Every little thing You Want To Know About Benriach Distillery

As Grasp Blender for Brown-Forman’s scotch household of malts, I’ve the consideration of working with three distilleries which are superbly distinctive and fairly totally different from one another. This consists of The Glendronach within the Highlands, Benriach within the coronary heart of Speyside, and Glenglassaugh on the coast,  nestled by the white sandy seashore of Sandend Bay. 

It’s a privilege to supervise the wooden coverage, be the guardian of spirit high quality requirements, and be certain that each drop of whisky is the very best it probably may be.

Launching the brand new Benriach portfolio in 2020 was an extremely proud second for me in my profession. It offered an incredible alternative for me to make my mark on a wholly new vary of malts and it was nice to see a challenge, so a few years within the making, come collectively in the best way it did.

Mixing with Benriach is like an artist’s dream – there are such a lot of cask varieties and kinds of spirit to select from and experiment with. My imaginative and prescient with Benriach’s new vary was to create whiskies with infinite taste potentialities – and that’s precisely what we did.

I like to explain my function as much like an artist, however as a substitute, I get to color with taste. This course of resulted in a few of our most experimental creations but, together with a variety of bizarre smoky Speyside whiskies resembling Smoke Season, The Smoky Ten, and The Smoky Twelve.

The Benriach vary is for these open to new potentialities, constructing on a wealth of expertise and custom. If you happen to haven’t had the chance to discover our whiskies, I invite you to hitch me in having fun with the wealthy rewards of single malt whisky at Benriach.

Right here is every little thing it is advisable learn about Benriach.

The place Is Benriach Distillery? 

Based in 1898, Benriach Distillery is positioned in North Speyside. Ruggedly lovely, Benriach stands on the positioning of the previous Riach farm in north Speyside, drawing water from a mineral-rich aquifer deep beneath the distillery.

In our warehouses lies probably the most eclectic picks of casks in Scotland. Our ‘sleeping beauties’, as we frequently name them, proceed to be sourced from all around the world, enabling us to creatively discover the total taste potentialities of Speyside single malt.

Displaying the variety and flexibility of Benriach’s orchard fruit-laden model, the Benriach vary spans the total spectrum of whisky flavors.

How To Pronounce Benriach

Benriach is pronounced as BEN – REE – ACH.

Benriach Authentic Ten

The Original Ten is a part of Benriach’s core vary and is an introduction to its signature model of Speyside single malts; completely marrying custom and innovation that’s central to Benriach’s story.

Impressed by the 1994 bottling of the Authentic Ten, with its fruit-laden complexity and clean, rounded style, the present Authentic Ten re-imagines the 1898 origins of Benriach, delivered to life within the twenty first century via fusing distilling kinds with extraordinary casks.

The Authentic Ten is three-cask matured for a minimum of ten years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and virgin oak, to create layers of luscious orchard fruit, luxurious honeyed malt, and toasted oak, all interwoven with a refined hint of smoke.

Who Is It For? 

The Authentic Ten taste profile signifies that it may be loved by skilled whisky aficionados and rookies alike. Fanatics can bask within the traditions and heritage that go into the making of The Authentic Ten whereas having fun with Benriach’s signature fruit-laden model.

It may be loved neat or works splendidly in luscious and refreshing highball serves.

Comparable Whiskies

Benriach’s use of eclectic casks showcases the big selection of taste potentialities that may be achieved with single malts. Our peated expressions could also be in comparison with Islay whiskies for instance, that are recognized for being peated. 

The distinct inland peat used for Benriach creates a sweeter smoke model in comparison with the extra coastal peat flavors of Islay malts. Our unpeated model expressions, nonetheless, provide a special taste expertise: extra classically Speyside with notes of orchard fruit and toasted oak – a taste frequent to different malts within the Speyside area.

Can A Bourbon Lover Get pleasure from The Whisky? 

Bourbon casks are the most well-liked maturation cask we use at Benriach. Bourbon casks carry out the orchard fruit sweetness of the spirit throughout maturation and are utilized in all our core vary expressions.

What Is The Oldest Benriach Whisky Ever Produced? 

Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years is the primary whisky from the distillery to be bottled at 50 years previous and includes the best portrayal of Benriach’s signature fruit-laden model, with deep complexity and splendid refinement.

At Benriach Distillery our means to nurture taste has been knowledgeable by our heritage in maturing an eclectic array of casks from internationally and now we have a inventive philosophy and exploratory strategy in the direction of whisky making. Over many a long time, this has granted an skilled understanding of what makes the distinctive cask.

Crafted from one cask and with simply 37 bottles out there, Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years is our final treasure. Sip fifty years of opulent refinement with notes of chic honeyed dates and delicate oak spices in concord with the lingering finesse of apple, pear, and traces of grapefruit.

The expression is held inside a bespoke crystal decanter, made in Scotland by Glasstorm. Every decanter is offered in a presentation field made by grasp craftsman John Galvin, its design impressed by the colourful array of eclectic casks that fill Benriach’s warehouses, the place the expression has been nurtured for the final half a century.

That is our artwork – a testomony to the experience in and dedication to extraordinary cask maturation on the distillery.

What Is The Greatest Cocktail To Make With Benriach Whisky? 

Our international model ambassador Stewart Buchanan, who’s celebrating his twentieth anniversary working with Benriach this yr, loves Benriach Penicillin

Substances:

• 2 oz. Benriach The Authentic Ten
• 3/4 oz. Recent Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz. Honey-Ginger Syrup*
• 1/4 oz. Benriach The Smoky Ten
• Candied ginger, garnish

Technique:

Add Benriach The Authentic Ten, lemon juice, and honey-ginger syrup right into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pressure right into a rocks glass over contemporary ice. Prime with Benriach The Smoky Ten. Garnish with a chunk of candied ginger and luxuriate in.

*Making ready the Honey-Ginger Syrup:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 (6-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup water

Convey all elements to a saucepan over excessive warmth, and convey to a boil. Scale back warmth to medium and simmer for five minutes. Chill in a single day, then pressure, and discard solids. Serve in a brief glass with ice or retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as two weeks.

Is Benriach A Good Whisky? 

Following the launch of the brand new core vary in 2020, Benriach secured an excellent seven Double Gold Medals on the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competitors, thought of probably the most influential spirits competitions on the earth.

Following a record-breaking 1,276 whisky entries from all corners of the world, Benriach obtained Double Gold medals for seven expressions in its new vary. Double Gold is the best medal out there and is just awarded to entries that obtain Gold medal rankings by all the 30-strong judging panel.

As Grasp Blender for Benriach, my job alongside our whisky-making crew is to discover the total taste potentialities of Single Malt, creating among the richest, most multi-layered whiskies in Speyside. We have been honored that our work to discover a world of taste via the brand new vary has been so extensively acknowledged by the San Francisco World Spirits Competitors. It’s much more particular as a result of all spirits have been judged blindly by an esteemed panel of judges.

Who Owns Benriach Distillery? 

The distillery is owned by Brown-Forman who bought the distillery, alongside The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh distilleries in 2016.

Benriach unveiled a brand new core vary in 2020, starting with The Authentic Ten, The Twelve, The Smoky Ten and The Smoky Twelve and now extending to The Sixteen, The Twenty One, The Twenty 5, The Thirty, The Forty, and Benriach’s oldest and rarest single malt to this point – Benriach 1966 Cask Aged 50 Years.

Additionally in 2021, following an preliminary six-figure funding challenge by Brown Forman, the distillery opened a brand new customer middle that provides quite a lot of taste centered tour and tasting experiences, encouraging guests to find Benriach’s multi-layered Single Malt and wealthy inventive heritage courting again to 1898.

All three distilleries proceed to prosper via continued funding by Brown-Forman who stay devoted to nurturing their wealthy heritage whereas persevering with to develop and diversify their choices.