Benromach

Benromach was founded in 1898 at Forres, on the northern edge of Speyside. After changing hands several times it closed in 1983, and in 1993 the Elgin firm Gordon & MacPhail bought it, refitted it and reopened it in 1998.

It is one of the smallest working distilleries in Speyside, with a single pair of stills. Gordon & MacPhail set out to make spirit in the style of Speyside malts before the 1960s, using lightly peated barley, so the whisky has a gentle smoke beneath fruit and malt, and it relies heavily on sherry and bourbon casks.

The range most buyers meet starts with the 10 Year Old and includes cask strength vintages, older bottlings such as the 21 and 40 Year Old, and the Contrasts series, which compares single variables like peat, yeast or cask type. Organic and single cask releases, including distillery exclusives, appear from time to time.

Because the owner is itself a bottler, almost all Benromach is released by Benromach or Gordon & MacPhail. Gordon & MacPhail has also bottled older stock distilled before the closure, which is sought after by collectors.