Benromach

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > B

BENROMACH

15 years old

64.3 %

Distilled Feb 77

Bottled Mar 92

Society Cask No. code 47.2

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

Bleekgeel van kleur. Pittige neus met specerijen. Medium body. Krachtige, heel pittige smaak. Indringend. Wordt vriendelijker met wat water eraan toegevoegd. Fris, iets zoet. Lange afdronk

BENROMACH

12 years old

61,3 %

Distilled Aug 82

Bottled Sept 94

Society Cask No. code 47.3

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

Goud van kleur. In de neus karamel, sherry en (heel licht) rubber, zoals melk die uit de fles wordt gesabbeld inplaats van rechtstreeks uit de borst.

Met wat water bloeit de whisky op en wordt zoet en pikant op een onfatsoenlijke biologische manier. Heerlijk zoet van smaak, licht en fruitig. Heel schone afdronk.

BENROMACH

19 years old

40 %

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

Distilled 1970

Bottled 1989

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

EMPTY

BENROMACH

19 years old

63.8 %

RARE MALTS SELECTION

Natural Cask Strenght

Distilled 1978

Bottled May 1998

Limited Edition

Genummerde flessen

United Malt & Grain Distillers, Edinburgh

Founded in 1898 near Forres, Benromach employed a mash-tun unusually made of wood. Often silent in its early years, it nonetheless remained active until 1983. In this century bottling of a full golden yellow 19 year old ripe, flowery aromas entice you into a big, almond-flavoured, creamy and round-bodied Speyside malt with a crisp, dry finish

BENROMACH GLENLIVET

12 years old

40%

Limited Edition

1000 numbered bottles

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Built in 1898, Benromach Distillery stands on the outskirts of the ancient town of Forres, in the beautiful 'Laich of Moray'. The distillery takes its name and also its water from the nearby Romach Hills.

The distillery is owned by Gordon & Macphail, a family company with over one hundred years of tradition and experienceof bottling fine malt whiskies.

Fruity, warming and mellow, a classic scotch whisky experience.

BENROMACH GLENLIVET

12 years old

40 %

LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY

Benromach Distillery, Forres

BENROMACH GLENLIVET

17 years old

43 %

SPECIAL CENTENARY BOTTLING

1898 - 1998 BENROMACH

Distilled: 1981

Bottled: 1998

Limited Edition

3500 bottles

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

It was the 24th May 1895 when James Gordon and John Macphail opened their new grocers and wine merchants business in the Royal Burgh of Elgin. The partners had been fortunate in acquiring some very desirable premises, which were both 'commodious and centrical' situated on Elgin's busy South Street.

Gordon & Macphail are based in Elgin 'The whisky capital of the world' which is situated about 15 miles from Forres, home of Benromach. James Gordon and John MacPhail were joined, in their first year of trading, by John Urquhart, whose son and grandchildren now own and operate the business.

Gordon & MacPhail has always specialised in the selection, maturation and bottling of the finest and rarest single malt scotch whiskies.

Three rare casks, used since 1886, 1895 and 1901 for the seasoning of sherries were filled with the finest 15 year old Benromach single malt whisky. Now 17 years of age this whisky is bottled to commemorate Benromach's centenary.

BENROMACH GLENLIVET

28 years old

40 %

VINTAGE 1973

SINGLE SPEYSIDE

MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Distilled: 1973

Bottled: 2001

Bottled by The Proprietors

Gordon & Macphail,

Benromach Distillery, Forres

Uitgebracht zomer 2004:

BENROMACH

40%

Single Speyside

Malt Scotch Whisky

Matured in Hand Selected Oak Casks

TRADITIONAL

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forres.

Bottled by The Proprietors,

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

A Family Business for over 100 Years.

Distilled and matured at the smallest working distillery in Speyside. Benromach uses spring water from the nearby Romach Hills, the finest malted barley and hand selected oak casks.

The result is a rich, mellow whisky with fruity and malty tones, balanced with a hint of smoke.

BENROMACH

21 years old

45 %

TOKAJI WOOD FINISH

Distilled: 1983

Bottled: 2004

Finished in Hungarian Tokaji Wine Casks

Finishing Period 6 Months

Limited Edition

2000 Bottles

Benromach Distillery, Forres

BENROMACH

43 %

ORGANIC

Speyside Single Malt

Scotch Whisky

Un-chillfiltered

Natural colour

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forres

Bottled by The Proprietors

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Handcrafted at the Smallest Distillery in Speyside, Benromach Organic has been produced using the finest organic ingrdients and matured in virgin American oak casks.

Produced under organic standards and the entire process has been certified by The Soil Association.

The resultant whisky is rich and fruity with sweet, resinous flavours.

BENROMACH

LATITUDE of LIVERPOOL

55 %

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

SINGLE CASK LAT 55o

COMMEMORATIVE BOTTLING TO

CELEBRATE THE CLIPPER 07 -08

ROUND THE WORLD YACHT RACE

Distilled: Jan 1999

Cask No: 15

Cask Type: Refill Sherry Butt

Bottled: Oct. 2007

Limited Edition

650 Bottles

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forres

Bottled by the Proprietors, Gordon & Macphail,

A Family Businness for over 100 Years

BENROMACH

LATITUDE of LIVERPOOL

53 %

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

SINGLE CASK LAT 53o

SECOND RELEASE

COMMEMORATIVE BOTTLING TO

CELEBRATE THE CLIPPER 07 - 08

ROUND THE WORLD YACHT RACE

Distilled Oct 1999

Cask No: 706

Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead

Bottled: Oct 2007

Limited Edition

330 Bottles

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forres

Bottled by the Proprietors, Gordon & Macphail,

A Family Businness for over 100 Years

BENROMACH

10 years old

43 %

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Matured in Hand Selected Oak Casks

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forres,

Bottled by The Proprietors Gordon & Macphail,

A Family Business for 100 Years

Elgin

Benromach is carefully handcrafted at Speyside’s smallest distillery by just two men using the

finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills.

Golden in colour with a soft mellow character, this single malt combines soft fruity notes with

a rich sherry influence and gentle peat smoke to deliver an exceptional whisky experience.

Deze tien jaar oude Benromach is voor het eerst uitgebracht in de zomer van 2009

The secret of Benromach is too good to keep and is perfect to share

BENROMACH

45 %

WOOD FINISH

FINISHED IN SASSICAIA WINE CASKS

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Distilled 2002

Finishing Period 24 Months

Bottled August 2009

Limited Edition of 4000 bottles

Bottled bt The Proprietors Gordon & Macphail,

A Family Business for 100 Years

Elgin

Built in 1898, Benromach Distillery stands on the outskirts of the ancient town of Forres in the

beautiful “Laich of Moray”.

Sassicaia is one of the most sought after red wines from Bolgheri in Tuscany, one of Italy’s most

exclusive fine wine regions.

An elegant, complex wine, it is now widely accepted as one of the world’s greatest Cabernet Sau-

vignon wines.

Since reopening in 1998, Benromach Distillery has produced a more traditional style of Speyside

Malt Scotch Whisky – richer, fuller flavours with a distinctive smoky edge. After finishing in

Sassicaia wine casks for 24 months, the whisky has developed a deep ruby colour, with vibrant

red berry fruitiness fused with spices and peat smoke.

Gordon & Macphail is the trading name of Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd, owners of Benro-

mach Distillery.

BENROMACH

9 years old

50 %

ORIGINS

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

PRODUCED FROM GOLDEN

PROMISE BARLEY

FIRST BATCH

Distilled 1999

Phenol Level 4 ppm

Cask type Sherry casks

Bottled 2008

Benromach Distillery,

Bottled by The Proprietors

Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

A family business for over 100 years

BENROMACH

11 years old

50 %

ORIGINS

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

FULLY MATURED IN

PORT PIPES

BATCH 2 PORT PIPES

Distilled 1999

Phenol Level 4 ppm

Cask type Port Pipes

Bottled 2010

Benromach Distillery,

Bottled by The Propreitors

Goprdon & Macphail, Elgin

A family business for over 100 years

BENROMACH

46 %

VINTAGE 1 9 7 6

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Distilled 1976

Matured in Sherry Casks

Bottled in 2012

Natural Colour

Non Chill Filtered

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forred

Bottled by The Proprietors Gordon &

Macphail, a Family Business for over

100 years.

Sherry aromas mingle delicately with fruit

notes and toasted malt, whilst the palate

delivers orange citrus flavours and a creamy

milk chocolate texture. These qualities com-

bine to create an exceptionally smooth and

contemplative finish.

BENROMACH

Founded 1898

5 years old

40 %

THE CLASSIC SPEYSIDE SINGLE

MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Handcrafted by

The Benromach Distillery Co, Ltd

Forres

At Benromach small batches of whisky are distilled by hand

using the finest barley malted with a touch of peat smoke.

Fresh and rounded with honey hints, lemons and limes, earthy

fudge, milkchocolate and a wisp of smoke.

BENROMACH

Founded in 1898

9 years old

46 %

PEAT SMOKE

Distilled 2006

Bottled in 2015

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Casks: First Fill Bourbon Barrels

Phenol Level; 62 ppm

The Benromach Distillery Co.Ltd

Benromach Distillery Co Ltd is owned

by Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd.

Made with heavily peated barley, our Peat Smoke is more intense than the subtle smoke

Yet it retains the Benromach fingerprint of elegant fruitiness with that gorgeous hint of

Chocolate.

Seriously smoky stuff. Rich cured meats, tobacco and lingering bonfire embers with sweet undertones of vanilla, honey and apricots.

BENROMACH

Founded 1898

15 FIFTEEN years old

43 %

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

THE CLASSIC SPEYSIDE SINGLE

MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

The Benromach Distillery Co. Ltd

Benromach Distillery Co. Ltd is owned

by Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd

Our 15 years Old follows on from the TEN. The longer maturation

softens its smokiness to hints of charred oak while developing the

wood – imbued character Bourbon casks cultivate the sweetness

of vanilla pods and honey while sherry casks impart rich fruit notes.

Luscious`sherry and rich fruitcake with stewed plums, darkwe hints

of cocoa and a touch of smoke.

BENROMACH

Founded 1898

2006

59.2 %

THE CLASSIC SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT

SCOTCH WHISKY

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

EXCLUSIVE SINGLE CASK

EXCLUSIVELY BOTTLED FOR VAN WEES

Distilled: 2006

First Fill Bourbon

Barrel Number 99

Bottled: 2018

One of 193 Bottles

Handcrafted by

The Benromach Distillery Co. Ltd, Forres

Owned by Speymalt Distributors Ltd.

Waxy lemon with georgeous exotic fruits and hints of butterscotch followed by a lucious

light peat smoke.

BENROMACH

30 years old

43 %

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT

SCOTCH WHISKY

Matured in Hand Selected Oak Casks

First and Refill Sherry Casks

Distilled at Benromach Distillery, Forres

Bottled by The Proprietors, Gordon & Macpahail

A Family Business for over 100 Years, Elgin

Bright gold in colour, smooth peach and nectarine fruit flavours mingle beautifully

with toasted malt, sweet cinnamon spice and a touch of smoke.

Speyside
BENROMACH

FRESH FRUITS, CEREAL, ROBUST

Forres, Banffshire. Eigendom van Gordon & Macphail, Elgin.
In 1898 gebouwd in opdracht van Duncan MacCallum van de Glen Nevis distilleerderij in Campbeltown en F.W. Brickman, een whiskymakelaar te Leith.
Het land waarop de distilleerderij werd gebouwd was het eigendom van Alexander Edward, eigenaar en medeeigenaar in een aantal distilleerderijen.
In Oktober 1899 gingen de blenders Pattison frauduleus bankroet en F.W. Brickman die ook was verbonden met deze firma ging bankroet en moest zich terugtrekken uit Benromach.
MacCallum was een korte tijd in staat Benromach in produktie te houden, maar moest toen toch opgeven.
Benromach bleef gesloten tot 1909.
In dat jaar werd Benromach weer opgestart door Duncan MacCallum met de naam Forres.
8 Maart 1911 wordt Harvey McNair & Co te Londen eigenaar.
Gedurende de eerste wereldoorlog is Benromach geopend.

In 1938 wordt Benromach gekocht door de excentrieke Joseph W. Hobbs, die een fortuin had gemaakt en verloren in Canada, samen met Hattim Attari, een financier te Londen. Zij kochten
met de steun van The National Distillers of America via de dochteronderneming van hun firma The Associated Scottish Distillers Ltd. (A.S.D), Train & Maclntyre, whisky distilleerderijen op in Schotland om na de verwachte beëindiging van de drooglegging in Amerika whisky te gaan exporterem naar dat land. In 1938 was de A.S.D. eigenaar van Bruichladdich, Glenury Royal, Glenlochy, North Esk, (Old) Fettercairn, Benromach en Strathdee.

In 1953 wordt A.S.D. overgenomen door The Distillers Comapny Ltd. (D.C.L). Licentiehouder wordt J.W. Hardie Ltd, blenders van The Antiquary.

In 1983 wordt Benromach gesloten en grotendeels ontmanteld, behalve de washbacks was er geen apparatuur meer in de distilleerderij aanwezig.

In April 1993 koopt Gordon & Macphail te Elgin Benromach. Onder de leiding van Bob Murray, eerder manager van Glen Spey wordt de distilleerderij herbouwd.

Omdat merknaam en waterrechten niet het eigendom waren van United Distillers Ltd, duurde het tot 15 October 1998 voor de distilleerderij door H R H The Prince of Wales werd geopend.
Men moest een pijpleiding laten aanleggen van de distilleerderij, rondom Elgin heen, naar een onderaardse bron Chapelton Spring.

Men produceert drie verschillende single malt whiskies: één licht turfgerookt, ( 2 ppm), genaamd Glenmosset, bedoeld voor de eigen blends en blends van derden, één medium ( 8 ppm) turfgerookte single malt Benromach genaamd, en één heel zwaar turfgerookte single malt whisky ( 43 ppm) als een Islay malt, voor blending doeleinden en eventueel om als single malt whisky te worden verkocht.

Het koelwater komt van Sanquhar Loch.
Benromach heeft een Mash tun van 1,5 ton. De vier wash backs van Larikshout zijn elk 11000 liter, de wash still is groot 7500 liter, de spirit still 5000 liter.
Men zal jaarlijks tussen de 500.000 en 750.000 liter spirit produceren. De tegenwoordige manager (2000) is Keith Cruickshank. In Augustus 1999 werd een bezoekerscentrum geopend.
Op 29 September 2001 sterft George Masson Urquhart, hij wordt opgevolgd door zijn kinderen Ian, David en Michael. George Urquhart werd geboren in 1919.

Founded in 1898 near Forres, Benromach employed a mash-tun unusually made of wood. Often silent in its early years, it nonetheless remained active until 1983. In this century bottling of a full golden yellow 19 year old ripe, flowery aromas entice you into a big, almond-flavoured, creamy and round-bodied Speyside malt with a crisp, dry finish.

Benromach was built in 1898, the year of the great distillery boom. Alexander Edward of Sanquar, a well-known promoter of new distilleries granted a feu charter to the Benromach Distillery Company for a plot of his land, north of the railway junction in Forres. Charles Doig an archict from Elgin, was charged with the design of the new distillery. The local newspaper recounts the size of his tasks: 'Mr Doig's plan of taking cooling water out of the Mosset Burn at Forres for the new distillery and sending it back again unpolluted to the same spot, or nearly so, seems to involve some method of making water flow uphill. That he is attemting to do such a thing shows how far the principle of building distilleries on a plain has nwo been carried'.
Previously most distilleries were built at the bottom of a hill to save pumping water in the distillery process, but the introduction of modern machinery meant that this was no longer necessary. A more important consideration however was to be situated near a raiway station.
In 1898 Benromach was believed to be the first distillery to install direct oil-firing under the stills. Then Benromach was described as a striking distillery.
Now in 1998, having laid silent since 1983 Gordon & Macphail have re-equipped the distillery and distillation has restarted in this Benromach's Century year. The new stills are again heated by oil, this time generated in an oil boiler.

October 2005
Diageo has announced that its 2005 Annual Rare Malts Selection will be the last.
The collection will consist of four cask strenght single malts from closed distilleries; Glen Mhor 28 years old, Millburn 35 years old, Glendullan 26 years old and Linkwood 30 years old.
Dr. Nicholas Morgan, global malts marketing director commented: 'As the Special Releases are now well established, it makes less sence to continue selecting and promoting a parallel series of Rare Malts with his own separate indentity'. In future, all premium and rare whiskies will be made available in the annual Special Releases series.

Capacity: 500.000 ltres a year
Watersource:

Chapelton Spring in the Ronach Hills
Barley: Chariot, Golden Promise, Optic
Mashing & Fermentation:

Stainless steel semi lauter

un with copper canopy
Capacity: 1,5 tonnes
Wasbacks:

4 Scottish Larch, each holding 11000 litres

Fermentation:

3 à 5 days / 5 washes a week

Warehouses: Dunnage

Cask filled at: 63.5 % A B V
Production staff: two men

The spirit safe comes from the closed distillery Millburn

At Benromach small batches of whisky are distilled by handusing the finest barley malted with a touch of peat smoke.

Despite the stills being smaller, Gordon & MacPhail's new make bore a striking resemblance to that made under DCL’s stewardship. Quite how this happened is one of the mysteries surrounding Scotch and goes some way to adding to the belief that there is something about a distillery’s own microclimate which influences the character of the spirit.

Since then, it has appeared in peated guise, as an organic release, a 100% Golden Promise release, and in a succession of finishes in fortified and wine casks. With more time under its belt extra weight is now being shown by the maturing spirit.

Benromach’s tale comes in two distinct parts. This Forres-based distillery was yet another of the new builds of the late 19th century, constructed on land rented from a forgotten giant of the Victorian/Edwardian whisky trade, Alexander Edward [see Craigellachie/Aultmore].

Building started in 1898, but the distillery didn’t start making whisky until 1900. Its production was intermittent after that, with the distillery passing through a number of hands: Macdonald Greenlees, Joseph Hobbs, National Distillers of America and, finally, DCL.

The industry giant kept it running until 1983, when it was closed, one of a large number of distilleries which were shut as a result of an industry-wide stock surplus.

After 11 years of silence – during which its interior had been cannibalised for parts by Diageo – it was bought by Elgin’s Gordon & MacPhail. The firm then set about building what was effectively a new distillery in the shell of the old. It took the firm five years of trials before the first spirit was made.

1898

The Benromach Distillery Company,

founded by Duncan McCallum

and F.W. Brickman, begins building

a facility in Forres, Morayshire

1900

The distillery opens, but closes

immediately due to financial woes

1907

Benromach reopens as Forres

distillery for three years under McCallum

1910

The distillery closes again, this time

until after WWI

1911

Harvey McNair & Co buys Benromach

1931

Benromach falls silent once more for

five years

1937

The distillery reopens

1938

Joseph Hobbs buys the distillery

before passing it onto

National Distillers of America

1953

Ownership transfers to DCL, which

keeps the distillery open for 30 years,

refurbishing the facility and abolishing

its floor maltings

1966

Benromach reopens

1968

Floor maltings abolished

1983

Benromach is mothballed yet again

1993

Gordon & MacPhail buys the distillery

from United Distillers,

1998

but takes five years to get it up and

running again

1999

Gordon & MacPhail opens a visitors’

centre at the site

2004

First bottle distilled by the new owner

Benromach Traditional

2005

A Port Wood finish 22 years, a Vintage

1968, a Classic 55 year

are launched

2006

Benromach Organic is released

2007

Peat Smoke the first heavily peated

from Benromach is released

2008

Benromach Origins Golden Promise

is released

2009

Benromach 10 Year Old, the distillery’s

flagship whisky, is released

2011

New Peatsmoke, a heavily peated, 2001

Hermitage finish, a 30 year

is released

2014

A 5 year old, a 100 Proof, a Travellar

Edition are released

2015

A 15 year, Hermitage, Sassicaia wood

finishes released

2016

A 35 year old, a 1974 single cask

are released

2017

A 1976 single cask, a 2009

Triple Distilled are released

2018

A 20th Anniversay bottling, a 2010

Sassicaia released

The red Door Gin is introduced

2019

Peat Smoke Sherry Cask released

2020

Capacity: 700.000 Ltrs

Output: 400.000 Ltrs

2020

a 50 years old released

New Cissac and Sassicaia Editions

released

A new Core range is launched

2021

A 40 year old is released and a

Peat Smoke Sherry Cask Matured

2022

Capacity is 700,00o Ltrs

Output is 400.000 ltrs

including 11000 ltrs peated spirit

2022

Cara Gol and a Triple Distilled are released

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

0.135

CONDENSER TYPE i

Shell and tube

FERMENTATION TIME i

3-5 days

FILLING STRENGTH i

63.5%

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

1.5

HEAT SOURCE i

Indirect steam panels

MALT SPECIFICATION i

12ppm

MALT SUPPLIER i

Scottish grown, Scottish malted,

Bairds, Crisp, Boortmalt

MASH TUN TYPE i

Semi Lauter

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i

70%

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE i

98%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

4,500

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Plain with reflux ball

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i

6,000

STILLS i

WAREHOUSING i

3 dunnage warehouses

(total 8,000 casks)

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

7,500

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Plain

WASH STILL SIZE (L) i

10,000

WASHBACK CHARGE (L) i

75,000

WASHBACK SIZE (L) i

11,000

WASHBACK TYPE i

Larch

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE i

Chapelton Spring

WORT CLARITY i

Cloudy

YEAST TYPE i

Distillers and brewers

OWNERS

Speymalt

The Benromach Distillery Co

PREVIOUS OWNERS

United Distillers

1987 - 1993

Distillers Company Limited

1953 - 1987

National Distillers of America

? - 1953

Joseph W Hobbs

1938 - ?

Benromach Distillery Limited

1919 - 1938

John Joseph Calder

1919

Harvey MacNair & Co

1911 - 1919

Duncan McCallum

1898 - 1911

BENROMACH 1977 SINGLE CASK EDITION RELEASED

October 2017

Benromach distillery has continued its bottling of 1970s vintage single malts with a single cask expression distilled in 1977.

Benromach 1977

Vintage whisky: Benromach 1977 is bottled at 39 years old

The 39-year-old whisky from the Speyside distillery has been matured in a single refill American oak hogshead – cask number 1268, and bottled at 56% abv.

Described as ‘smooth and sweet’ with notes of ‘ripe banana and passionfruit’, Benromach 1977 is presented in a decanter-style bottle inside a dark oak wooden box, and accompanied by a hardback book detailing the distillery’s history.

David King, director at Benromach, said: ‘Almost four decades have passed since cask 1268 was laid down to quietly mature in the traditional dunnage warehouses that surround Benromach distillery.

‘While this beautiful whisky drew its incredible depth, character and luxurious flavours from the wood, all around the cask, the distillery was evolving and changing. After it closed in 1983, the distillery lay silent for more than 15 years before it was revived by the Urquhart family [owners of independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail].

‘These carefully selected casks give Benromach lovers around the world the chance to own and taste a moment in time from the distillery’s rich history. We’ve been sampling this cask over the years and feel only now that it is ready to be unveiled.’

Just 225 bottles of Benromach 1977 have been released globally, at around €1,500 each.

The Benromach 1977 expression follows the release of three vintage casks in 2016: 1973, 1974, and 1975.

scotchwhisky.com

BENROMACH LAUNCHES ‘20TH ANNIVERSARY’ WHISKY

23 April 2018

Benromach distillery is marking a ‘significant milestone’ in its history with the release of a 1998 vintage, containing some of the first whisky distilled at the site following a 15-year period of silence.

Benromach 20th Anniversary Bottling

‘Significant milestone’: Benromach 20th Anniversary Bottling marks the distillery’s reopening in 1998

The lightly peated 19-year-old single malt has been matured in a combination of first-fill ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon casks, and has been bottled at a cask strength of 56.2% abv.

Keith Cruickshank, distillery manager at Benromach, said: ‘When we began distilling again in 1998, we wanted to recreate the unique Speyside whisky taste, which historically had a touch of smoke.’

The expression is said to ‘epitomise Benromach’s classic style’, carrying ‘rich notes of fruit cake, mingling with sweet demerara sugar and vanilla’ and a ‘light touch of smoke’ on the finish.

The bottle is packaged in a wooden presentation box with copper lining, containing the whisky and a small hardback book detailing the story of Benromach.

Only 3,000 bottles have been produced for sale worldwide for around £299, with 400 bottles available to purchase from the distillery in Forres.

Originally built in 1898, Benromach ceased production in 1983 until independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail purchased the distillery a decade later.

After a period of refurbishment, the distillery reopened in 1998 in a ceremony attended by the Prince of Wales.

Benromach viert 20e verjaardag

20th Anniversary Benromach, het is vandaag precies 20 jaar geleden dat Benromach heropende. Dat heuglijke feit wordt gevierd met een speciale gelimiteerde uitgave, de Benromach 20th Anniversary Bottling.

Toen Benromach in 1993 gekocht werd door Gordon & MacPhail, de onafhankelijke bottelaar, lag de distilleerderij er maar verloren bij. Op dat moment produceerde Benromach al ruim tien jaar geen whisky meer. Het kostte Gordon & MacPhail uiteindelijk veel tijd en geld om Benromach weer op te kalefateren, maar uiteindelijk was het op 23 april 1998 eindelijk zover.

Prince Charles was aanwezig voor de officiële opening, en sindsdien heeft Benromach niet meer achterom gekeken. De Benromach 10yo is een moderne klassieker, de 10yo 100 Proof en de 15yo hebben ook veel fans, evenals de andere expressies van deze relatief kleine distilleerderij in de Speyside.

Om het 20-jarig bestaan van Benromach te vieren, brengen ze een 20th Anniversary Bottling uit. Deze whisky heeft gerijpt op first-fill vaten en is gebotteld op vatsterkte. In totaal zijn er 3.000 flessen beschikbaar. Het is een rijke, fruitige whisky met frisse citrustonen, subtiel eiken, een fijne kruidigheid en een lichte rokerigheid.

Keith Cruickshank, distillery manager: ‘Toen we weer begonnen te distilleren in 1998, wilden we de uniek smaak van Speyside whisky nieuw leven inblazen, die historisch gezien altijd iets rokerigs heeft gehad. Deze speciale uitgave voor onze 20e verjaardag is een prachtige whisky met veel diepgang.’

GORDON & MACPHAIL PLANS SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY

May 2018

Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) is planning to build a new malt whisky distillery at Craggan on Speyside, close to the town of Grantown-on-Spey.

Ewen Mackintosh MD Gordon & MacPhail

Second site: The new distillery is a vital part of G&M’s plans, says Ewen Mackintosh

Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd – G&M’s parent company – says the multi-million-pound development will become ‘a major tourist attraction and significant local employer’ when it opens in 2020.

The as yet unnamed plant would be the first new malt whisky distillery to be built in the Cairngorms National Park since its creation in 2003.

Speymalt is now set to begin consulting the local community about the distillery, staging a public exhibition during the summer, with plans likely to be lodged with the local authority this autumn.

If approved, building work is expected to start in 2019 and to take about 12 months to complete.

The company already owns another Speyside malt whisky distillery, Benromach at Forres, which it revived in 1998 after 15 years of silence.

‘Building a second distillery is an important part of our business plan and we have spent some time researching a suitable site,’ said Ewen Mackintosh, managing director of Speymalt and Gordon & MacPhail.

‘We believe we have found the perfect place for our new distillery at Craggan. It’s a stunning location with strong transport links and can accommodate the distillery, warehousing and a visitor experience.’

Mackintosh had dropped hints about the project in a recent interview with Dave Broom on Scotchwhisky.com, saying: ‘We have Benromach and it’s no secret that we want a second distillery, and we’re having a look at that as a project.’

The plans are part of a broader strategic rethink at Elgin-based G&M, which opened as a grocery business in the town in 1895.

The bottler’s previously cumbersome line-up of 16 whisky ranges has been whittled down to five, with a greater emphasis on the Gordon & MacPhail brand name.

Gin: Red Door

Although it was founded in 1898, Benromach distillery was later closed and rebuilt completely in 1998 by new owner Gordon & MacPhail. The distillery produces a peated style of whisky – a rarity among Speyside operations – much of it finished in fortified wine casks.

Only last month, in July 2018, Benromach announced the release of an entirely new product, heralding a new era for the Victorian distillery. Red Door Gin (45% abv; £30), which takes its name from Benromach’s distinctive red doors, is a London Dry Gin ‘inspired by Scotland’s mountains, forests and coastal fringes’.

The gin is distilled in a copper pot still using a vapour infusion method, where the spirit vapour is steamed through a basked of eight botanicals, including bitter orange, sea buckthorn, heather and rowan berries.

Using the finest natural ingredients our dedicated distillers orchestrate every second of the distillation process; there are no short cuts to perfection. We make it this way to give our whisky its classic Speyside character: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke. Making whisky by hand is a rare craft these days. Here you can read and watch our short stories about how we go about it. For the full story about our families roots in Benromach, watch this film and Keith, Ewen, Stuart, Michael and Laura will tell you how we revived a lost taste of Speyside. We call it Taste Rediscovered.

A long time ago IT WASN’T UNCOMMON FOR SPEYSIDE WHISKIES TO HAVE a touch of smoke.

In a tradition as old as local whisky making itself, Speyside distilleries malted their own barley. Hidden away in remote glens, they’d top up their fires with cuts of local peat when coal was running low. These cuts, or slices were enough to impart a touch of smoke in the region’s whisky. With the advent of new commercial maltings decades ago, this subtle Speyside smokiness was almost lost to the world forever. When our family bought the mothballed Benromach Distillery and brought it back to life, we gave the world back this lost style of whisky. But it’s not just the peat that makes the difference. Numerous nuances go into creating the classic character of Benromach.

WE MAKE BENROMACH WITH the finest SCOTTISH ingredients.

Our Scottish barley is grown locally and malted with a little peat smoke to our exact specifications. Our pure soft water rises in the Chapelton Spring in the Romach Hills, just a couple of miles behind our distillery. Together with our traditional use of both brewer’s and distiller’s yeast, these are the raw ingredients for making our single malt whisky.

Every process is just as considered in the making of our malt. It means we make less whisky, but we do it in this way in order to create Benromach’s gorgeous classic Speyside character: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

IF our whisky TAKES A LONG TIME OUR WATER takes even longer.

It takes many years to handcraft our single malt whisky, but we simply believe the slower, traditional way is best. Our pure spring water takes even longer to reach its peak of perfection. In fact, it takes thousands of years to percolate down through the sandstone and granite below the Romach Hills, acquiring its unique ‘Benromach fingerprint’ of minerals that make it so perfect for our whisky. And this same spring water has been the lifeblood of Benromach for over 100 years, ever since the distillery first opened in 1898.

WE DON'T JUST MAKE OUR whisky BY HAND; WE MAKE IT BY sight, sound AND touch.

Our distillers employ all their senses as they craft our single malt whisky. They’re so skilled, they just know when things are right. But at Benromach, handcrafting is never guesswork; it’s an art. With absolutely no computers or even pressure gauges, our experts manage the entire process by how the developing spirit looks, sounds and feels – and by it’s aroma - giving things a tweak here and there along the way. Granted, this takes a little longer and it keeps our distillers busier. To quote Keith, our head distiller: "Sometimes it’s those tiny inconsistencies that make a whisky so beautifully consistent."

WE DESIGNED OUR STILLS TO CREATE A gorgeous MEDIUM-BODIED SPIRIT, PERFECT FOR LONG maturation.

Benromach is a curious irony. We make all our whisky in the time-honoured way by hand – the way all whisky used to be made before computers took over. Yet we started to completely refit our distillery in 1993, which makes it sound remarkably modern. The truth of the matter is this: we deliberately refitted Benromach so that even the tiniest details help us develop the classic Speyside character we want: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke. Our gleaming copper stills are at the heart of this process, producing the sweet medium-bodied spirit we need for a long maturation.It’s a beautiful, traditional whisky by design, not accident.

WE cut THE SPIRIT BY HAND; IT'S A rare art THESE DAYS.

The skill of our dedicated distillers is especially critical when it comes to cutting the spirit. They judge when to ‘come on spirit’: the moment when they consider the new spirit to be of the highest quality. Levers are pulled and this sweet heart of the run goes to spend years maturing in our first fill casks, the rest of the run to be distilled again the following day.

WE MAKE OUR whisky SLOWLY SO THAT IT'S BRIMMING WITH GORGEOUS SPEYSIDE CHARACTER.

Nothing is hurried at Benromach. We even take our time over the fermenting, allowing the wash to linger for between 3 and 5 days in the wooden washbacks to help develop the right quality of spirit. And when the heart of the run has been cut, the spirit rests in our high quality first fill casks for as many years as it needs.

We believe this is the only way to create that classic Speyside character, beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

WE STILL FILL every cask BY hand.

To be precise, our distillers hand-fill every cask. They hammer in each bung by hand. They weigh every cask twice and notch it up on the blackboard. Nothing is automated at Benromach. We admit it’s more expensive to do everything the traditional way. But we believe it’s best for developing our gorgeous classic Speyside character: beautifully balanced with a touch of smoke.

We go to obsessive lengths to ensure our whisky is nothing short of perfect. We stubbornly insist on only using the highest quality first fill casks. They come from a variety of sources. We take casks from the bodegas of one of the world’s leading sherry houses in Spain: Williams and Humbert.

OUR good wood POLICY MEANS WE ONLY USE FIRST FILL sherry AND bourbon CASKS.

We also have new oak casks made to our exact specifications of thickness of stave and level of charring by Antonio Paez Lobato. Our casks are used to mature sherry for 3 years before they’re emptied and shipped here. We also select ex-bourbon barrels, which are shipped from America and coopered in Speyside before being sent to Benromach. We keep tight control of the whole maturation process so that the wood holding our spirit lends just the right characteristics to our whisky. After hand-filling a cask with fresh Benromach spirit, we roll it to one of our traditional warehouses

OUR whisky MATURES BEST IN TRADITIONAL 'dunnage' STYLE WAREHOUSES.

These are the archetypal old whisky warehouses: long, low and whitewashed with an earthen floor. They keep the casks consistently cool all year round: the best conditions for maturing Scotch malt whisky. Casks are kept the old way: no more than 3 high on wooden stows. We leave them to mature for many years, under the watchful eye of our distillery manager.

Over time, a little evaporation takes place, which is known in the whisky world as the angel’s share. It could be said that we enjoy the same angelic privilege when we test tiny samples of our whisky’s beautiful emerging character. When we know our whisky is ready, we take the casks 12 miles down the road to Elgin. There, we fill our bottles and despatch them around the world, ready for whisky lovers everywhere to enjoy.

GENERATIONS OF whisky LOVING GO INTO making Benromach.

We’re happy to say that Benromach is a family-run distillery. And there’s a story behind why we make every drop of our whisky in the traditional handcrafted way. Our story, starts generations ago. Our family, the Urquharts of Elgin, have always been passionate about whisky. Our ancestor John began laying down casks of single malt at different distilleries in 1915, when everyone else was blending their whiskies. As a result, over the decades, our family has accumulated a remarkable private collection of extremely rare and beautiful aged single malts.

So when we bought the mothballed distillery here at Benromach in 1993, we knew we wanted to revive it in a very particular way. Backed by generations of expertise, we decided to recreate the lost taste of gorgeous old Speyside whisky: beautifully balanced with a touch of smoke.

BENROMACH CASK NO 1 MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

September 2018

Benromach is to release a 20-year-old single cask whisky to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its reopening.

Benromach Cask No 1

Resurrection malt: Benromach Cask No 1 marks the Speyside distillery’s reopening

Benromach Cask No 1 contains whisky from the first cask to be laid down at the Speyside distillery when it reopened in 1998, following 15 years of silence.

The first-fill Sherry butt was signed by His Royal Highness the Duke of Rothesay, Prince Charles, during the distillery’s official opening ceremony in 1998.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach distillery manager, said: ‘I was proud to witness HRH the Duke of Rothesay sign the first cask of our own distilled spirit 20 years ago.

‘This unique single cask offers whisky lovers the chance to own, savour and share an incredibly special moment in the history of the Benromach distillery.’

Just 575 bottles of Benromach Cask No 1 will be made available, priced at £1,000 per bottle, and exclusively from Benromach’s distillery visitor centre.

All proceeds from the sale of the decanters will be donated to charitable causes.

Bottled at 60.1% abv, the single malt is described as having notes of ‘succulent blackberries and stewed damson plum with a hint of roasted hazelnut and charred oak on the finish’.

Each whisky is presented in a decanter closed with a copper stopper and housed in a wooden presentation box alongside a certificate of authenticity and accompanying book.

Benromach Cask No 1 is available to pre-order now and will be released on 15 October – the exact anniversary of the distillery’s reopening.

Benromach distillery was mothballed in 1983 by Distillers Company Ltd, and remained closed for 15 years before being reopened by independent bottling firm Gordon & MacPhail.

Earlier this year Benromach also released a limited edition 20th Anniversary malt containing some of the first whisky distilled at the site since its reopening.

BENROMACH 1978 MARKS END OF ANNIVERSARY YEAR

December 2018

Benromach distillery has bottled 184 decanters of a 1978 single cask, to mark the end of its 20th anniversary revival celebrations.

Benromach 1978 has a decanter style bottle and oak box

Closing celebration: Benromach 1978 is described as a ‘rare and precious whisky’

The expression builds upon a year of releases designed to celebrate the Speyside distillery’s reopening in 1998 following 15 years of closure.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach distillery manager, said: ‘Over the 40 years that this intriguing whisky was maturing, it drew incredible depth, character and flavours from the wood. Outside the cask, the distillery was evolving and changing.'

‘We are confident our 1978 vintage will surpass expectations and are proud to be releasing such a rare and precious whisky during the 20th anniversary year of distilling restarting here at Benromach.’

The ‘extremely rare’ whisky has been matured in a single refill Sherry hogshead cask, and bottled at a cask strength of 56.3% abv.

Enduring spirit: The Speyside distillery has been operating since 1898

The expression is described as having an ‘aroma of honey and vanilla, along with ripe fruits’, and ‘a touch of butterscotch and fresh ginger’. On the palate, it has a ‘subtle peat smoke on the finish’.

The whisky is presented in a decanter-style bottle enclosed in a dark oak wooden box, said to represent the washbacks at Benromach.

Benromach 1978 is available globally at select retailers, for around £1,250.

The launch caps off a year of celebrations for the brand, which also saw the introduction of Benromach Cask No 1, a bottling containing whisky from the first cask to be laid down at the Speyside distillery when it reopened in 1998.

Benromach also released the limited edition 19-year-old 20th Anniversary Bottling in April.

In 1983 wordt Benromach gesloten en grotendeels ontmanteld, behalve de washbacks was er geen apparatuur meer in de distilleerderij aanwezig.
In April 1993 koopt Gordon & Macphail te Elgin Benromach.
Onder de leiding van Bob Murray, eerder manager van Glen Spey wordt de distilleerderij herbouwd.
Omdat merknaam en waterrechten niet het eigendom waren van United Distillers Ltd, duurde het tot 15 October 1998 voor de distilleerderij door H R H The Prince of Wales werd geopend.
Men moest een pijpleiding laten aanleggen van de distilleerderij, rondom Elgin heen, naar een onderaardse bron Chapelton Spring.
Men produceert drie verschillende single malt whiskies: één licht turfgerookt, ( 2 ppm), genaamd Glenmosset, bedoeld voor de eigen blends en blends van derden, één medium ( 8 ppm) turfgerookte single malt Benromach genaamd, en één heel zwaar turfgerookte single malt whisky ( 43 ppm) als een Islay malt, voor blending doeleinden en eventueel om als single malt whisky te worden verkocht.

Het koelwater komt van Sanquhar Loch.
Benromach heeft een Mash tun van 1,5 ton. De vier wash backs van Larikshout zijn elk 11000 liter, de wash still is groot 7500 liter, de spirit still 5000 liter.
Men zal jaarlijks tussen de 500.000 en 750.000 liter spirit produceren. De tegenwoordige manager (2000) is Keith Cruickshank. In Augustus 1999 werd een bezoekerscentrum geopend.
Op 29 September 2001 sterft George Masson Urquhart, hij wordt opgevolgd door zijn kinderen Ian, David en Michael. George Urquhart werd geboren in 1919.

Founded in 1898 near Forres, Benromach employed a mash-tun unusually made of wood. Often silent in its early years, it nonetheless remained active until 1983. In this century bottling of a full golden yellow 19 year old ripe, flowery aromas entice you into a big, almond-flavoured, creamy and round-bodied Speyside malt with a crisp, dry finish.

Benromach was built in 1898, the year of the great distillery boom. Alexander Edward of Sanquar, a well-known promoter of new distilleries granted a feu charter to the Benromach Distillery Company for a plot of his land, north of the railway junction in Forres. Charles Doig an archict from Elgin, was charged with the design of the new distillery. The local newspaper recounts the size of his tasks: 'Mr Doig's plan of taking cooling water out of the Mosset Burn at Forres for the new distillery and sending it back again unpolluted to the same spot, or nearly so, seems to involve some method of making water flow uphill. That he is attemting to do such a thing shows how far the principle of building distilleries on a plain has nwo been carried'.
Previously most distilleries were built at the bottom of a hill to save pumping water in the distillery process, but the introduction of modern machinery meant that this was no longer necessary. A more important consideration however was to be situated near a raiway station.
In 1898 Benromach was believed to be the first distillery to install direct oil-firing under the stills. Then Benromach was described as a striking distillery.
Now in 1998, having laid silent since 1983 Gordon & Macphail have re-equipped the distillery and distillation has restarted in this Benromach's Century year. The new stills are again heated by oil, this time generated in an oil boiler.

October 2005
Diageo has announced that its 2005 Annual Rare Malts Selection will be the last.
The collection will consist of four cask strenght single malts from closed distilleries; Glen Mhor 28 years old, Millburn 35 years old, Glendullan 26 years old and Linkwood 30 years old.
Dr. Nicholas Morgan, global malts marketing director commented: 'As the Special Releases are now well established, it makes less sence to continue selecting and promoting a parallel series of Rare Malts with his own separate indentity'.
In future, all premium and rare whiskies will be made available in the annual Special Releases series.

Capacity: 500.000 ltres a year
Watersource:

Chapelton Spring in the Ronach Hills
Barley:Chariot, Golden Promise, Optic
Mashing & Fermentation:

Stainless steel semi lauter tun with copper canopy
Capacity:1,5 tonnes
Wasbacks:

4 Scottish Larch, each holding 11000 litres
Fermentation:

3 à 5 days / 5 washes a week
Warehouses:Dunnage

Cask filled at:63.5 % A B V

Production staff: two men

The spirit safe comes from the closed distillery Millburn

At Benromach small batches of whisky are distilled by hand
using the finest barley malted with a touch of peat smoke.

BENROMACH DEBUTS PEATED SHERRY CASK WHISKY

March 2019

Benromach has released its first peated Sherry cask-matured expression – a limited edition eight-year-old single malt bottled at cask strength.

Peat monster: Benromach’s first smoky Sherry cask expression is said to be ‘rich and intense’

Created using heavily peated barley, the whisky has been matured in first-fill ex-Sherry hogsheads before being bottled at 59.9% abv.

Part of the Speyside distillery’s limited edition Peat Smoke series, the Peat Smoke Sherry Cask Matured expression is said to offer ‘honey cured meats with orange marmalade’ on the nose and ‘white pepper and dried fruits’ on the palate.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach distillery manager, said: ‘This expression perfectly balances the smokiness with the sweeter Sherry notes, giving rise to a spectacularly rich and intense dram.

‘Our small batch releases have enjoyed considerable success in the past and for those that enjoy Benromach’s classic style with a wisp of smoke, we’re confident that this new expression will be particularly popular.’

Only 6,500 bottles of the Peat Smoke Sherry Cask Matured expression are available worldwide, priced at £64.99/€74.99.

Benromach’s previous small batch releases include a 19-year-old bottling, released to coincide with the distillery’s 20th anniversary last year, as well as a triple-distilled expression which launched in 2017.

BENROMACH RELEASES ‘RARE’ HERITAGE DUO

February 2019

Speyside distillery Benromach has added two new vintage expressions to its Heritage collection, both aged for more than 40 years.

Benromach Heritage 1972 and Benromach Heritage 1977

‘Rare’ pair: Benromach’s Heritage 1972 and 1977 malts have been matured in American oak hogsheads

Benromach Heritage 1972 was matured in a single American oak hogshead cask for 46 years, before being bottled at 55.7% abv.

The whisky is described as ‘brimming with exotic fruit flavours that lead to an ashy smoke finish’.

A total of 75 decanters of the expression are available at £1,500 each.

Also matured in a single American oak hogshead, Benromach Heritage 1977 was aged for 41 years before being bottled at 49.6% abv.

The expression is said to feature ‘tantalising notes of warm apple pie and poached pear’ on the nose and ‘velvety crème brûlée’ on the palate.

Benromach has created 122 bottlings of the expression at £1,250 per decanter.

Both expression are available worldwide from today (21 February).

Benromach distillery manager Keith Cruickshank said: ‘We’re proud to build on the popularity of previous Benromach vintage releases from the 1970s with these unique single cask bottlings that represent different moments in time from the distillery’s rich history.

‘Through careful monitoring and regular sampling throughout the maturation process, these remarkable releases have been aged to more than 40 years each.

‘The release of these vintage expressions is an outstanding start to an exciting year for Benromach.’

Each expression is presented in a decanter-style bottle and enclosed in a dark oak wooden box, said to represent the washbacks at Benromach.

A copper medallion also features on the packaging to signify ‘the moment in time when the distillers cut to the sweet heart of the spirit run’.

The Heritage 1972 and 1977 expressions are the first releases of 2019 for Benromach, which released its last Heritage expression in December 2018 to mark the 20th anniversary of the distillery’s revival.

While the Forres-based distillery was originally founded in 1898, it remained closed for 15 years from 1983 before being renovated and reopened in 1998 under the ownership of Gordon & MacPhail.

BENROMACH 1969 UNVEILED AT £8,000

September 2019

Benromach is to release a 50-year-old, 1969 vintage single cask single malt, making it the oldest whisky in the distillery’s current range.

Vintage malt: Benromach 50 Year Old was distilled in 1969 and matured in an ex-Sherry hogshead

Benromach 50 Years Old has been matured solely in a refill ex-Sherry hogshead since being distilled in 1969.

Bottled at 44.6% abv, just 125 decanters have been created for sale at around £8,000/ €9,000/ US$10,000.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach distillery manager, said: ‘Benromach is known for its range of classic Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies, beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

‘This old and rare expression exudes undertones of gentle smoke and rewards 50 years of patience and nurture with sweet Sherry aromas, ripe fruits and a mellow, mature oak finish.’

The expression will be available from selected retailers worldwide from 30 September.

The release follows the launch of various vintages from the Speyside distillery in recent years, including a 20-year-old from the first cask laid down when the distillery reopened in 1998, and a duo of 1970s vintage malts.

2020

Capacity = 700.000 Ltrs

Output = 400.000 Ltrs