Benbecula Distillery has begun production in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, using a recipe discovered in the writings of 19th-century distilling historian Alfred Barnard. This 130-year-old recipe was brought to light by the distillery’s owner, Angus A. MacMillan, who enlisted master distiller Brendan McCarron to bring it back to life.
McCarron, with a distinguished career including roles at Glenmorangie Company, Oban Distillery, and Distell (home to Bunnahabhain, Deanston, and Tobermory distilleries), has been instrumental in this revival. He described the new whisky as “classically maritime in style: smoky on the nose, with salty and sweet peated notes.” This profile is achieved using light- to medium-peated malted barley, ensuring that the smoke does not overpower the fruity and floral notes.
The ingredients for the whisky include bere barley grown on MacMillan’s croft and nearby lands, fertilized with seaweed from the shoreline, as well as local peat and heather. McCarron has also planned the production of a special batch of heather-peated bere barley each year, a process both innovative and rooted in island traditions.
The distillery will produce approximately 350,000 liters of whisky annually, maturing it in Bourbon and Sherry casks. In addition to whisky, Benbecula will also produce gin.
Located in a repurposed salmon-farming processing plant, the distillery features a glass-walled extension resembling a lighthouse that houses a copper pot still—a new landmark on the island’s landscape. The distillery’s development began in 2020 with a proposed outlay of £12.5 million ($17.3 million), supported by £2.8 million ($3.2 million) from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scotland’s economic and community development agency.
MacMillan expressed his pride in the project, stating, “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 that will capture the essence of this unique place.”
He praised McCarron’s expertise, saying, “Brendan McCarron, one of the best-known names in modern distilling, has created something very special, making the most of the good things Benbecula has to offer. Our malt will be kilned over fires laid with peat and foraged heather—a revival of a rare malting technique unique in Scotland today, inspired by recipes from the 19th century used by distilleries such as Glen Ord and Highland Park.”
Under McCarron’s guidance, Benbecula Distillery aims to create a variety of flavor styles, ensuring that each batch embodies the island’s distinctive character and heritage.
