Benbecula Distillery Starts Production
Benbecula Distillery has announced the start of production.
Founded by businessman Angus A MacMillan, the multi-million pound distillery was developed in a disused salmon farming processing plant at Gramsdale at the northern end of Benbecula, which lies between the Hebridean islands of North and South Uist, off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. A glass-walled extension in the form of a lighthouse houses the distillery’s copper pot still.
The start of production sees the revival of a 130 year old recipe, after MacMillan researched the writings of 19th century distilling historian Alfred Barnard and then enlisted the services of renowned master distiller Brendan McCarron as his whisky expert to create the spirit.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, McCarron previously worked as head of maturing whisky stocks at the Glenmorangie Company. His experience also includes spells as manager at Oban Distillery and as master distiller with Distell, whose brands include Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries.
Bere barley, grown on Mr MacMillan’s croft and others nearby, fertilized with seaweed from the shoreline, is among the key ingredients of the new single malt, with local peat and heather being used in the production process. The spirit produced at Benbecula will be classically maritime in style; smoky on the nose, with salty and sweetly peated notes. This will be achieved using light to medium peated malted barley, so that the smoke does not dominate and allows fruity and floral notes to shine through.
Around 350,000 litres of whisky will be produced at Benbecula Distillery annually, with bourbon and sherry casks being used in the maturation. Benbecula gin will also be produced there and the company’s own rum will be available from the distillery.
Source: Benbecula Distillery.