Location and contact details
Location: Benromach Distillery Company Ltd., Invererne Road, Forres, Moray IV36 3EB
Visit Type: Vistor Centre
Co-ordinates: 57.614130, -3.620039
Telephone: +44 (0)1466 730 202
Email: info[at]benromach.com
Web: http://www.benromach.com/ 
Twitter: Benromach (@Benromach)Facts and figures
| Location | Benromach Distillery Company Ltd., Invererne Road, Forres, Moray IV36 3EB |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Owner | Gordon & MacPhail |
| Water Source | Chapelton Springs in the Romach Hills |
| Stills | 2 wash still 1 spirit still |
Opening Hours
Opening hours vary through the year; check for details of opening hours. GlenDronach is open all year on Mondays to Fridays, Saturdays in April through September and Sundays between June and August.
Tours
The Classic Tour
£8
A guided walk around the distillery, followed by a tasting of the award-winning Benromach 10 & 15 Year Old whiskies, and of course a very warm welcome!
Availability:
April - October - every 30 minutes during opening hours.
November - March - at 10.30am, 12noon, 1.30pm & 3pm only
Booking is recommended, but not always essential.
Duration
About 1 hour
The Contrast Tour
£20
A leisurely tour around the distillery, followed by a delicious exploration of the contrasting Benromach whisky expressions.
Availability:
April-October at 10am, 12 noon & 2pm during operating hours.
Nov-Mar - by appointment only at 10.30am or 1.30pm during operating hours.
Booking is essential.
Duration
About 90 minutes
The Heritage Tour
£60
Discover theeir heritage with a tour around the distillery alongside one of our friendly tour guides. After the tour you will be led through a tasting of the Benromach whisky range in one of the cosy tasting rooms.
Availability & Booking:
Tour by appointment only, for a minimum of 2 people, during operating hours.
Duration
Around 2 hours
Exclusive Tour
£120
As you walk around Benromach you’ll learn more about the technical aspects of the distillery, the hand-crafted spirit and how we select the finest oak casks. Following the tour, you’ll be led through a selection of drams chosen to reflect the Classic Benromach style before being presented with an exclusive bottle of Benromach, only available at the distillery, to take home and enjoy.
Availability & Booking:
Tour by appointment only, for a minimum of 2 people, during operating hours.
Duration
Around 2 hours.
Review: The Contrast Tour (10:00 on 30/09/2019)
Price: £20
I booked the tour by using their contact page to request a tour and was emailed confirmation back. I booked the Contrast Tour as the contact page gave the impression it was a longer tour that the standard Classic Tour; the Classic tour says "...a guided walk around the distillery...", whereas the Contrast Tour says "...a leisurely tour around the distillery..., but are in fact the exact same tour through the distillery.
They are differentiated by the samples of whisky at the end. The Classic Tour samples are:
On the Contrast Tour, the samples are:
- Benromach 2010 Single Malt Whisky - Organic
- Benromach 10 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Benromach Chateau Cissac Wood Finish 2010 Single Malt Whisky
- Benromach Peat Smoke Single Malt 47ppm Scotch Whisky 2008
I arrived at the distillery early and they started the tour early as there was three of us booked on and all were present; plus a tour bus was expected for the booked tour time, so they took us through early to so we could avoid the bus load. The other two people on the tour had watched a video on the distillery before I arrived and I missed seeing this; the guide did say I could see it at the end or watch later from home; watching while at the distillery wasn't mentioned again and, to be honest, I forgot about it.
The tour is well structured and explained; you start in the mill room where malting is explained and you see the mill; then you move onto mash tun and wash backs and then to the stills. Each of the processes is explained in turn so you can understand how everything flows through the distillery.
We then went outside and across to one of the warehouses where we saw whisky maturing in the barrels, which was explained along with the type of casks used.
I took the opportunity to ask how they handle making peated and unpeated whisky in the same facility which the guide was able to answer.
We then returned to the visitor centre for the tasting; the whiskies samples are detailed above.
History
Duncan MacCallum and F.W. Brickmann founded the Benromach Distillery Company in 1898. Duncan MacCallum had previously been working at the Glen Nevis Distillery in Campbeltown and FW Brickmann was a spirit broker in Leith, Edinburgh. Construction work started at the site of Benromach Distillery in 1898 however due to the depression in the Scotch Whisky industry in 1898 the distillery did not start producing whisky until 1900 but closed the same year due to a lack of money.
In 1911 Benromach was acquired by the London based Harvey McNair & Co who continued distilling until the onset of the First World War. After the war Benromach was acquired by Benromach Distillery Ltd and was run by this new private company until 1925. In 1938 Benromach was acquired by Associated Scottish Distilleries Ltd which later became a part of Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. Between 1966 and 1974 the distillery was modernised and continued to run until 1983 when the distillery was officially closed.
In 1993 Gordon and MacPhail took over the site and in 1997 they started to restore the distillery to a working order. The design of the distillery was changed slightly to allow it to be operated by one man. Finally in 1998 the distillery was officially reopened by Charles, Prince of Wales and bottling of the new malt started in 2004.
At the World Whisky Awards 2014, Benromach 10 Years Old won gold in the "Best Speyside Single Malt – 12 Years and Under" category.
