Speyside's Smallest
There are a growing number of Independent Bottlers who have added a single malt distillery to their stable: Signatory has Edradour; Murray McDavid has Bruichladdich; Angus Dundee has Tomintoul and Glencadam; and Ian Macleod has Glengoyne. But Gordon & MacPhail was one of the first.
Gordon & MacPhail was established in 1895 in Elgin, Scotland, as a purveyor of wine, spirits and groceries, blending and bottling whiskies in the best tradition of Scottish grocers.
Within months of opening, the founders James Gordon and Alexander MacPhail were joined by apprentice John Urquhart, who in 1915, would assume the role of senior partner.
With John's takeover, Gordon & MacPhail would begin to focus more and more on the whisky side of the business - and focusing on the bottling of single malt whisky while others concentrated on blends.
It wasn't until 1993 that the company decided to get into the production side. It acquired the Benromach distillery in the pretty town of Forres (west of Elgin) - but it was another five years before production started.
As you may have guessed from the title of this article, Benromach is the smallest distillery in Speyside.
I had a chance to chat with Michael Urquhart, Director of Gordon & MacPhail as he led me through the Benromach line...
Kevin Erskine: When did you acquire Benromach?
Michael Urquhart: We bought it in 1993. It closed 10 years prior to that and all the equipment had been taken out - so we started with a blank piece of paper - which was fine as that is what we were looking for. We had the water supply which was important, but it allowed us to set it up the way we wanted to set it up.
We're the smallest working distillery in Speyside - producing about 130,000 litres a year, hand crafted by two guys. No computers involved in the distillation process - it's all down to their skill in producing a top quality spirit.
KE: You didn't replicate the design of the original stills?
MU: We didn't have designs for the original stills, and no one had any photographs, so we were allowed to design the stills based on the style of spirit we were looking for - from our experience of over a hundred years of knowing how the spirits from different styles of stills mature.
KE: And what still shape did you decide on?
MU: They're medium sized, they're not tall lanky ones like at Glenmorangie and they're not short dumpy ones like at Strathisla - And you've got an onion shape in the spirit still to get a bit of reflux going on - it produces a medium style spirit - a good quality spirit.
The Traditional - is based on the traditional way of doing things. It's hand-crafted by two guys. The phenol content of the malted barley we are using is about 10 ppm - so you are just getting a slight smokiness coming through, but not aggressive in anyway.
That's how whiskies used to be made in Speyside - now-a-days they are much lower - about 2 ppm. Also soft water comes from the Romach hills on the south side of Forres, the casks that we are using are a mixture of first-fill bourbon casks and first-fill sherry casks - about 80/20. From the bourbon you're going to get the lovely vanilla notes coming through, and from the sherry you get the fruitiness. You'll get malty fudgie notes and then citrus, hints of cedar and then some chocolate mousse developing.
We take a taste of the Traditional. (Bottled at 40%. No age-declaration, but approximately 5 years old. U.S. $30)
KE: Very Malty - feinty & fruity notes coming through.
MU: We're really pleased with the way that the whisky is maturing. It's a good start - we are looking forward to the future.
The other Benromach we have here - our own distillation, is an organic whisky. Unfortunately the accreditation from the UK Soil Association is not acceptable in the U.S. however, the next release should be - so we hope to have it in America next year.
The entire process in making this whisky is organic - the barley, the water, the yeast, the distillation process. The casks are virgin casks - they were cut down from a wild forest in Missouri - it's the first time anything has been in these casks. Now when you look at that color you'll see that it is a golden brown - that's natural - this is not chill-filtered. Lots of fruit coming through - orange, apple, milk chocolate notes. Quite an interesting dram.
A bit more oiliness to it - that's really nice on the palate - and it's bottled at 43%, but the alcohol is not aggressive in anyway.
Try the cask strength, which was distilled in 1980, under the previous owners (ed.- United Distillers) at 58.6%. Again beautiful fruitiness - here more tropical notes - mango, pineapple. Re-filled sherry cask was used to mature this.
KE: I get fruit and chocolate. I must say, it's quite mild for a 58%.
MU: You're right - even at 58.6% you are not getting huge alcohol aggression. It's really mild.
The last Benomach we have today is a 22 year old, which has been finished for 22 months in port pipes - prior to that it was in sherry casks.
KE: That's a beautiful color...There's a slight red tinge to it.
MU: The finish is very different than the taste - but you still get the sherry notes coming through in the background.
KE: And all of these, aside from the Organic, are currently available in the U.S.?
MU: Yes. And in the rest of the range, there is a 1969. There is a 55 year old - but it is bottled in a hand made 70 cl, so it is not available in the U.S. - there are only 70 bottles in the world.
KE: How much is that going for?
MU: In the U.K. it retails for about £3000 and it is really quite unique. We have another wood finish coming out - a Benromach Traditional, finished in Tokaji, that's just been shipped to the U.S.
KE: Benromach is the only distillery that you own. Any plans to build or buy...
MU: You never know...
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