AWARD-WINNING BenRiach distillery is celebrating after managing to fill 10,000 casks of single malt whisky in one year.
It’s the first time they have reached the milestone since changing ownership in 2004.
The landmark cask, containing approximately 500 litres, was a second-fill Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon filled with classic-style BenRiach.
Stewart Buchanan, Production Manager at the Elgin distillery, said: “This is an amazing achievement. The distillery was built by John Duff in 1898 and we have an uninterrupted inventory of single malts dating back to 1966.
“The casks we have filled since then contain the highest-quality whisky and the many expressions are incredibly complex and varied. There is no doubt in terms of blood, sweat and tears, this has been the busiest year we have had at the distillery since it became independent.
“As we entered December, we had a wee suspicion that we might hit the magic 10,000 cask number for the first time so we were keeping a close eye as the cask numbers ascended and we eventually filled cask No. 10,000 on Wednesday December 14.”
Managing Director Billy Walker said: “This milestone in our distillery production coincides with a really interesting period for BenRiach. We’ve won a number of high-profile awards recently, our worldwide sales are strong and we’re opening up new markets for BenRiach.
“This is a further indication of the current popularity of Scotch whisky and the confidence the industry has that demand will grow going forward.
“Cask No. 10,000 will no doubt attract more attention than others and it will be interesting to see how the whisky contained within it develops over the years!
“Congratulations to Stewart and everyone at BenRiach on a tremendous achievement.”
