Ben Nevis Distillery
Encyclopedia
Ben Nevis Distillery is a distillery in Scotland
that distills Ben Nevis 10 year old and Ben Nevis 21 year old whisky
. The distillery is located at Lochy Bridge in Fort William
and sits just at the base of its namesake, Ben Nevis
, Scotland's highest mountain, 4,406 feet above sea level. A coastal distillery in the Western Highlands, Ben Nevis draws its water from the Allt a’Mhuilinn which originates from two pools, Coire Leis and Coire na’Ciste. The distillery was founded in 1825 by 'Long John' McDonald, a 6ft 4in descendant of a ruler of the western Scottish kingdom of Argyll
(for whom the renowned blended Scotch Long John was named). After Long John's death in 1856, ownership was passed down to Donald McDonald, his son.
A second distillery was sited nearby in 1878 and named Nevis Distillery. In a bid to keep up with growing demand, both distilleries eventually became one in the early twentieth century. In 1955 the distillery was taken over by new proprietors with Joseph Hobbs in the driving seat. Under Hobb's ownership, the distillery joined the ranks of those experimenting with continuous distillation, installing a Coffey Still which remained on the site for twenty-six years and made this distillery one of the first to produce malt and grain whisky simultaneously. The Japanese company Nikka
(Japan) acquired the distillery in 1989. The heart of the range has been, for some time, the ten year-old. There have also been a few cask-finishes, limited editions and independent bottlings, notably from Blackadder
and Douglas Laing. In 1991, a visitor centre was opened for tourists in the area, particularly those travelling to the rocky peak above the distillery.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
that distills Ben Nevis 10 year old and Ben Nevis 21 year old whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
. The distillery is located at Lochy Bridge in Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
and sits just at the base of its namesake, Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William....
, Scotland's highest mountain, 4,406 feet above sea level. A coastal distillery in the Western Highlands, Ben Nevis draws its water from the Allt a’Mhuilinn which originates from two pools, Coire Leis and Coire na’Ciste. The distillery was founded in 1825 by 'Long John' McDonald, a 6ft 4in descendant of a ruler of the western Scottish kingdom of Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
(for whom the renowned blended Scotch Long John was named). After Long John's death in 1856, ownership was passed down to Donald McDonald, his son.
Nikka Whisky Distilling
The is a producer of Japanese whisky headquartered in Tokyo. They have two malt whisky distilleries, one in Yoichi, Hokkaidō , and the other in Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Northern Honshū...
(Japan) acquired the distillery in 1989. The heart of the range has been, for some time, the ten year-old. There have also been a few cask-finishes, limited editions and independent bottlings, notably from Blackadder
Blackadder (whisky bottler)
Blackadder is an independent bottler of single malt Scotch whisky. It was founded in 1995 by Robin Tucek and John Lamond, and named after historic Scottish figure Bishop John Blackadder...
and Douglas Laing. In 1991, a visitor centre was opened for tourists in the area, particularly those travelling to the rocky peak above the distillery.