BenRiach

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Written by Brian Donnelly, CSS, WSET III

Parent Company: Brown Forman Co.

Distillery Location: Elgin, Speyside, in the Northeast Region of Morayshire

Established: 1898

Master Distiller: Rachel Barrie

Category: Single Malt Scotch

Overview

The name BenRiach originates from the Scottish Gaelic, meaning the “Hill of Riach,” and the distillery is the first distillery you pass from the North on the Speyside whisky trail. In 2015, BenRiach® was named Whiskey Distillery of the Year, by Whisky Magazine during the Icons of Scotland presentation. They have received this award 3x since 2004.

History

The BenRiach distillery was founded in 1898 by John Duff, after he returned from traveling abroad, and spending time in the whisky industry of South Africa and Kentucky. After 2 years, the distillery fell on hard times during the Pattison Crash, and was forced to stop production. No additional whisky was distilled here for 65 years. The neighboring Longmorn distillery continued to source some of their malted barley from the malting floors at BenRiach.® This was the only business that kept the distillery from being completely shut down and demolished. In 1965, the Scotch whisky category received a resurge in popularity, and the BenRiach distillery begin distilling whisky again. The former Master Distiller, Billy Walker, said that when he came on board in 2004, he had 38 years of inventory to work with. The distillery was purchased by Brown Forman in 2016, along with GlenDronach® and Glenglassaugh.®

Grain Recipe

All BenRiach® whisky is produced from 100% malted barley, which is Scottish grown, and harvested locally from farms across Speyside and Northeast Scotland.

Malting & Mashing

BenRiach® is known for producing 3 distinctive styles of whisky: unseated (classic), peated, and triple-distilled. BenRiach® is one of two remaining Speyside distilleries, along with Balvenie,® that seasonally malt small batches of barley using the traditional floor malting method. Floor malting is the process of spreading out the barley, applying heat from burning peat underneath the floor, and hand turning the barley in order to induce germination. All peated expressions use exclusively Highland Peat, taken from the top layer of the soil. Highland Peat has a charcoal and campfire aroma, compared to Islay Peat which has a unique saltwater, seaweed, brine, iodine, and medicinal aroma. The distillery has a signature gentle mashing style, which creates a smooth, fruity taste profile, with sweeter barley notes.

Distillation

Distilled in onion-shaped still which gives the whisky a medium weight body.

Maturation

The BenRiach® brand has built a reputation for “eclectic cask maturation,” with an uninterrupted inventory of whisky dating back to 1966. The heart of the distillery is Warehouse 13, the oldest dunnage warehouse, which holds all their most experimental casks, earning it the nickname of “The Lab.” Warehouse 13 has up to 24 different types of casking aging inside, including special casks like: Virgin Oak, Ex-Bourbon, European Wine, Port, Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, Burgundy, Sauternes, Marsala, and Moscatel.

Maltology

The BenRiach Distillery has a unique philosophy know has Maltology. The five main pillars of this are: Eclectic Cask Maturation, Onsite Floor Malting, Fruit Forward Distillation, 4 Water Mashing, and 3 Malt Whiskey Styles.

BenRiach Maltology definition: “This is our umbrella philosophy that encapsulates our bold and creative approach to whisky distilling, cask maturation, and blending. It celebrates and builds on the experimental heritage of the distillery and aims to transcend conventional malt narratives, welcoming the next generation of malt whisky drinkers. A fresh, contemporary narrative that explores the possibilities of Speyside Single Malt.”

BenRiach The Smokey Ten

BenRiach The Thirty

The contents, statements, and thoughts expressed on this site are purely my own and do not officially represent the opinions of any supplier, brand, or distillery. All brand names are the official copy right of their respective parent company, and I do not own the right to any of the included brands on this website. Any mistakes made on this website are purely my own.

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