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China demand prompts £500k Benromach investment

Benromach, Speyside’s smallest distillery, is investing over £500k in increasing production after exports to China soared last year.

Benromach distillery, the smallest in Speyside, has seen export growth well ahead of the Scotch industry average

The distillery – owned by family company Gordon & MacPhail – saw sales increase by 40% and exports by 55% in 2012, well ahead of the Scotch industry average of 12%.

The group claims demand from China for its premium aged expressions has fuelled sales during the past year, prompting Benromach to invest £540k in a new bottling line in Elgin and building works to improve production efficiency.

“China is our biggest success story of 2012,” said managing director, Michael Urquhart. “The Benromach 10 Years Old has really taken off over there.”

Gordon & MacPhail is Scotland’s leading independent bottler with over 450 single malt expressions and a stockholding of more than 700 whiskies.

Benromach fell silent in 1983, and by the time Gordon & MacPhail bought the distillery 10 years later, all that was left were the washbacks.

After a complete renovation, Benromach was officially reopened by Prince Charles in 1998 and released its first single malt in 2004.

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