Benrinnes Distillery: History, Owner, Range and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Benrinnes sits high on the slopes of Ben Rinnes and was flooded, burned and rebuilt before becoming a Diageo blending cornerstone. For more than thirty years it used a rare partial triple distillation. Here is its story, owner and production.
In this guide
Summarise this guide with AI
Benrinnes at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified information |
|---|---|
Location | On Ben Rinnes near Aberlour, Speyside |
Established | 1826, rebuilt in 1835 |
Owner | Diageo |
Region | Speyside, Scotland |
Principal single malt range | Benrinnes 15 Year Old Flora & Fauna |
Visiting | Working site; no regular visitor tours |
Share your Benrinnes experience
Have you tried Benrinnes single malt or visited the distillery? Your answers to our four-question community poll help us understand whisky drinkers' experiences and shape future Whisky Clan reviews. Expand the highlighted question below to get started.
TAKE THE BENRINNES COMMUNITY POLL · 4 QUICK QUESTIONS
Answer four quick questions to see real reader percentages. No account or email is required.
Benrinnes history, people and production
Where is Benrinnes distillery?
Benrinnes is in Aberlour, Speyside, on the northern shoulder of Ben Rinnes, the mountain that towers over the region. The Single Cask puts the site around 200 metres up. The summit is about 840 metres.
Benrinnes history: 1826 to Diageo
Whisky was first produced at the site in 1826, when Peter McKenzie founded a distillery at Whitehouse Farm. A flood destroyed it in 1829. It was rebuilt in 1835 in the outbuildings of a farmhouse by John Innes and officially founded under the name Lyne of Ruthrie. After a bankruptcy it was sold to William Smith, who renamed it Benrinnes, and then to David Edward, who ran it until his son Alexander Edward took over.
1887: Alfred Barnard described the distillery in The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. It then had two stills, a wash still of 4,910 litres and a spirit still of 4,564 litres. The Single Cask quotes his remark that no more weird or desolate a place could have been chosen.
1896: a fire damaged the distillery. It was rebuilt, modernised and converted to electric power.
1922: sold to John Dewar and Sons, which joined Distillers Company in 1925.
1955: The Single Cask reports Saladin boxes replaced the malting floors. They ran until 1984.
1966: three stills were added to the three existing ones. All were converted to internal heating in 1970.
1974: the distillery changed to a partial triple distillation process.
1984: it stopped making its own malt and removed its saladin box.
1987 to 1998: Distillers Company became United Distillers, which merged with International Distillers and Vintners to form United Distillers and Vintners, the spirits division of Diageo.
2007: triple distillation was abandoned for two wash stills and four spirit stills.
Who owns Benrinnes?
Benrinnes is owned by Diageo.
How Benrinnes is made
Partial triple distillation: between 1974 and 2007 the distillery used a process in which feints were redistilled in a low wines still, with the spirit still fed by foreshots and the heart of the wash and low wines still, per Wikipedia.
Today: two wash stills and four spirit stills in a conventional configuration.
Worm tubs: the necks of the stills are cooled by worm tubs, a technique that is no longer very common.
Washbacks: eight wooden washbacks with fermentations of at least 60 hours, according to The Single Cask.
Use in blends: The Single Cask reports the malt has gone into Crawford's 3 Star, J&B and above all Johnnie Walker.
Benrinnes whisky expressions compared
These distillery expressions have been documented in producer catalogues or specialist sources. Limited editions, vintages and market strengths are not interchangeable. Whisky Clan has not independently tasted or rated every bottle in this table.
Named whisky expression | Age | Listed ABV | Maturation / release |
|---|---|---|---|
Benrinnes 15 Year Old Flora & Fauna | 15 years | 43% | Rich sherry-tinged oak profile; full maturation recipe not verified |
Benrinnes Grand Crescendo Special Release | NAS | Check label | Rare named Diageo expression; verify particular edition before collecting |
Benrinnes featured whisky bottle
An example of a named distillery bottling. Label and packaging can change between releases and markets.
How does Benrinnes whisky taste?
The distillery's reported character is influenced by its stills, fermentation, oak and age. Exact nose, palate and finish notes depend on the named bottle, age and cask; consult the official source for the release before treating a style description as an individual tasting review.
Limited bottles, awards and collector information
Limited editions, festival bottlings and older single casks can appear under the same distillery name. The bottle table distinguishes established expressions from historic or less widely available releases. Award claims should always be tied to a named expression, competition and year; none are implied for the entire range here.
Where to buy Benrinnes whisky
Availability, pricing, bottle formats and distribution vary between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Europe. The official catalogue linked below is the best starting point for identifying a whisky, but no live retailer stock is guaranteed.
Visiting Benrinnes Distillery
Working site; no regular visitor tours.
More Speyside distillery guides
Explore the styles and histories of other distilleries we've covered at Whisky Clan.
Glenfiddich: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Balvenie: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Mortlach: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Glendullan: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Dufftown: Explore its whisky heritage, production and expressions
Help us improve this distillery guide
Do you have a reliable whisky fact, bottle information or photo/source correction? Share it through the contribution form below. Newsletter subscription is an independent, optional choice.
Benrinnes Distillery whisky bottles and expressions
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Documented producer expression |
|---|---|---|---|
Benrinnes 15 Year Old Flora & Fauna | Check label | Check label | Documented expression; batch and availability vary |
Benrinnes 21 Year Old Special Releases 2024 | Check label | Check label | Documented expression; batch and availability vary |
Producer and release sources document these expressions. Historical bottles may be out of production or unavailable. Bottled sourced or blended whiskey is not always entirely distilled at this site.
Frequently asked questions about Benrinnes
Who owns Benrinnes?
1826, by Peter McKenzie. It was rebuilt in 1835.
When was Benrinnes founded?
1826, by Peter McKenzie. It was rebuilt in 1835.
What was unusual about Benrinnes?
It used a partial triple distillation process from 1974 until 2007, and it still uses worm tubs.
What was Benrinnes first called?
The rebuilt distillery was officially founded as Lyne of Ruthrie.
Is Benrinnes peated?
No. It uses unpeated malt.
Sources and image credits
Featured photograph: existing Benrinnes distillery photograph from Whisky Clan's original site media. Please contact Whisky Clan with any additional attribution details or corrections.
Whisky producer and release source: https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/d/428/diageo-special-releases
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
Comments