Spirit of Speyside whisky honour for the Benromach

Benromach 10 Years Old has been crowned the winner in the 12 Years & Under category at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards 2019.

The annual competition seeks out the best whiskies from Scotland’s most prolific whisky-producing region.

Just two finalists are selected in each category during a blind taste challenge held by the judging panel, which is composed of nine leading industry experts and whisky writers.

Benromach was the only distillery to have two expressions in the final eight whiskies, including Benromach 15 Years Old which was recognised as the runner-up in the 13 – 20 Years Old category.

In the only whisky competition of its type, the shortlisted expressions are then sampled by the public at judging sessions held in cities including New York, Cologne, Rome, Belfast and London.

Visitors and locals to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in May then cast the deciding vote on the shortlist, with the results revealed at the Festival’s closing ceilidh.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach Distillery manager, said: ‘“We are immensely proud that Benromach 10 Years Old, our flagship whisky, has been recognised in these prestigious awards. It is particularly special because such a breadth of audiences from all over the world have had the opportunity to try two of our whiskies and have recognised them for their quality and taste.

‘At Benromach, we are one of only a few Scottish distilleries to craft all our whiskies by hand. Our methods take a little longer, but we believe this extra attention is reflected in the depth of the flavours of our whiskies. We manage the process by sight, sound and touch and use only traditional techniques to create our distinctive expressions – beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.’

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when the Urquhart family realised a lifelong dream to own a distillery and purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Rothesay in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, the Urquhart family wanted to create a single malt whisky that has a classic Speyside character: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A five-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail.

For more information, visit www.benromach.com.