Benrinnes Distillery, Aberlour: Heavy Malt from the Mountain

Overview

Benrinnes stands high on the lower slopes of Ben Rinnes, the mountain that overlooks Speyside, near Aberlour. Its story goes back to 1826, and its first distillery was swept away by the great Moray flood of 1829. It is known for its heavy, meaty spirit. From 1974 to 2007 it used an unusual partial triple distillation. Today it belongs to Diageo and supplies blends, with a 15 Year Old in the Flora & Fauna series since 1991.

Where it is

The distillery is about 2 miles south of Aberlour, on the minor road climbing towards Ben Rinnes. Dufftown is about 5 miles east, Craigellachie 4 miles north, and Elgin about 16 miles. Ben Rinnes rises behind it to 841 metres, the highest hill in the heart of Speyside.

The full history

1826 and the Muckle Spate

Peter McKenzie founded the first distillery on the site in 1826. In August 1829 the “Muckle Spate”, the great flood of the Moray rivers, destroyed it. It was one of the worst floods in Scottish history, sweeping away bridges, mills and farms across Speyside.

Lyne of Ruthrie to Benrinnes

John Innes rebuilt the distillery in 1835 as Lyne of Ruthrie. William Smith later renamed it Benrinnes, after the mountain. A fire in 1896 led to rebuilding and the installation of electricity.

Dewar’s, DCL and Diageo

John Dewar & Sons bought Benrinnes in 1922, and it joined the Distillers Company in 1925. It was largely rebuilt in the 1950s. From 1974 to 2007 it ran a partial triple distillation, with the stills arranged in groups of three. In 2007 it switched to the conventional system it uses today. It stopped malting its own barley in 1984. Through mergers it became part of Diageo.

How it’s made

Benrinnes has two wash stills and four spirit stills, with a capacity of about 2.5 million litres a year. Water comes from the Scurran and Rowantree burns, which run off Ben Rinnes. The spirit is heavy, oily and meaty, ideal for sherry casks and as a backbone in blends.

Clans & the land

• Clan Grant held Strathspey to the west.
• The Gordons dominated the hills to the south. In 1594 the Earl of Huntly’s Gordons beat a royal army at the Battle of Glenlivet, about 8 miles south. See Clan Gordon.
• Ballindalloch Castle, about 8 miles south-west, has been home to the Macpherson-Grants since 1546.

Hills, churches & stones

• Ben Rinnes (841 m): the climb from the car park at Glack Harnes takes about 2 hours up. On a clear day you can see from the Moray Firth to the Cairngorms.
• Mortlach Kirk, Dufftown: one of Scotland’s oldest church sites, with a Pictish Battle Stone. See our standing stones guide.
• There are no lochs on Ben Rinnes, only burns and the Spey below. See our lochs guide.

Aberlour & the Spey

The village of Aberlour, properly Charlestown of Aberlour, was laid out in 1812 by Charles Grant of Wester Elchies. Its long main street runs parallel to the Spey. It is also the home of Walkers Shortbread, founded here in 1898. Behind the village, a short walk leads up the Burn of Aberlour to the Linn of Ruthrie, a waterfall that shares its name with the old distillery. The Speyside Way runs through Aberlour on the old railway line, and 2 miles downstream at Craigellachie, Thomas Telford’s elegant iron bridge of 1814 spans the river. The Spey here is one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world.

Visiting

Benrinnes is production only, with no visitor centre or tours. Nearby, Aberlour and Glenfarclas both welcome visitors.

Nearby distilleries

• Dailuaine (about 2 miles).
• Aberlour and GlenAllachie (about 2–3 miles).
• Glenfarclas (about 4 miles), with tours.
• Craigellachie (about 4 miles).
• Cragganmore and Knockando (about 8 miles).
• In Glenrinnes below Ben Rinnes: Allt-à-Bhainne, the peated Speyside malt
• Alexander Edward’s other distillery, north of Keith: Aultmore

The Speyside Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Benrinnes distillery — Wikipedia.
• Diageo / Malts.com.