Benrinnes Distillery — Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Benrinnes Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located near Aberlour, Speyside, Scotland. It was founded in 1826 and is currently owned by Diageo. Set on the lower slopes of Ben Rinnes, it is one of Speyside's oldest working distilleries and is best known as a key component in blends such as Johnnie Walker and J&B, with its single malt rarely bottled on its own.

History

Benrinnes was established in 1826 by Peter McKenzie at Whitehouse Farm, on the lower slopes of the mountain Ben Rinnes from which it takes its name. The original distillery was short-lived: it was destroyed by flooding in 1829. It was rebuilt in 1835 by John Innes under the name "Lyne of Ruthrie," and later renamed Benrinnes by owner William Smith after the business went bankrupt. The site changed hands several times through the 19th century, including a period under David Edward and later his son Alexander Edward, and was rebuilt again following a fire in 1896.

In 1922 Benrinnes was sold to John Dewar & Sons, bringing it into the orbit of the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) from 1925. DCL was renamed United Distillers in 1987, and in 1998 United Distillers merged with International Distillers & Vintners to form United Distillers & Vintners, the spirits arm of what is now Diageo, the distillery's present owner. Production capacity was expanded in 1966 with the addition of three stills. From 1974 to 2007 Benrinnes used an unusual partial triple distillation process, employing worm tubs and a distinctive still arrangement to produce a heavier, more robust spirit; this was abandoned in 2007 in favour of a more conventional configuration of two wash stills and four spirit stills. Throughout its history the distillery has operated primarily as a workhorse for Diageo's blended Scotch brands, most notably Johnnie Walker and J&B, with only limited quantities bottled as single malt.

Quick Facts

• Region: Speyside
• Founded: 1826
• Owner: Diageo
• Status: Active
• Stills: 2 wash stills, 4 spirit stills

Core Range

Benrinnes is not part of Diageo's standard single malt line-up and is bottled only occasionally as an official release, most notably as a 15-Year-Old in Diageo's Flora and Fauna range (available since 1991, bottled at 43% ABV). The whisky is prized by blenders and independent bottlers for its unusually robust, meaty character alongside classic Speyside fruitiness, but the vast majority of Benrinnes spirit continues to be used as a component in blended Scotch whiskies such as Johnnie Walker and J&B.