: 2009, c. 3550, 103 b. | Rating: 18/20 |
| BenRiach 1976 for The Whisky Fair, 33 YO, OB, 47.4%, B: 2009, c. 3558, 162 b. | Rating: 17/20 |
| BenRiach 1976 for LMDW, 33 YO, OB, 51.6%, B: 2009, c.3551 | Rating: 18/20 |
| BenRiach 1977, 31 YO, OB, 51.5%, B: 2008, c. 7186, 212 b. | Rating: 15/20 |
| BenRiach 1978 Moscatel finish , 29 YO, OB, 52.2%, B: 2007, c. 4413 | Rating: 13/20 |
| BenRiach 1978 Moscatel finish, 30 YO, OB, 50.7%, B: 2008, c. 4412 | Rating: 11/20 |
| BenRiach 1984 Port finish, 22 YO, OB, 54.5%, B: 2007, c. 4049, 288 b. | Rating: 17/20 |
| BenRiach 1984 Richly Peated Port Finish, 22 YO, OB, 54.2%, B: 2007, c. 4049, 264 b. | Rating: 17/20 |
| BenRiach 1986 Fino, 19 YO, OB, 55%, B: 2006, cask 9362 | Rating: 17/20 |
| Benriach 1988 sherry finish, 16 YO, OB, 54.7%, B :2005, cask 802, 675 b. | Rating: 12/20 |
| BenRiach 1995 Pedrox Ximinez, OB, 58.3%, B:2011, c. 7164, 695 b. | Rating: 17/20 |
| No Age Specified (NAS) |
| Independent bottlings (IB) | |
| Adelphi | |
| BenRiach 1977, 34 YO, Adelphi, 48.6%, B: 2011, 217 bottles | Rating: 15/20 |
| Cadenhead's | |
| Benriach 1978, 17 YO, Cadenhead, 59.7%, B: 1995 | Rating: 15/20 |
| Duncan Taylor | |
| BenRiach 1968, 37 YO, Duncan Taylor, 48.6%, Cask 2597 | Rating: 18/20 |
| Executive Malts | |
| BenRiach 1987 European Oak finish, 19 YO, Exclusive Malts, 51.3%, B: 2007, c. 14388 | Rating: 17/20 |
| Hart Brothers | |
| BenRiach 1968 sherrywood, 34 YO, Hart Brothers, 49.8% | Rating: 18/20 |
| Signatory | |
| BenRiach 1976, 29 YO, Signatory, 54.6%, c.9441 | Rating: 17/20 |
| BenRiach 1985, 23 YO, 49.0%, Signatory, B: 2009, c. 5501 | Rating: 14/20 |
| Single Malts of Scotland | |
| BenRiach 1984 (Sherry), 21 YO, SMOS, 56.7% c. 490/514 | Rating: 17/20 |
