Dalmore
Whyte & Mackay's Highlands distillery.
Ben Wyvis
Distillery & brand
Short-lived malt distillery built within the Invergordon grain complex.
Ben Wyvis distillery
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Ben Wyvis’ remit was to provide unpeated malt whisky for the Whyte & Mackay blend, which was swiftly gaining a following across much of the UK, particularly in Scotland. Only a small handful of official and independent bottlings were ever released.
Curiously, at a time when many new distilleries were installing stainless steel washbacks, the six at Ben Wyvis were made of cast iron.
Ben Wyvis History
The Invergordon grain distillery was built by Invergordon Distillers in 1961 in response to soaring demand for bulk grain whisky for blends. Four years later a malt whisky distillery, Ben Wyvis, was built within the complex to provide malt whisky for the Whyte & Mackay blend. It was named after a lost distillery (which was also known as Ferintosh), in nearby Dingwall, which closed in 1926.
Ben Wyvis was here and gone in a flash – by 1976, after just 11 years’ operation, it was permanently demolished. Its stills were saved, and eventually transferred to Glengyle distillery in Campbeltown.
Timeline
- 1959 Invergordon distillery is founded by Invergordon Distillers
- 1960 Invergordon's ownership passes to London Merchant Securities, which takes over construction of the distillery
- 1961 Invergordon distillery is opened with just one Coffey still in operation
- 1965 The distillery is passed back to the control of invergordon Distillers (Holdings) Ltd, which builds Ben Wyvis malt distillery within the complex
- 1976 After just 11 years operation, Ben Wyvis distillery is demolished
Ben Wyvis Facts
Owners
Parent company
- Emperador Distillers Inc 2014 - present
Current owner
- Whyte and Mackay Group 1993 - present
Previous owner
- Invergordon Distillers 1965 - 1993
Contact
- Address
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Ben Wyvis Distillery
Golf View Terrace
Invergordon
Ross-shire
IV18 0HP
United Kingdom
Map
See also
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Distillery & brand