BenRiach

BenRiach is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Speyside, Moray, set among rolling hills south of Elgin. The site sits close to the Longmorn Distillery, once linked by a private railway with a small steam locomotive called the Puggy. Built in 1898 by John Duff, the distillery once relied on that railway to move coal, barley, peat and barrels between the two sites. After early closure in 1900 it remained in use only for malting until production restarted in 1965 under Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. Ownership later passed to Seagrams, then Pernod Ricard, before an independent group led by Billy Walker took charge in 2004. The distillery has won several awards, including Distillery of the Year in 2007 and Global Whisky Distiller of the Year in 2015. Its single malts such as the 21-year-old Authenticus and the 16-year-old expression have earned gold and silver medals in international competitions. The company also owns Glendronach and Glenglassaugh distilleries, expanding its range while maintaining BenRiach’s own character. Billy Walker’s team revived traditional methods and introduced new cask finishes that shaped the distillery’s modern reputation. The site remains a working distillery where visitors can see the stills and warehouses. Inside, the distillery has a traditional mash house, washbacks and a pair of stills that produce a lightly peated spirit. Warehouses hold casks aged in ex-bourbon, sherry and wine barrels, giving the whisky its varied flavours. The visitor area includes a tasting room where drams of the 12-year-old Heart of Speyside and the peated Curiositas can be sampled. Outside, the surrounding farmland and distant hills provide a quiet backdrop to the whisky-making process. The site preserves its historic railway siding, a reminder of the days when Puggy the locomotive once ran between BenRiach and Longmorn.