Spirit starts to flow at Benbecula Distillery

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Benbecula Distillery has started production at its Hebridean home as it revives a 130-year-old recipe to create its new single malt.

The recipe was uncovered by businessman Angus A MacMillan when we was researching the writings of the 19th century distilling historian Alfred Barnard. He then enlisted the services of master distiller Brendan McCarron and developed the multi-million pound distillery in a disused salmon farming processing plant at the northern end of Benbecula.

Mr MacMillan said, “After quite a journey over the past few years, it’s fantastic to see the first spirit flowing at Benbecula Distillery.

“There’s nowhere quite like Benbecula and we are proud to be able to play a part in sustaining our island, creating new, skilled jobs and producing a single malt whisky which will capture the essence of this unique place.”

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The team at Benbecula Distillery

He continued, “Brendan McCarron, one of the best-known names in modern distilling, has, we believe, created something very special, making the most of the good things Benbecula has to offer.

“Our malt will be kilned over fires which we lay with peat and foraged heather; a revival of a rare malting technique completely unique in Scotland today and from a recipe last used by distilleries such as Glen Ord and Highland Park in the 19th century.

“Brendan has adapted and developed this process to create a smooth, gentle smokiness and sweet floral character in our spirit. Under his guidance, we will also be creating a variety of flavour styles.”

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Brendan McCarron previously worked as head of maturing whisky stocks at the Glenmorangie Company, where he was deputy to the firm’s director of whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden.

His experience also includes spells as manager at Oban Distillery and as master distiller with Distell, whose brands include Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries.

Mr McCarron said, “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.

“Each year a special batch of heather peated bere barley will be produced, using a process that is both innovative and inspired by traditions of the island.”

Around 350,000 litres of whisky will be produced at Benbecula Distillery each year using bere barley grown on Mr MacMillan’s croft and others nearby and fertilised with seaweed from the shoreline making them among the key ingredients of the new single malt, along with the local peat and heather which is used in the production process. Bourbon and sherry casks are being used in the maturation.

Benbecula gin will also be produced, and the company’s own rum will also be available from the distillery.

Regional development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) provided support totalling £2.8million for the project.

Picture: Angus A MacMillan beside the pot still housed in the lighthouse

 

Category: News, Spirits, Whisky
Tags: Angus A MacMillan, Benbecula, Benbecula Distillery, Brendan McCarron, single malt