Discover Benromach distillery
Discover Benromach distillery
Scotch Whisky
Speyside, land of fertile fields and endless moors, is home to a third of all Scottish malt distilleries, mostly scattered along the banks of the river Spey. Though many of them have transitioned to large-scall production, Benromach — located on the edge of the Northern Highlands — has chosen a different path: artisanal, handcrafted whisky, the ancestral way.
Renovated by Gordon & MacPhail between 1993 and 1998, the distillery set the tone with its very first bottling in 2004: Benromach Traditional was a spotlight for the traditional pre-1960s Speyside style.
Benromach’s retro atmosphere and whitewashed buildings are a glimpse into a different time. The shifting light, cool winds, and fog of the nearby North Sea combine to give it even further charm.
◊ Dwarfing the cellars at 28 metres tall, the red-brick chimney draws the eye as soon as one arrives. A vestige of the era when the pot stills were still heated with coal, it remains a symbol of the distillery’s history: it was built in the late 19th century by Charles Doig, an architect of great renown in the whisky industry.
◊ The distillery has held onto traditional methods and equipment. A third of the fermentation vats are original, and the grain mill — a Bobby mill — is still in use despite being 120 years old. Although the stills were built in the 20th century, distillation is done the old-fashioned way, without the aid of electronics to automate production. Working in three 8-hour shifts, distillers take turns attending the single pair of pot stills around the clock.
◊ The barrel head displayed in the visitor centre comes from the very first barrel filled when the distillery reopened in 1998. The inauguration took place in the presence of the then Prince of Wales (now King of the United Kingdom), known to be a great lover of whisky. Soon after, Benromach was granted a Royal warrant, an official designation given out by the British royal family to firms supplying goods or services to the royal court.
◊ At the visitor centre's bar, do not miss the Benromach 10 Year Old. This absolute classic, peated at 12 ppm, is a revival of the traditional Speyside malt style of the 1960s, characterised by a slight note of smoke. This old-school style, which fell out of fashion in the 1970s, has become Benromach’s signature.
◊ Head to the coastal village of Findhorn, less than 15 minutes away. The Crown and Anchor pub’s whisky menu shows great dedication to Benromach, featuring many of the distillery’s releases alongside bottlings from Gordon & MacPhail.
◊ Another local celebrity: Walkers, one of the great producers of shortbread, was created in 1898—the same year as Benromach. The delicious little biscuits are made in Elgin, a scant 20 minutes from the distillery.
◊ A stopover in Elgin is a must, in order to discover a local institution: Johnstons of Elgin, manufacturer of luxury Scottish knitwear since 1797. When Gordon & MacPhail’s historic headquarters was undergoing its (long) renovation, its temporary shop was set up in an adjoining building known as The Courtyard. This is partly due to a familial link between the Urquharts — founders of Gordon & MacPhail — and the Harrisons, who have owned Johnstons of Elgin for four generations.
◊ Benromach is located about 15 kilometres northwest of Spey Bay, from which one can begin hiking the famous Speyside Way trail. It mainly follows the river, from which the region’s legendary distilleries — Macallan, Aberlour, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant, Craigellachie — draw their water. The trail leads to the Cairngorms National Park, home to Gordon & MacPhail’s second distillery: The Cairn.
◊ Rothes, another historic Speyside town, is located eighteen miles or so from Forres. Home to three distilleries, it is also where Forsyths — a family-owned business which manufactures most of Scotland’s stills, including Benromach’s — has been making its copper pot stills since 1933. They are hammered out by hand to this day.
Benromach, Single Malt
Benromach, Single Malt
BENROMACH 10 ans 2014 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Itinéraires
58.3%single malt whisky70cLscotland/speyside
Ref: 69607
Although the Benromach distillery was founded in 1898 in the town of Forres, in the north of Speyside, production only began in 1909. Closed between 1931 and 1937, it was dismantled in 1983. Ten years later, Gordon & MacPhail acquired the site and revived operations in 1998. Crafted from the Concerto barley variety ...See more120.00 €
BENROMACH
BENROMACH 16 ans 2009 1st Fill Super Toscan Itinéraires
58.2%single malt whisky70cLscotland/speyside
Ref: 69632
The Benromach distillery, acquired in 1993 by the Gordon & MacPhail trading house, was likely inaugurated on October 15, 1998, in the presence of Prince Charles, after the buildings had been completely renovated. Its first single malt was launched in 2004, followed two years later by a version made from organically gro...See more199.00 €
BENROMACH
BENROMACH 22 ans 2002 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel Itinéraires
57.2%single malt whisky70cLscotland/speyside
Ref: 69587
The Benromach distillery is equipped with nine European larch vats and four Scottish larch vats, in which fermentation times vary between 59 and 135 hours. Its distillation room is equipped with a wash still and a spirit still with swan necks forming a right angle and equipped with external condensers. Reviving a pract...See more309.00 €
