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Benromach
Founded
1898
Region
Speyside
Status
Operational
Company
Production type
Single malt
Production capacity
700,000 litres per year
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Benromach is a malt distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland and is owned and operated by Speymalt Whisky Distributors (trading as Gordon & MacPhail). The Elgin-based company acquired the distillery from United Distillers in 1993, becoming the first independent bottler to transition to distiller in the process.
Having previously been tasked primarily with providing filling malt for blended Scotch brands, the new ownership has carefully repositioned the distillery and it is now a globally recognised single malt brand. Production at Benromach is traditionally a lightly-peated spirit, however the distillery also produces a heavily-peated variant. It has also been accredited by the UK Soil Association with being able to market an organic single malt since 2006.
When Gordon & MacPhail acquired the distillery in 1993, aside from the deal not including its water supply, it also transpired that the Benromach name was not theirs either. Instead, it was traced back to an old English wine merchant who had likely acted as agents for its malt in the early part of the century. Resolving the name issue quickly, the Benromach single malt brand was launched in 1996 with the release of a limited edition 12-year-old. Gaps in inventory caused by its closure between 1983 and 1998 made further releases sporadic however. Interestingly, despite the change in ownership, a release often considered to be a distillery bottling was included in the Rare Malts Selection by Diageo in 1998.
The first spirit distilled by Gordon & MacPhail at Benromach was released in 2004, coinciding with a new aesthetic for the brand at the same time. It retained this look with occasional changes to the packaging until it was given a radical makeover again in 2020. The current core range includes a 10-, 15- and 21-year-old, alongside a selection of non-age statement expressions called Contrasts which highlight the various flavour profiles of the distillery's spirit and wood policy.
Current owner
1993-present
1986-1993
1953-1986
1938-1953
Benromach Distillery
Invererne Road
Forres
IV36 3EB
Scotland
Active brands
Single malt