Journey through Speyside today and you’ll encounter distilleries producing elegant, fruit-forward whiskies — honeyed, floral, delicate. While varied in their own way, this profile has become the defining signature of the region’s malts. But this wasn’t always the case. Until the 1960s, Speyside whiskies carried something else entirely: a gentle whisper of peat smoke.
When my family’s business, Gordon & MacPhail, acquired Benromach Distillery in 1993, our vision was to revive this forgotten Speyside style — an aspiration shaped by our liquid library, which holds samples from more than 100 Scottish single malt distilleries from the 40s, 50s and 60s. When Benromach reopened in 1998 following a full redesign, it presented a rich Speyside single malt with a delicate hint of smoke.
What exactly is ‘The Lost Smoke Of Speyside’?
To understand what we’ve revived at Benromach, you need to understand what Speyside lost. Historically, peat was a common fuel source across Scotland. In whisky production, distilleries used it to dry their malted barley and halt the germination process, not as a stylistic choice but as a simple necessity. The phenol-enriched smoke that infused the grain wasn’t heavy like you’d find in Islay whiskies — the lost smoke of Speyside was subtle, measured, adding complexity without overwhelming the spirit’s inherent flavours.
The shift away from peat happened almost overnight in historical terms. The 1960s brought centralized maltings and hot-air kilning systems that promised greater efficiency and consistency. Within a decade, the price of progress was evident — the smoky notes that had defined Speyside single malts for generations had vanished.
Benromach is known for its handmade approach to production — can you tell us more about that?
When we reopened Benromach in 1998 — 100 years after its original foundation — we weren’t simply rejuvenating the distillery. We were reviving a philosophy. Our spirit is lightly peated, distilled from malted barley that is typically peated to around 10-12 phenol parts per million, or ppm. The gentle smoke captures that historical Speyside character: present enough to add intrigue, subtle enough to let the spirit’s other qualities shine through.
But authenticity demanded more than just adding peat to our process. We fully committed to the time-honored and traditional methods throughout production. Where others have embraced automation, we’ve kept human judgment at the heart of what we do at Benromach, believing that hand-made whisky guarantees genuine character.
Visit the distillery and you might see our distillers bringing down the mash by hand, monitoring temperature and consistency through touch and sight. During distillation, they’re constantly checking the spirit, making decisions based on their senses.
What makes Benromach’s single malt whiskies stand out?
Murdo Mackenzie, our Distillery Manager, often says that we make our whisky with four ingredients: barley, water, yeast, and people. It’s that fourth ingredient that helps set Benromach apart. In an industry increasingly driven by efficiency metrics and automation, we’ve chosen a different path — one where skilled craftspeople remain essential to every drop of single malt whisky we produce.
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Our promise to keep the lost smoke of Speyside alive through the use of lightly peated malt is another step along this less-trodden path. We’ve also chosen a different approach for our fermentation process, where we employ both distiller’s and brewer’s yeasts over extended periods of three to five days. It’s a deliberate choice that develops greater complexity in the wash, creating layers of flavor that would be impossible to achieve through rushed production. During maturation, our exclusive use of first-fill bourbon and Sherry casks ensures maximum flavor development.
I think all of this is why people consider Benromach something of an insider’s secret — we’re a distillery quietly producing exceptional whisky for the sake of producing exceptional whisky. That feels right for a lot of whisky lovers.
Where should The Whiskey Wash readers start if they want to experience Benromach’s single malts?
I would recommend beginning with our signature range, which demonstrates how the marriage of tradition and craftsmanship translates into our multi-award-winning whisky. The 10 Years Old exemplifies our house style: forest fruits and creamy malt complemented by that distinctive whisper of smoke. The 15 Years Old builds on this with the soft smoke intertwining with orchard fruits, cracked pepper, and rich Sherry influences. The 21 Years Old showcases how well Benromach spirit ages, developing flavors of Seville orange and subtle spice while maintaining that elegant smokiness.
The international spirits community regularly recognizes the quality of our single malts. Just this year, our signature range whiskies been awarded gold and platinum medals from the San Francisco World Spirits and London Spirits competitions and the International Spirits Challenge.
What can visitors to Benromach expect to find?
Today, when visitors come to our distillery in Forres, Scotland, they’re not only touring a distillery. We want our guests to feel like they’re experiencing a piece of rescued history. After a warm welcome from our hosts, visitors will be able to see exactly how we’re reviving the lost smoke of Speyside. They can watch our distillers at work and taste whiskies that connect them directly to the region’s authentic past. It’s immensely satisfying to know that we’ve not only preserved these methods but proven their continued relevance. The smoke may have been absent from Speyside for decades, but at Benromach, it’s very much alive.
Discover the lost smoke of Speyside today at benromach.com.
