BenRiach Distillery, Elgin: The Speyside Original with a Peated Twist
BenRiach at a glance
| Region | Speyside (Elgin, Moray) |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Owner | Brown-Forman |
| Visitor centre | Yes — opened 2021 |
| Tours | Bookable production & tasting tours, small groups |
| Opening | 7 days May–Sep, Mon–Fri in winter — check the website |
| Website | benriachdistillery.com |
Overview
BenRiach, near Elgin, is a distillery that delights in variety: alongside classic honeyed, fruity Speyside whisky it makes peated and triple-distilled styles, and matures in an unusually wide range of casks. That playful, experimental spirit — under acclaimed master blender Rachel Barrie — has made it a favourite of adventurous whisky drinkers.
The history
BenRiach was founded in 1898 by John Duff (also behind Longmorn next door), but closed after just two years and spent most of the 20th century running only its maltings while supplying quietly. It was revived as a single malt in 2004 by a group led by Billy Walker, and since 2016 has been owned by Brown-Forman, who opened its first proper visitor centre in 2021.
The water & the land
BenRiach draws on the Burnside Springs near the distillery, south of Elgin.
BenRiach had no founding clan — it was John Duff’s commercial venture. It sits in the Laich of Moray around Elgin, historic Gordon and Grant/Seafield country.
Visiting
BenRiach has a visitor centre (opened 2021) and runs bookable small-group production and tasting tours — seven days a week from May to September and weekdays in winter; check the website.
Nearby & more whisky
- Elgin’s other malt: Glen Moray
- Its sister founding by John Duff: Longmorn
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- BenRiach distillery — Wikipedia.
- BenRiach / Brown-Forman.