Banff

Banff Single Malt Whisky

Overcoming multiple setbacks, maintained with great perseverance, but ultimately lost forever by a fire in 1991. The Banff Distillery is one of the majestic lost distilleries of Speyside single malt whisky. Due to its rareness, Banff Single Malt Whisky, such as the exclusive Banff 1966 Rare Old Gordon & MacPhail, is a very much desired -yet hard to obtain whisky collectors treat!

The Banff Distillery was established by James McKilligan in 1824 in Inverboyndie, Speyside. The following years the distillery changed ownership multiple times to eventually become property of James Simpson & Co. After approximately ten years of operating, the Banff Distillery was shut down and relocated in Inverboyndie, this location preference was strategically motivated due to its new constructed railway in its proximity. An era that would proof both prosperous, yet turbulent for the Banff Distillery.

Faith struck the Banff Distillery in the year 1877, when a fire set ablaze and burnt down the Banff Distillery. This mayor catastrophe however didn’t withhold the Simpsons to rebuild the distillery in its former glory. Using this setback to install new top-of-the-line equipment ensuring to increase the production capacity in double figures. Only after 6 months of full commitment, the distilling production was restored. Unfortunately, due to the economic recession of the early 20^th century, the distillery was forced to cease production and shut its doors to remain dormant thereafter, leaving only the warehouse still in use for the spirits maturation.

While lingering in a state of dormant quiescence, another mayor disaster struck the Banff Distillery. During the Second World War, one of distillery’s warehouses was bombed by the German Air Force. The maturing casks exploded and the spirit flood into the adjacent water source, intoxicating and poisoning the surrounding wildlife and farm animals in their natural habitat.

The Banff Distillery’s production was continued after the war, but in the year 1959 another fire ignited an explosion in one of the stills, annihilating almost the entire still house. This event was the last major catastrophe the distillery endured before its final closure in 1983, when the whisky market was saturated due to its overproduction. Among many distilleries, Banff was shut down by its current owner DCL (Diageo). The distillery’s premises were ultimately demolished throughout the following years. To top it all off, the last remaining warehouse went up in flames again. An eerie doomed faith to a distillery that maybe wasn’t meant to be.

The Banff Distillery was probably one of the most unfortunate distilleries ever to have seen the light of day, but its undisputed legacy however has lived on ever since.